Johor, formerly Johore, is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N. 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').
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 harrased 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 119th 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-Linggi, 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. 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.
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 Bahru became the last city to fall under the Japanese. General Yamashita Tomoyuki had his headquarters on top of Bukit Serene and coordinated the downfall of Singapore.
Then in 1948, Johor joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained Independence in 1957.
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.
Tanjung Kupang in Johor is also the site of the only crashed airliner hijacked from Kuala Lumpur.
Geography
Physical
As of 2000, the estimated population of Johor is 2.7 million people. It the third largest state(19,984 sq km) 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 (1276m). Johor is the only state in Malaysia which has a 400 km beach stretching on both the East and the Weast coast.
Johor has 8 large islands with numerous smaller ones.
- Pulau Tinggi
- Pulau Rawa
- Pulau Sibu
- Pulau Lima
- Pulau Tengah
- Pulau Pemanggil
- Pulau Aur
- Pulau Besar
Weather
Johor experience wet equatorial weather with moonsoon rain from Nov until Feb blowing form the South China Sea. Average annual rainfall is 1778 mm with average temperature of between 25.5º C (78º F) and 27.8º C (82º F). Humidity is between 82% and 86%.
Links to Singapore Johor is linked to Singapore by two land links - one causeway which carries a road and a railway and one road bridge.
The causeway (1038m) 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 completed in 1923.
The more recent road bridge (the "Second Link") was completed in Oct 1997. The Second Link Bridge is a 1920m 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.
Transportation Hubs
Ports
It has two ports, Pasir Gudang port and Tanjung Pelepas Port.
Airports
Johor has one major airport, The Sultan Ismail International Airport in Senai.
Goverment Structure of Johor
Monarchy
The State's Sultan or hereditary constitutional monarch since 1981 has been Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj.
state Government
His Chief Minister or Menteri Besar is currently Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman, a former civil servant.
Districts
The state of Johor is divided into the districts of
- Johor Bahru 1817.8 Sq. Km, Population 1,064,881
- Kulai no data
- Pontian 919.5 Sq.Km, Population: 143,729
- Kota Tinggi 3488.7 Sq. Km, Population: 192,220
- Kluang 2851.8 Sq.Km, Population: 254,631
- Segamat 2851.26 Sq.Km, Population: 178,620
- Muar 2346.12 Sq. Km, Population: 328,695
- Batu Pahat 1878 Sq.Km, Population: 335,368
- Mersing 2838.6 Sq.Km, Population: 67,557
Education in Johor
Johor has several instituion of higher learning. It has a university called Universiti Teknologi Malaysia situated in Skudai, a college university called Kolej University Tun Hussein Onn in Batu Pahat and several polytechnics.
Places of Interest
Major Tourist Attraction
- Ayer Hitam
- Air Papan
- Desaru
- Johor Bharu
- Johor Lama
- Kota Tinggi Waterfalls
- Kukup
- Muar
- Tanjung Piai
National Park and Forest Reserve
- Endau Rompin National Park
- Gunung Pulai Recreational Forest
- Gunung Ledang Recreational Forest
- Gunung Arong Recreational Forest
- Gunung Lambak Recreational Forests
- Gunung Belumut Recreational Forest
- Gunung Panti Recreational Forests
Cultural Heritage of Johor
Johor is famous for the Zapin Dance, the Kuda Kepang, ghazal and Hamdolok.
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 numbers between 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 Gunung Ledang
Gunung Ledang, also known as Mount Ophir, is said to be the home of the legendary Princess 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' once wooed by the Sultan of Melaka (Malacca). The Sultan wanted to marry her but she set impossible conditions for him. She asked him to build a golden bridge linking his palace in Melaka to the mountain. The princess also asked the Sultan to bring her seven jars of women’s tears, seven trays of the hearts of mosquitoes and seven bowls containing the blood of the Sultan’s son, all of which the Sultan could not fulfill!
Legend has it that the princess eventually married one Nakhoda Ragam, a hero whose name unfailingly struck terror into the hearts of those who had dared to oppose him. But this hero was later to die at the hands of his princess-wife. Ragam was found of tickling the Princess’s ribs and one day, in an uncontrollable burst of reaction, the Princess stabbed her husband in the breast with a needle she was handling. Therefore the Princess returned to Mount Ophir and vowed never to set eyes on another man. Ragam’s boat, not long after, was crushed during a storm and legend has it that the debris of the wreck was transformed into the present six islands off Malacca. It was claimed that the boat’s kitchen became Pulau Hanyut, the cake-tray Pulau Nangka, the water-jar Pulau Undan, the incense-burner Pulau Serimbun, the hen-coop Pulau Burong, and the honeymoon cabin of Ragam and the Princess became Pulau Besar.
Ancient history points to the mountain being the site of rich gold deposits, luring traders from as far as Greece and China. The name ‘Ophir’ itself is thought to have originated from the Hebrew language. In the 14th Century, the Chinese seafarers plying the Straits of Melaka called it ‘Kim Sua’ meaning the ‘Golden Mountain’. The Javanese during the period of the Majapahit empire named it ‘Gunong Ledang’, which means ‘mount from afar’.
Songs of Johor The most famous song about Johor and Johor Bahru
Tanjung Puteri
Tajuk 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
( korus )
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
Laksa Johor is a cuisine originated from Johor. It differs from Laksa Penang by having coconut milk added during cooking.
External link
- http://www.feedtech.com.my/profile/johor.htm
- Link to Johor State Tourism Board [1]