Johor
Encyclopedia : J : JO : JOH : Johor
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| State Motto: Kepada Allah berserah (English: all hopes is to God (Allah'') | |||||
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| Capital | Johor Bahru | ||||
| Royal Capital | Pasir Pelangi | ||||
| Sultan | Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj | ||||
| Chief minister | Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman | ||||
| Area
| 19,984 km² | ||||
| Population
| 3.0 million (2006)comprising Malays, Chinese, Indians and other minorities. | ||||
| State anthem | Lagu Bangsa Johor | ||||
Johor, formerly Johore (Jawi:جوهور), is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N. It is the second most developed state in Malaysia, after Selangor. The capital and royal seat of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly Tanjung Puteri. The old capital is Johor Lama. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Ta'azim ("Abode of Dignity').
- 1 History of Johor
- 2 Geography
- 3 Transportation hubs
- 4 Government structure of Johor
- 5 Education in Johor
- 6 Places of interest
- 6.1 Major tourist attractions
- 6.2 National parks and forest reserves
- 6.3 Mausoleum of ''Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang''
- 7 Cultural heritage of Johor
- 7.1 Clothing
- 7.2 Zapin dance
- 7.3 Kuda Kepang
- 7.4 Legend of Badang
- 7.5 Legend of Malim Deman
- 7.6 Legend of Gunung Ledang
- 7.7 Awang's spear returned to Dayang
- 7.8 Hamdolok
- 7.9 Songs of Johor
- 8 Cuisine
- 9 Interesting facts
- 10 External links
History of Johor
The name "Johor" originated from the Arabic word Jauhar, which literally means "Precious Stones". Founded in the early 16th century by the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, after fleeing from the Portuguese in Malacca, it grew into the Johor Empire that covered the Riau Archipelago. Unable to retake Malacca, Johor harassed and attacked the Portuguese during their 130 year rule. Johor became a thorn to the Portuguese in maintaining dominance within the Straits.
The history of Johor from the late 1500s to the late 1600s is characterised by a series of succession struggles interspersed with strategic alliances struck with regional clans and foreign powers to maintain its political and economic hold in the Straits. In competition with the Achehs of northern Sumatra and the port-kingdom of Malacca under Portuguese rule, Johor engaged prolonged warfare with their rivals, often striking alliances with friendly Malay states and in particular the Dutch. In 1641 Johor in cooperation with the Dutch succeeded in capturing Malacca. By 1660, Johor had become a flourishing entrepôt, although weakening and splintering of the empire in the late seventeenth and eighteenth century reduced its sovereignty.
In the 18th century, the Bugis of Sulawesi and the Minangkabau of Sumatra controlled the political powers in the Johor-Riau Empire. However, in the early 19th century, Malay and Bugis rivalry commanded the scene. In 1819, the Johor -Riau Empire was broken into the mainland Johor, controlled by the Temenggong, and the Sultanate of Riau-Lingga, controlled by the Bugis. This is when the history of modern Johor began. In 1855, under the terms of a treaty between the British in Singapore and Sultan Ali of Johor, the control over the State was formally ceded to Dato' Temenggong Daing Ibrahim, with the exception of the Kesang area (Muar), which was finally handed over in 1877. Temenggong Ibrahim opened up Bandar Tanjung Puteri (later to become Johor's present-day capital) in south Johor as a major town.
Temenggong Ibrahim was succeeded by his son, Dato' Temenggong Abu Bakar, who later took the title Seri Maharaja Johor. In 1866, he was formally crowned the Sultan of Johor. Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor (1864 - 1895) was the one who gave Johor its own constitution and developed its efficient administration system and constructed the Istana Besar, the official residence of the Sultan. Due to these achievements, Sultan Abu Bakar is known by the title "Father of Modern Johor". He is immortalized at the Sultan Abu Bakar Monument. The monument is built in the seafront directly opposite the courthouse.
The increased demand for black pepper and gambier in the nineteenth century lead to the opening up of farmlands to the influx of Chinese immigrants, creating Johor's initial economic base. The Kangchu system was put in place with the first settlement of Kangkar Tebrau established in 1844. The decline of the Kangchu economy at the end of the 19th century coincided with the opening of the railway line connecting Johor Bahru and the Federated Malay States in 1909 and the emergence of rubber plantations throughout the state. Under the British Resident system, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, was forced to accept a British adviser in 1914. D.G. Campbell was dispatched as the first British adviser to Johor. From the 1910s to the 1940s, Johor emerged as Malaya's top rubber producing state, a position it has held until recently. Johor was also until recently the largest oil palm producer in Malaysia.
Johor Bahru became the last city on the Malay peninsula to fall under the Japanese. General Yamashita Tomoyuki had his headquarters on top of Bukit Serene and coordinated the downfall of Singapore.
In 1948, Johor joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained Independence in 1957.
Geography
Physical
In the official census of 2000, the population of Johor was 2.75 million people with 55% Malays, 36% Chinese and 7% Indians. It is the fifth largest state(18,984 km²) of Malaysia.It is the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia being South of Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang and North of Singapore from which it is separated by the Straits of Johor. The highest point in Johor is Gunung (mountain) Ledang (1276 m). Johor is the only state in Malaysia which has a 400 km beach stretching on both the East and the West coast.Johor has 8 large islands with numerous smaller ones.
Weather
Johor experience wet equatorial weather with monsoon rain from Nov until Feb blowing from the South China Sea. Average annual rainfall is 1778 mm with average temperature of between 25.5 °C (78 °F) and 27.8 °C (82 °F). Humidity is between 82 and 86%.Links to Singapore
Johor is linked to Singapore by two land links - The first link is the causeway originally called Tambak Johor which carries both a road and a railway link. The second link is a road bridge on the west side of Johor.
The causeway (1038 m) was designed by Messrs Coode, Fizmaurice, Wilson and Mitchell of Westminster was adopted and the contract awarded to Topham, Jones & Railton Ltd of London. It started in 1909 as a railway link by Johor State Railway to connect Johor Bahru to Singapore, then the administrative headquarters of British interests in South-East Asia. Construction of the road section started in 1919 and was completed in 1923.
The causeway is a source of contention ever since Singapore separated from Malaysia. Stagnating water caused by the Causeway has raised health concerns in Johor. Malaysia has proposed to replace the causeway by a bridge, allowing water and tide movement through the Straits of Johor. Singapore has rejected this proposal, after which Malaysia came up with the idea of what became known as "the crooked half-bridge", 25 m above water level, and descending halfway to link up with the low-level causeway. The railway will have a swing bridge. The project is part of the Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu project. [link] It had been previously announced that the bridge project will go ahead, even without the agreement of the Singaporean government. The bridge will become a straight bridge if the Singaporean government accepts the project. Construction work on the bridge has stopped, however, on the orders of the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who cited the unwillingness of Malaysia to sell sand and allow the use of Malaysian airspace by Singapore as a return for Singaporean consent to the bridge's construction.
Animosity between previous leaders of both countries has abated with the rise of new leaders, Abdullah Badawi as Malaysian Prime Minister replacing Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore replacing Goh Chok Tong. It has renewed talks and normalised relations between countries.
Some analysts have concluded that replacing the causeway with a bridge would allow a creation of a comprehensive port system linking Johor Port and Tanjung Pelepas Port in Johor; some go on to suggest that this presents a threat to Singapore's port activity, thus explaining the initial reluctance of Singapore to agree to the causeway replacement.
The more recent road bridge (the "Second Link") was completed in Oct 1997. The Second Link Bridge is a 1920 m twin-deck bridge which supports a dual-three lane carriageway linking Kampong Ladang at Tanjung Kupang, Johor to Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim at Tuas in Singapore.
See also Geography and climate of Singapore.
Transportation hubs
Ports
It has two ports, Pasir Gudang Port and Port of Tanjung Pelepas.Airports
Johor has one international airport (30 km away from the city centre), The Sultan Ismail International Airport in Senai (01’38’26’ N, 103’40’13’ E). It was opened on 6 June 1974 and has been expanded several times ever since. Currently, it has a 5 million passenger capacity with another parallel runway under construction.The airport is also a regional hub of AirAsia, a regional low-cost no-frills airline. Malaysia Airlines also operate flights from Senai airport to some local and international destinations.
Government structure of Johor
Monarchy
The constitutional head of Johor is the Sultan. This hereditary position can only be held by a member of the Johor Royal Family, which is descended from Sultan Abu Bakar. The State's Sultan since 1981 has been Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj.State government
The state government is headed by the Chief Minister or Menteri Besar. The current Chief Minister is Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman, a former civil servant. The Chief Minister is assisted by an executive council (exco), whose members are selected from the state assembly members.The legislative branch of Johor's government is the Johor State Assembly. The state assembly makes laws in matters regarding the state. Members of the assembly are elected every five years in an election.
Districts
The state of Johor is divided into the districts of
- Johor Bahru 1817.8 km², population 1,278,000
- Pontian 919.5 km², population: 143,729
- Kota Tinggi 3488.7 km², population: 192,220
- Kluang 2851.8 km², population: 254,631
- Segamat 2851.26 km², population: 178,620
- Muar 2346.12 km², population: 328,695
- Batu Pahat 1878 km², population: 335,368
- Mersing 2838.6 km², population: 67,557
Education in Johor
Johor has several institutions of higher learning. It has two universities called Universiti Teknologi Malaysia situated in Skudai, as well as Universiti Teknologi MARA Johor ( [UiTM]) in Segamat, a college university called Kolej Universiti Tun Hussein Onn in Batu Pahat [link] and several polytechnics. Johor also has a teaching college called Maktab Perguruan Temenggung Ibrahim. It has one non-profit community college called [Southern College] situated in Skudai. Southern College was established in 1990 owing to the generous support from the communities. It is the first non-profit community college in the country wholly funded by public donation and is open to Malaysian students of all races.[link]
At the primary level, Muslim Johorean students are required to attend Islamic religious school in addition to national school. Many Malay Johoreans have competent skills in Jawi script, the official script in Johor since 1885, which is still used in Islamic religious and Malay cultural matters in the present.
Places of interest
Major tourist attractions
Among the popular tourist destinations in Johor are:- Desaru - beaches & golf courses along the South China Sea
- Johor Bahru- shopping, night market, colonial/royal district
- Endau Rompin National Park- pristine jungle
- Kota Tinggi 34 meter waterfall.
- Kukup - a fishing village with seafood restaurants built over water
- Muar- picturesque riverside town
- Seribuat Archipelago- islands with beautiful beaches, coral reefs
- Tanjung Piai- the southernmost tip of mainland Asia
National parks and forest reserves
Johor is also noted for its national parks. Johor currently has five national parks, with a combined area of more than 700 km² and several smaller recreational forest. Almost all recreational parks are based around a mountain. Johor also has the third largest mangrove forest reserve in Peninsular Malaysia (167 km²).
Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang
Cultural heritage of Johor
Culture in Johor is influenced by visitors and traders throughout history. The biggest influence would be the Bugis, Javanese and the Arabs. The strong Arab influence is apparent in art performances like Zapin and Hamdolok, musical instruments like gambus. Other visible legacies in Johor Bahru are the Arabic names of places such as Wadi Hana and Wadi Hassan in areas populated by the Arab community from Hadhramaut in the southeast of Yemen. Wadi means valley in Arabic.
Clothing
- Cekak Musang and Teluk Belanga are types of collar design of the male attire ' baju melayu'. It is said that Teluk Belanga was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 to reminisce the shift of Johor's capital from Teluk Belanga to Johor Bahru. The Teluk Belanga design is a simple hemmed round collar with a stiff stitching called 'tulang belut' or 'eel's spine' and ended with a loop at the end to fit a 'kancing'. This collar design creates an exposed neck in contrast to the neck-covering Cekak Musang design that is a raised stiff collar of about 1-2 cm with an opening down to the chest. The collar ends have matching holes to fit buttons.
- Kurung Johor
- Kurung Riau
- Belah kebaya panjang
Zapin dance
Zapin is a dance form which is popular in Malaysia especially in the state of Johor. It is believed to have been introduced by Muslim missionaries from the Middle East in the 14th century.
In the old days, only males were allowed to perform but nowadays, female dancers are included. It used to be performed exclusively for religious ceremonies but through the years it has become a form of traditional entertainment, hence the participation of female dancers are allowed.
The dancers usually perform in pairs and are accompanied by a traditional music ensemble normally consists of the gambus, accordion, violin, marwas (bongos), rebana (drum) and dok.
Kuda Kepang
Kuda kepang is a dance or game performed by Johoreans, especially of Javanese descent. Kuda kepang is a legless horse shaped puppet that is straddled by the performers. Usually, a troupe of performers consists of 10 to 15 people. It is performed in wedding ceremonies and cultural celebrations. There are several possible origins of Kuda Kepang. It is said to be originated from the struggles of “Wali Songo”, a group of nine Islamic preachers in Java. Others said it originated from the movement of horses commanded by Ali, the fourth Muslim Caliph. There are several dance rhythms or patterns; the 'Sola', 'Selendang', 'Pak Tani', 'Pucuk Rebung', 'Perjuangan', and 'Mempertahankan Diri'. The bobbing movement of the performers and their horse puppet is called 'Lenggang Kiprah'.The musical instruments used in kuda kepang performance are 'angklong', 'gendang', 'gong', 'kinong', 'jidor', 'soron kecil' and 'bonang'.
Legend of Badang
It is a story of Badang, a slave who gained super human strength by eating the sputum of a river spirit. He used this to win his release from his master. Contrary to popular belief, Badang was born in Sayong Pinang, Johor, not Singapore or Temasik as it was known then. Upon hearing his strength, he was summoned by the Seri Rama Wira Kerma of Temasik where he displayed his skills. Challengers were sent by foreign kingdoms to defeat him. Among them were King of Kalinga I from India who sent Nadi Bijaya Pikrama, a fierce wrestler and the noblemen of Perlak who sent Benderang. Badang emerged victorious from both fights and eventually stayed in Temasik until his death.Legend of Malim Deman
Malim Deman is a king in Segamat who was in love with Princess 'Santan Bertapis'. The princess was kidnapped by a spirit and Malim Deman swore that as long as the princess is not returned, the Segamat area shall experience floods for all eternity. However, with modern town planning and irrigation, flooding is now a rare occurrence in Segamat.Legend of Gunung Ledang
See main article Legend of Gunung LedangAwang's spear returned to Dayang
Awang's Spear Returned to Dayang is an incident that occurred in Parit Raja, Muar. In Malay it is translated as 'Lembing Awang Pulang ke Dayang'. It occurred in 1776 when a man called Awang returned to Parit Raja after more than 3 years abroad to marry his fiancee Dayang. Upon his return, he found out that another man called Bachok had told Dayang of Awang's death and planning to marry her the next day. Awang turned up at the wedding ceremony and using a spear given by Raja Bugis, he speared Bachok in the stomach. Bachok, fatally injured grabbed the spear in his stomach and speared his best man. The man then speared the next man he saw and this was repeated until the 99th person was speared. It was Dayang's father who was protecting Dayang. He did not continue the repeated spearing and died. Awang ran away to Endau and Dayang did not marry another till she died.Hamdolok
Hamdolok originated from the exposure of Middle East culture introduced by Arabs in Johor. It is a traditional theatre performed during weddings and festivals. It is a blend of artistic characters of both the Middle-East and local Malay communities. Instruments used include the gambus, tambourine, maracas and conga drums. It was also inspired by the Bedouin celebrating the birth of Islamic prophet Muhammad playing musical instruments and reciting poetry.Songs of Johor
The most famous song about Johor and Johor BahruTambak Johor Tanjung Puteri
Selat Tebrau airnya biru
Di Pantai Lido tepian mandi
Sepanjang masa di hari minggu
Atas bukit Tanjung Puteri
Taman hiburan indah berseri
Pemandangan menawan hati
Jalan tambak hubungan negeri
(chorus)
Tanjung Sekijang nun di kuala
Tempat nelayan mengail gelama
Istana Hinggap di Kuala Danga
Pantai berkelah keluarga diRaja
Dari Tebrau orang berakit
Singgah Stulang membeli kopi
Pusara Si Bongkok di lereng bukit
Di tepi pantai Tanjung Puteri
Cuisine
Dishes and cuisine in Johor are influenced by Arabs and the surrounding Malay archipelago. Some of the dishes are a unique blend of ingredients not found anywhere in Malaysia. Sadly, due to its difficult and sometimes complicated recipe, some are rare delights that can only be sampled in celebrations and state banquets.
- Laksa Johor is a cuisine originated from Johor. It differs from Laksa Penang by having coconut milk added during cooking.
- Mee bandung is also a dish originated from Johor, specifically from Muar. The term 'bandung' is not derived from Bandung, Indonesia but as a term for anything that is mixed from many ingredients.
- Penganan Kacau keledek is a dessert normally reserved for the Johor monarch and elites. It is made from sweet potatoes, a lot of eggs (at least 40), fresh coconut milk (not instant ones) and huge amounts of sugar. It is mixed together and stirred on a simmering heat for at least 4 hours.
- Mee rebus is the famous noodle dish which consists of Mee (a spaghetti like mixture of flour, salt and egg) and is served with a tangy, spicy brown sauce. Usually crumbs and boiled eggs are added.
- Arisa - A unique chicken dish that is very rare nowadays, and is normally served to the royalties and social elites of Johor at formal functions and celebrations.
- Sate - A favourite Malay food in Johor, mostly found in Johor Bahru and Muar.
- Telur pindang - Eggs boiled together with herbs and spices, popular during wedding feasts in Johor.
- Kacang Pol
- Kuih Sirat
- Pisang Salai or Gimpi
- Lontong
- Nasi Ambeng
- Otak-otak
- Nasi Briyani Gam
- Mee Soto
- Burasak
- Halwa Maskat
- Bontrot/berkat
- Kerutup ikan
- Asam pedas daun kesum
- Pecal
- Tauhu bakar
- Pendaram
- Roti Kirai or Roti Jala - The name is derived from bread and net or 'roti' and 'jala' in Malay. A special ladle with a five hole perforation is used to make the bread looks like a fish net (picture in the works). It is usually eaten spicy with curry or sweet with 'serawa'.
- Mee Siput
- Rojak Petis
- Serawa - Made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaf.
Interesting facts
- Johor is the only state which had been ruled by Sultans descended from three different dynasties, including the Sultanate of Malacca, Bendahara family and Temenggung family.
- Johor is the first state where Bugis immigrants from Sulawesi arrived. After that, they continued on to Melaka and Selangor. They had a powerful influence on the politics of Johor and Selangor.
- Johor is the only state, apart from Melaka, that has grown into an empire. During its peak, the whole of Pahang and the present day Indonesian territories of Riau archipelago and part of Sumatera Island was under Johor's rule.
- Johor sultanate is one of the two successor states of the Melaka empire. Upon Melaka's defeat to the Portuguese in 1511, the son of the last Sultan of Melaka, Sultan Mahmud Shah, had established a monarchy in Johor and had posed a constant threat to the Portuguese. The Sultanate of Perak was another successor state of Melaka which was established by the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, Sultan Muzaffar Shah.
- The first radio broadcast in Malaya began in the year 1921 when A.L. Birch, an electrical engineer from the Johore Government brought the first radio set into the country. He then established the Johore Wireless Association and commenced broadcasting through 300 meter waves.
- Johor gave birth to the Malay opposition which derailed the Malayan Union plan. Malays under Dato' Onn Jaafar's leadership formed the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in Johor on 11 May 1946. UMNO is currently the main component party of Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
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- Tanjung Kupang in Johor is also the site of the only crashed airliner (Malaysia Airlines Flight 653) hijacked from Kuala Lumpur.
- The designer of the Malaysian flag was Mohamad Hamzah, a Johorean.
- Tun Sri Lanang, the writer of 'Sejarah Melayu' or Malay Annals was born in Bukit Seluyut, Johor in 1565.
- Johor was the first state and currently the only state in Malaysia that has its own military force called Johor Military Force or 'Timbalan Setia Negeri'. It is considered a private army of the Sultan of Johor.
- Johor was the first state in Malaysia which adopted the constitutional monarchy system via Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Johor (Johor State Establishment Constitution) written by Sultan Abu Bakar.
- The Johorean slang of Malay language is adopted as the official slang and pronunciation of the national language.
- Many Johorean leaders were buried in Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur including Tun Dr Ismail, Tun Hussein Onn, Tan Sri Syed Jaabar Albar, Tan Sri Syed Nasir, Tun Sardon Jubir, Tan Sri Mohammad Noah and Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Yusuf
- BBC World Service station for the Southeast Asia region was based in Jalan Masai (present day Taman Molek) until the late 1970s until it moved to Kranji in Singapore so much so that many old timers call the old Masai road the "BBC Road" and the junction in front of Carrefour Pandan the "BBC Junction".
- Temenggung Abu Bakar started building a railway line connecting Gunung Pulai and Johor Bahru in 1869 but it was never completed. This was the first attempt to build a railway line in Malaysia, predating the Taiping-Port Weld line by 16 years.
External links
| States and Federal Territories of Malaysia |
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|---|---|
| States: Johor | Kedah | Kelantan | Malacca | Negeri Sembilan | Pahang | Perak | Perlis | Penang | Sabah | Sarawak | Selangor | Terengganu | |
| Federal Territories: Kuala Lumpur | Labuan | Putrajaya | |
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