Johor Bahru

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2013)
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
—  City  —
Clockwise from top left: Johor Bahru Night View, Sultan Ibrahim Building, Tebrau Highway, Johor–Singapore Causeway

Seal
Nickname(s): JB, Bandar Raya Selatan (Southern City)
Motto: 'Berkhidmat, Berbudaya, Berwawasan'
(English: Servicing, cultured, visionary')
Johor Bahru is located in Peninsula Malaysia
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Location in the Peninsula Malaysia
Johor Bahru is located in Malaysia
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 1°29′00″N 103°44′00″E / 1.48333°N 103.73333°E / 1.48333; 103.73333Coordinates: 1°29′00″N 103°44′00″E / 1.48333°N 103.73333°E / 1.48333; 103.73333
Country Malaysia
State Johor
Establishment 1855
Granted city status 1994
Government
 • Mayor Haji Mohd Jaffar Bin Awang
Area
 • Total 185 km2 (72.27 sq mi)
Elevation 36.88 m (121 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,334,188[1]
 • Density 7,409/km2 (18,967/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC+8)
 • Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC)
Website http://www.johordt.gov.my/

Johor Bahru (also spelled Johor Baharu, Johor Baru,[nb 1] or Johore Bahru; abbreviated as JB) is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia, north of Singapore. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland.[2] Pasir Pelangi, the royal village, is located within Johor Bahru.

The city in itself has a population of 1,334,188[1] as of 2010, while the metropolitan Johor Bahru, also known as Iskandar Malaysia, has a population of 1,730,000.[3]

Contents

Geography [edit]

The city council administers the highly developed southern central coast of the metropolitan area, with a total area of 185 square kilometres (71 sq mi). It is situated on the Straits of Johor (also known as the Straits of Tebrau), which separate Malaysia and Singapore. Metropolitan Johor Bahru occupies extensive coastal land, consisting of ecologically rich swamp lands and important river systems such as Sungai Johor, Sungai Pulai and Sungai Tebrau.

History [edit]

Founding years (1855-1866) [edit]

Sultan Abu Bakar mosque at night

Johor Bahru was founded in 1855 when the sovereign ruler of Johor, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, established his administrative headquarters there. That time Johor Bahru was known as Tanjung Puteri تنجوڠ ڤوتري, was a small Malay fishing village. Temenggong Ibrahim renamed Tanjung Puteri as Iskandar Puteri إسكندر ڤوتري in 1858;[4] His son and successor, yr Puteri during the grand opening of Istana Besar Johor on 1 January 1866.[5][6]

Redevelopment of modern Johor Bahru [edit]

Further information: Abu Bakar of Johor, Tan Hiok Nee, and Wong Ah Fook

Johor Bahru quickly expanded into a town under Abu Bakar's direction. Many of the town's buildings were constructed during Abu Bakar's reign, notably the State Mosque, Istana Besar, and the Menteri Besar's residence—many of which were built by Wong Ah Fook, a Toisanese-Chinese contractor who became a close patron of Abu Bakar.[7] The town also saw an influx of Chinese immigrants.[8]

Under Sultan Ibrahim's reign, Johor Bahru continued to develop; the Malay Peninsula railway extension was completed in 1909,[9] and the completion of the Causeway in 1923 linked the railway and road systems between Singapore and Malay Peninsula.[10] Johor Bahru developed at a modest rate between the First and Second World Wars. The state secretariat building—Sultan Ibrahim Building—was completed in 1940 as the British colonial government attempted to streamline the state's administration.[11]

World War II [edit]

The Japanese army invaded Johor Bahru on 31 January 1942, during the Battle of Malaya; the Sultan's residence at Istana Bukit Serene became the Japanese military's preparatory base for their conquest of Singapore.[12]

After World War II [edit]

Shortly after the war ended in 1946, Johor Bahru became a hotspot for Malay nationalism in the state. Onn Jaafar, a local politician who later became the Menteri Besar of Johor, formed the United Malay National Organisation in May 1946 after the Malays expressed widespread disenchantment with the British government for granting lax citizenship laws to non-Malays.[13]

Johor Bahru expanded in size from the 1960s onwards. During the 1970s and 1980s, new townships and industrial estates were built in villages and hamlets north and east of Johor Bahru, such as Tebrau and Plentong.[14] By the early 1990s, Johor Bahru had considerably expanded in size, and was officially granted recognition as a city on 1 January 1994. Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru, the city council, was formed and the city's current main square, Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru, was constructed to commemorate this event.[15]

A central business district was developed in the centre of the city from the mid-1990s in the area around Jalan Wong Ah Fook and the Johor-Singapore Causeway. The state and federal government channelled considerable funds for the development of the city—particularly more so after 2006, when the Iskandar Malaysia development region blueprint was formalised.[16] Johor government decided to moved their administrative headquarters since 1859 from Bukit Timbalan to Nusajaya, Gelang Patah, and renames it as Kota Iskandar.[4]

Administration [edit]

The Sultan Ibrahim Building, the state secretariat's office in Johor Bahru

The Johor Bahru metropolitan area covers several districts and is jointly managed by the following local councils:

Johor Bahru District
Pontian District
Kota Tinggi District

Demographics [edit]

Demographics of Johor Bahru[17]
Ethnic Groups Percentage
Malays & Bumiputera
  
 47.5%
Chinese
  
 34.2%
Indians
  
 9.0%
Others
  
 0.6%
Non-citizens
  
 8.7%

The population is 47.5 percent Malay, 34.2 percent Chinese, 9.0 percent Indian, 0.6 percent other minorities and 8.7 percent non-citizens.[18]

The Chinese community is represented by several dialect groups: Teochew, Hakka, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hainanese, Hokchew (Foochow) and Hokchia (Fuqing) are the major dialect groups in Johor Bahru. The richest man in Southeast Asia as at 2012, Robert Kuok was born and grew up in Johor Bahru. Teochew was the lingua franca of the Chinese community until the 1970s, and a large proportion of the Chinese trace their ancestry to the Chaoshan region.[19] Economic development from the 1970s brought many people of Chinese ancestry, generally from other dialect groups, from other parts of the state to resettle in Johor.[20]

The Indian community consists of Tamils, Malayalees, Telugus, Punjabis[citation needed], and other smaller groups, and includes a large number of migrants from states like Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, and Kedah, lured by the availability of jobs in manufacturing and services in Johor Bahru and Singapore.[citation needed]

Economy [edit]

 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

Johor Bahru is an important industrial, logistical, and commercial centre. Its major industries include electronics, resource and petrochemical refinery, and shipbuilding.[citation needed]

The presence of Singapore-owned companies and tourists is significant. Johor Bahru's many shopping complexes cater to tourists from Singapore who visit the city for shopping and entertainment, taking advantage of the stronger Singapore dollar. As such, Johor Bahru's retail scene is highly developed for a city of its size. The main shopping districts are located within the city, with a number of large shopping malls located in the suburbs.[21][not in citation given]

The heavy industrial areas are Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat, located east of the metropolitan area. They contain clusters of refineries, chemical processing plants, and shipbuilding factories.[citation needed]

Johor Bahru enjoys a close economic relationship with Singapore. A large number of residents in Johor Bahru work in Singapore, where salaries for equivalent jobs are higher than in Malaysia. This is partially because of the strong Singapore dollar, which was worth about 2.47 Malaysian Ringgit as of 16 July 2011 (2011-07-16). For the same reason, many Singaporeans live in Johor Bahru or visit the city for shopping, entertainment, and dining. Many Singaporeans own property, businesses, and factories in Johor Bahru.[22][23][unreliable source]

Climate [edit]

Climate data for Johor Bahru
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 31.0
(87.8)		 32.0
(89.6)		 32.5
(90.5)		 32.8
(91)		 32.5
(90.5)		 32.1
(89.8)		 32.1
(89.8)		 31.5
(88.7)		 31.5
(88.7)		 31.8
(89.2)		 31.3
(88.3)		 30.6
(87.1)		 31.81
(89.25)
Average low °C (°F) 21.9
(71.4)		 22.0
(71.6)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.9
(73.2)		 23.1
(73.6)		 22.9
(73.2)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.6
(72.7)		 22.7
(72.9)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.51
(72.51)
Precipitation mm (inches) 162.6
(6.402)		 139.8
(5.504)		 203.4
(8.008)		 232.8
(9.165)		 215.3
(8.476)		 148.1
(5.831)		 177.0
(6.969)		 185.9
(7.319)		 190.8
(7.512)		 217.7
(8.571)		 237.6
(9.354)		 244.5
(9.626)		 2,355.5
(92.737)
Source: http://worldweather.wmo.int/020/c00078.htm

Tourism [edit]

Tourism is one of the most important factors for Johor Bahru's economic growth. Johor Bahru is easily reached from Singapore, and receives 49.9 percent of the country's annual 22.5 million foreign tourists via its bridges and road links to Singapore.[citation needed]

Further information: Johor Bahru landmarks
The Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple was built by the first Chinese pioneers.

Theme Park [edit]

  • Danga World is a theme park located in Johor Bahru.
  • Legoland Malaysia is a theme park that has opened in Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia on September 15, 2012 with over 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. It is the first Legoland theme park in Asia upon its establishment.
  • Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park [1] is a 4-level family theme park with mixed of hotel, retail and entertainment complex. Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park is opening mid-November 2012 [2].

  • Family Coaster at Danga World


Retail [edit]

There is a number of shopping malls located within Johor Bahru city centre, such as City Square, Kotaraya Shopping Centre, Landmark IT Mall and KOMTAR Shopping centre(under renovation). To the north, near the Taman Pelangi and Taman Sentosa residential suburb, are the KSL Shopping Mall, Plaza Pelangi, Pelangi Leisure Mall, Holiday Plaza, and also Komplex Lien Ho. Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) is the main premium outlet in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia.


Danga City Mall, formerly known as Best World has re-opened to the public on 31st Aug 2008.[citation needed] The Digital Valley in Danga City Mall offers some 30,000 sq ft of shopping space exclusively dedicated for IT-based convenience stores and branded products. It is also linked to the EXPO Exhibition hall.

The western part of the Johor Bahru, which merges with the townships of Skudai, Perling, Tampoi and Bukit Indah houses a number of suburban malls like Angsana Shopping Centre, Jusco Bukit Indah, Perling Mall, Best Mart, Plaza Tasek, Kipmart Tampoi, Sutera Mall, Giant Tampoi, Giant Skudai, Tesco Bukit Indah, Skudai Parade, @Mart Kempas, and Jusco Taman University.

The eastern part of the Johor Bahru, in Pandan, Plentong and Tebrau area, is where Giant Southern City, The Store Pandan, Jusco Tebrau City, Giant Plentong and Jusco Permas Jaya are situated.

Kulai IOI Mall and Tesco Kulai are located in Kulai.

Aero Mall @ Senai Airport is the shopping mall linked to Senai International Airport Johor Bahru.

Transportation [edit]

Internal network [edit]

Terbrau Highway, Johor Bahru

The Johor Bahru Central Business District (Daerah Sentral Johor Bahru) is located at the southern tip of the metropolitan area. Two major highways link the district to outlying suburbs: Tebrau Highway to the northeast, and Skudai Highway to the northwest. Pasir Gudang Highway and the connecting Johor Bahru Parkway cross Tebrau Highway and Skudai Highway, and serve as the middle ring road of the metropolitan area.[24][not in citation given]

The Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road, which connects with the Sultan Iskandar customs complex, aids in controlling the traffic in and around the central business district.[25]

Issues with transportation congestion are currently[when?] being addressed under the Iskandar Development Region master plan.

Intercity network [edit]

The Johor-Singapore Causeway connects Johor Baru (pictured) to Woodlands, Singapore.

Access to the national expressway system is possible via the North-South Expressway.

The Johor-Singapore Causeway links the city to Singapore with a six-lane road and a railway line terminating at the Southern Integrated Gateway, constructed in 2008. The Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, located west of the metropolitan area, was constructed in 1997 to alleviate congestion on the Causeway. It is linked directly to the Second Link Expressway, Johor Bahru Parkway, Johor Bahru railway station, and the North-South Expressway.

Airport, seaports, train and bus stations [edit]

Johor Bahru is served by Senai International Airport, located 35 km north-west of the city center. Currently, only three airlines - Air Asia, Firefly and Malaysia Airlines - provide scheduled, passenger flights, but only domestically.

To the west of the metropolitan area, in Nusajaya, is the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, which currently ranks as Malaysia’s largest container port since 2004, and ranked as 16th busiest container ports in the world in 2010.

Johor Port is located on the eastern side of the metropolitan area in the industrial area of Pasir Gudang. It is the country's most important commodity and mineral resources seaport, as Johor is home to a large number of major commercial plantations, and Pasir Gudang is home to a majority of Malaysia's resources refineries.[26]

Larkin Bus & Taxi Terminal, 5 km northwest of the city center, has direct bus services to and from many destinations in West Malaysia, Hat Yai in Thailand and Singapore. The Johor Bahru Sentral railway station has direct train services to various destinations in West Malaysia and Singapore.

In addition, Singapore's seaports and airport also serve Johor Bahru's transportation or logistics needs, as they are less than an hour's drive from the city.

Education [edit]

University / College [edit]

Chinese Independance High School [edit]

Media [edit]

Newspaper [edit]

The mainstream newspapers in Johor include the English dailies such: The Star, New Straits Times, The Sun, The Edge, The Malaysian Reserve and The Malay Mail; the Malaysian dailies such: Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Harian Metro and Kosmo!; the Chinese dailies such: Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Sin Chew Daily, China Press, Nanyang Siang Pau and Oriental Daily News; and the Tamil dailies such: Tamil Nesan, Malaysia Nanban and Makkal Osai. All of them are in national circulation.

There are restrictions on imports of foreign newspapers to the Republic of Singapore is English dailies such: The Straits Times, Today, The New Paper, Business Times, Good Paper and Tabla!; the Malay dailies such: Berita Harian and Berita Minggu; the Chinese dailies such: zbCOMMA, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, My Paper, Shin Min Daily News and Thumbs Up; and the Tamil dailies such: Tamil Murasu as import a daily newspaper in Batam Island

Urban development [edit]

The city has completed a number of urban development projects aimed at making the city centre friendlier to pedestrians:

Sister cities [edit]

See also [edit]

Portal icon Malaysia portal

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ Baru means "new" and Johor means "Jewel" in Malay language.

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Population in the State of Johor". Department of Statistics Malaysia. Retrieved 2013-04-17. 
  2. ^ "Hotels in Johore Bahru". Asia Rooms.com. Retrieved 2006-06-24. 
  3. ^ "Shopping haven in Iskandar Malaysia". The Star. Retrieved 2013-04-17. 
  4. ^ a b 文史杂话:谈新山名称的由来--（上）, Teo Li Meng, 15 August 2010, 东南亚华文资料中心, retrieved 11 December 2012
  5. ^ Lim (2002), p. 61
  6. ^ Ismail, Fauziah (2009-02-08). "A Physical Symbol of Loyalty and Posterity". Johor Streets: Reaching Out. New Straits Times Press. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  7. ^ Lim (2002), p. 99
  8. ^ Lim (2002), p. 46.
  9. ^ Winstedt (1992), p. 141
  10. ^ Winstedt, A History of Johore, p. 143.
  11. ^ Oakley (2009), p. 181
  12. ^ Reid, Richard. "War for the Empire: Malaya and Singapore, Dec 1941 to Feb 1942". Australia-Japan Research Project. Australian War Memorial. 
  13. ^ Bakar, Aznan (2008-05-10). "Kembali Kepada Rakyat" [Back To The People]. Utusan Melayu (in Standard Malay). 
  14. ^ Guinness (1992), p. 177
  15. ^ "Johor Bahru–Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru". Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Johor Darul Ta'zim. Retrieved 2009-02-28. [dead link]
  16. ^ "Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan" [The Ninth Malaysia Plan]. Pusat Maklumat Rakyat (in Standard Maylay). 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2009-05-12. 
  17. ^ "Taburan Penduduk dan Ciri-ciri Asas Demografi". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. 11. Retrieved September 9, 2012. 
  18. ^ Taburan dan Ciri-ciri Asas Demografi 2010 (Report). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf.
  19. ^ Tan, Ben (2010-02-28). "Keep Dialects And Culture Alive". New Straits Times (Malaysia: New Straits Times Press). p. 22. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  20. ^ Lee, Yongqiu. "汕头大学图书馆潮汕特藏网" [Chaozhou cultural heritage of a temple]. Shantou University Library—Chaoshan special collection (in Chinese). Shantou University. Retrieved 2009-05-12. 
  21. ^ Ibrahim, Rohani (2007-09-07). "Kuan Yew didesak tarik balik kenyataan" [Kuan Yew urged to retract statement]. Utusan Malaysia (in Standard Maylay). Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  22. ^ Musa, Zazali (2009-02-02). "Shopping haven in Iskandar Malaysia". The Star (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Star Publications). Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  23. ^ SITI (2009-01-02). "Tough Times in Johor Baru". The Star. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  24. ^ "IRDA pohon peruntukan RMK10" [IRDA trees provisions Tenth Malaysia Plan]. Utusan Malaysia (in Standard Maylay). 2009-02-21. 
  25. ^ "Bangunan CIQ mula beroperasi Selasa". Utusan Malaysia (in Standard Maylay). 2008-12-14. [dead link]
  26. ^ 2005 Annual Report (Report). Johor Port Berhad. 253394-D. http://www.johorport.com.my/Document/Johor%20Port_3107.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-03.[dead link]

Bibliography [edit]

  • Guinness, Patrick (1992). On the Margin of Capitalism: People and development in Mukim Plentong, Johor, Malaysia. South-East Asian social monographs. Singapore: Oxford University Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-19-588556-9. OCLC 231412873. 
  • Lim, Patricia Pui Huen (2002). Wong Ah Fook: Immigrant, Builder and Entrepreneur. Singapore: Times Editions. ISBN 978-981-232-369-9. OCLC 52054305. 
  • Oakley, Mat; Brown, Joshua Samuel (2009). Singapore: city guide. Footscray, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-664-9. OCLC 440970648. 
  • Winstedt, Richard Olof; Kim, Khoo Kay (1992). A History of Johore, 1365–1941. M. B. R. A. S. Reprints (6) (Reprint ed.). Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. ISBN 978-983-99614-6-1. OCLC 255968795. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Johor Bahru
Districts
Key Entities
Local Authorities
Economic Zones
Major Towns
Major Landmarks
Infrastructure
Education

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johor_Bahru&oldid=555203922"