Johor

Johor
State
Johor Darul Ta'zim
جوهور دارالتّعظيم‎
Other transcription(s)
 • Malay Johor
 • Jawi جوهور‎
 • Chinese 柔佛
 • Tamil ஜொகூர்

Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Kepada Allah Berserah
كڤد الله برسراه
(To God We Surrender)
Anthem: Lagu Bangsa Johor
لاڬو بڠسا جوهر
(Johor State Anthem)


   Johor in    Malaysia
Coordinates: 1°29′14″N 103°46′52″E / 1.48722°N 103.78111°E / 1.48722; 103.78111Coordinates: 1°29′14″N 103°46′52″E / 1.48722°N 103.78111°E / 1.48722; 103.78111
Capital Johor Bahru[a]
Royal capital Muar
(previously called Bandar Maharani)
Government
 • Sultan Sultan Ibrahim Ismail
 • Regent Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim
 • Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin (UMNO)
Area[1]
 • Total 19,210 km2 (7,420 sq mi)
Population (2015)[2]
 • Total 3,553,600
 • Density 174/km2 (450/sq mi)
 • Demonym Johorean / Johorian
Human Development Index
 • HDI (2010) 0.733 (high) (6th)
Postal code 79xxx to 86xxx
Calling code 07[b]
06 (Muar and Tangkak)
Vehicle registration J
De jure 810
Johor Sultanate 1528
Anglo–Johor Treaty 1885
British protectorate 1914
Japanese occupation 31 January 1942
Accession into the Federation of Malaya 1948
Independence as part of the Federation of Malaya 31 August 1957
Website johor.gov.my
^[a] Kota Iskandar is a state administrative centre
^[b] Except Muar and Tangkak

Johor (/dʒəˈhɔər, ˌdʒoʊ-/[3][4][5]) or Johore is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city of Johor is Johor Bahru. The royal city of the state is Muar and the old state capital is Johor Lama.

Johor is surrounded by Pahang to the north, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest, and the Straits of Johor to the south, which separates Johor and the Republic of Singapore. The state also shares a maritime border with the Riau Archipelago from the east and Riau mainland on the west by the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca respectively, both of Indonesian territories.

Johor is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ta'zim, or "Abode of Dignity", and as Johore in English.

Etymology

The name "Johor" originated from the Persian word Jauhar, 'gem/jewel'.[6] Malays tend to name a place after natural objects in great abundance or having visual dominance. Before the name Johor was adopted, the area south of the Muar River to Singapore island was known as Ujong Tanah or 'land's end' in Malay, due to its location at the end of the Malay Peninsula. Coincidentally, Johor is the most southern point of the Asian continental mainland.[7]

History

Main article: Sultanate of Johor

In the early 16th century, the Sultanate of Johor was founded by the Alauddin Riayat Shah II, the son of Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca who fled from the invading Portuguese in Malacca. Johor sultanate was one of the two successor states of the Melaka empire. On Malacca's defeat by the Portuguese in 1511, Alauddin Riayat Shah II established a monarchy in Johor, which posed a threat to the Portuguese. The Sultanate of Perak—established by Mahmud Shah's other son, Muzaffar Shah I—was the other successor state of Malacca. During Johor's peak, the whole of Pahang, present day Indonesian territories of the Riau archipelago, and part of Sumatra Island was under Johor's rule.[8]

A series of succession struggles were interspersed with strategic alliances struck with regional clans and foreign powers, which maintained Johor's political and economic hold in the Straits. In competition with the Acehnese of northern Sumatra and the port-kingdom of Malacca under Portuguese rule, Johor engaged in prolonged warfare with their rivals, often striking alliances with friendly Malay states and with the Dutch. In 1641, Johor in co-operation 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 divided up into the mainland Johor, controlled by the Temenggong, and the Sultanate of Riau-Lingga, controlled by the Bugis. In 1855, under the terms of a treaty between the British in Singapore and Sultan Ali of Johor, control of the state was formally ceded to Dato' Temenggong Daing Ibrahim, with the exception of the Kesang area (Muar), which was 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.

Flag of Johor. The colour blue represents the State Government, the colour red for warriors defending the state, the white crescent and 5-sided star represent the monarchy and Islam.

Temenggong Ibrahim was succeeded by his son, Dato' Temenggong Abu Bakar, who later took the title Seri Maharaja Johor by Queen Victoria of England. In 1886, he was formally crowned the Sultan of Johor. Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor (1864–1895) implemented a state constitution, developed a British-style administration and constructed the Istana Besar, the official residence of the Sultan. For his achievements, Sultan Abu Bakar is known by the title "Father of Modern Johor". 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, which created Johor's initial economic base.[9][10] The Kangchu system was put in place with the first settlement of Kangkar Tebrau established in 1844.[11] 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.[12] Under the British Resident system, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, was forced to accept a British adviser in 1904. 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.

During World War II, Johor Bahru became the last city on the Malay peninsula to fall to the Japanese. Allied Forces, Australian, Malayan and Indian forces held out for four days in what was known as the Battle of Gemas,[13] the General Yamashita Tomoyuki had his headquarters on top of Bukit Serene and coordinated the downfall of Singapore.

Johor gave birth to the Malay opposition that 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.) In 1948, Johor joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained Independence in 1957.

Population and demographics

Johor Bahru, the capital of Johor.

Johor is Malaysia's second-most populous state with the nation's 3rd largest conurbation, the Iskandar Malaysia. Johor's geographical position in the southern of Peninsular Malaysia contributed to the state's rapid development as Malaysia's transportation and industrial hub. This creates jobs and attracted migrants from other states as well as overseas, especially from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and China. In recent decades, the influx of illegal immigrants, particularly from Indonesia, has further contributed to Johor's population.

Sub divisions of Johor[14]

Rank Flag Districts Seat Population 2016
1 Johor Bahru Johor Bahru 1,334,188
2 Batu Pahat Batu Pahat 401,902
3 Kluang Kluang 288,364
4 Kulaijaya (better known as Kulai) Kulaijaya 245,294
5 Muar Muar 239,027
6 Kota Tinggi Kota Tinggi 193,210
7 Segamat Segamat 182,985
8 Pontian Pontian Kechil 149,938
9 Tangkak Tangkak 131,890
10 Mersing Mersing 69,028

Johor has the second-largest population in Malaysia at 3,230,440 as of 2010,[15] which increase to 3,601,690 in 2016.[2] The state's ethnic composition consists of Malay 51.2%, Chinese 33.5%, Indian 10.7%, other ethnic groups 0.1% and non-citizens 4.5%.

Ethnic Breakdown

The following is based on Department of Statistics Malaysia 2015 figures.[2]

Ethnic groups in Johor, 2015
Ethnicity Population Percentage
Bumiputera 1,954,010 55.0%
Chinese 1,075,100 30.3%
Indian 230,700 6.5%
Others 16,900 0.5%
Non- Malaysian 276,900 7.8%

Religion

Religion in Johor – 2010[16]
religion percent
Islam
  
 58.2%
Buddhism
  
 29.5%
Hinduism
  
 6.6%
Christianity
  
 3.3%
Chinese Ethnic Religion
  
 0.7%
No religion
  
 0.3%
Other
  
 1.2%

As of 2010, the population of Johor is 58.2% Muslim, 29.5% Buddhist, 6.6% Hindu, 3.3% Christian, 0.7% Taoist or Chinese religion adherent, 1.2% follower of other religions or unknown affiliations, and 0.3% non-religious.[16]

Language

The Johorean Malay, also known as Johor-Riau Malay and originally spoken in Johor, Riau, Malacca, Selangor and Singapore, has been adopted as the basis for both the Malaysian and Indonesian national languages, Malaysian and Indonesian, respectively. Due to Johor's location at the confluence of trade routes within Maritime Southeast Asia, as well as the former economic might and influence of Malacca and Johor, the dialect spread as the region's lingua franca since the 15th century; hence the adoption of the dialect as the basis for the national languages of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Several related languages are also spoken in the state such as Orang Seletar (spoken along the Straits of Johor as well as in northern Singapore), Orang Kanaq (spoken in small parts of southeastern Johor), Jakun (mostly inland parts of Johor), Temuan (near the border with Pahang and Negeri Sembilan) and Orang Kuala (at the northwest coast of Johor). Terengganu Malay, a distinct variant of Malay are spoken in the district of Mersing near the border with Rompin, Pahang.

Geography

Panti Forest in Kota Tinggi District.

Johor is the 5th largest state by land area and 2nd most populous state in Malaysia, with a total land area of 19,210 km2 (7,420 sq mi),[1] and a population of 3,233,434 as of 2010.[17]

It is the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, and is located between the 1°20"N and 2°35"N latitudes. The highest point in Johor is Gunung Ledang (1276 m). Gunung Ledang is also known as Mount Ophir. Johor also has a 400 km coastline on both the East and the West coasts.

Johor has 8 large islands with numerous smaller ones, namely Pulau Aur, Pulau Besar, Pulau Dayang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Sibu, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Tinggi.

Climate

Johor has a tropical rainforest climate with monsoon rain from November until February blowing from the South China Sea. The average annual rainfall is 1778 mm with average temperatures ranging between 25.5 °C (78 °F) and 27.8 °C (82 °F). Humidity is between 82 and 86%.

On 19 December 2006, a continuous heavy downpour occurred in Johor, which led to the 2006-2007 Malaysian floods. Many towns such as Muar, Kota Tinggi and Segamat were seriously flooded with water levels as high as 10 feet (3.0 m) above ground level recorded in some areas. 15 lives were lost and many possessions destroyed, and this resulted in huge financial losses in Johor. More than 100,000 victims were evacuated to flood relief centres.[18]

Links to Singapore

Malaysia's Sultan Iskandar Customs Complex at Johor Bahru.
The water pipeline at the causeway, which provides much of Singapore's water supply.

Johor is linked to Singapore via two road connections: the Johor–Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. The Causeway also carries a railway line, which is now part of the main rail route linking Singapore with Thailand via Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Butterworth.

The Johor-Singapore Causeway (length: 1038 m) was designed by Messrs Coode, Fizmaurice, Wilson and Mitchell of Westminster, while the construction contract was awarded to Topham, Jones & Railton Ltd of London. Construction of the causeway started in 1919 and was completed in 1923.

It was preceded by a railway ferry link in 1903, which connected Johor to Singapore, then the administrative headquarters of British interests in South-East Asia. In 1909, this ferry link connected with the Johore State Railway, which opened that year between Johore Bharu and Gemas, providing a direct rail route with the rest of the Federated Malay States. Prior to 1909 travellers between Singapore and the Federated Malay States had to travel by sea between Singapore and Port Dickson.

The causeway has been a source of contention ever since Singapore seceded from Malaysia in 1965. Stagnating water caused by the Causeway has raised health concerns in Johor. Malaysia proposed to replace the causeway with a bridge, allowing water, tide movement and ship movement from Pasir Gudang, the older port in Johor to the new port in Gelang Patah through the Straits of Johor. Singapore rejected this proposal, after which Malaysia came up with the idea of what became known as "the crooked half-bridge", 25m above water level, and descending halfway to link up with the low-level causeway. The railway was to have a swing bridge. The scheme was part of the Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu project. It had been previously announced that the bridge project would go ahead, even without the agreement of the Singaporean government. The bridge would become a straight bridge if the Singaporean government accepted the project. Construction work on the bridge stopped, however, on the orders of the former 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 improved relations between countries.

The second road connection, the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, was completed in October 1997; the link consists of a 1920 m twin-deck bridge supporting a dual-three lane carriageway linking Kampong Ladang in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, to Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim in Tuas, Singapore.

Government and politics

Royal Palace of Sultan of Johor
Johor Chief Minister's Office
Johor State Legislative Assembly

Monarchy

Johor is a constitutional monarchy. Johor was the first state in Malaysia to adopt the constitutional monarchy system via Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Johor (Johor State Constitution) written by Sultan Abu Bakar. The constitutional head of Johor is the Sultan. This hereditary position can only be held by a member of the Johor Royal Family, who is descended from Sultan Abu Bakar. Until 2010 the State's Sultan since 1981 had been Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj. He died 22 January 2010. Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was proclaimed as the new Sultan of Johor on 23 January 2010.

Johor was the first state and currently the only state in Malaysia that has its own military force called the Royal Johor Military Force or 'Timbalan Setia Negeri'. It is a private army of the Sultan of Johor located at Johor Bahru City.[19]

State government

The state government is headed by a Chief Minister. The current Chief Minister is Dato' Mohamed Khaled Nordin of United Malays National Organisation. The Chief Minister is assisted by 10 members executive council (exco), whose members are selected from the state assembly members.

The legislative branch of Johor's government is the Johor State Legislative Assembly. The state assembly makes laws in matters regarding the state. Members of the Assembly are elected by citizens every five years by universal suffrage.

Districts

Districts in Johor State

Johor is divided into ten districts of:

Economy

Iskandar Malaysia

The Iskandar, Johor (also known as Iskandar Development Region and South Johor Economic Region), encompassing Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru Tengah, Kulai, Pasir Gudang, Iskandar Puteri which is a major development zone in Johor with an area of 2,215 km² and Pontian (South). It was named after the late Sultan Iskandar Al-haj. It is intended to draw investment and business to Johor and will be among the biggest development projects in Malaysia. The state administrative capital will move to Iskandar Puteri. Residential areas include Bukit Indah and Horizon Hills townships.

Education

Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia

Johor has several institutions of higher learning. It has three universities, namely Universiti Teknologi Malaysia situated in Skudai, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat (UTHM), Universiti Teknologi MARA Johor ( UiTM) in Segamat and UiTM City Campus in Johor Bahru and several polytechnics as an example Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan and Politeknik Mersing Johor. Johor also has two teaching colleges called IPG Kampus Temenggong Ibrahim in Johor Bahru and IPG Kampus Tun Hussien Onn in Batu Pahat. It has one non-profit community college called Southern University 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.[20]

Johor Education Foundation (Yayasan Pelajaran Johor) also establish tertiary education opportunity in Johor State. It offers studies from various field such as engineering, business, economics & hospitality for all Malaysian as well as qualified students from anywhere around the world. Currently, YPJ Education group is managing a 100 acre education complex in Kota Tinggi District as well as Skill colleges in Ledang, Batu Pahat, Kluang and Kota Tinggi District.

The English College Johore Bahru, also known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, abbreviated as English College, EC, MSAB, The College, and sometimes dubbed "The Pride of Johore", is among old premier school in Malaysia.

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.

As of 30 June 2008, there are 243 secondary schools in Johor educating 277 059 students.[21] The total number of teachers in Johor at that time was 18212, which provided a teacher-student ratio of 15.21.

Public universities

Official Name in Malay Name in English Acronym Location
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia UTHM Parit Raja
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia University of Technology, Malaysia UTM Skudai
Universiti Teknologi MARA MARA Technology University UiTM Segamat and Pasir Gudang

Private universities and university colleges

Official Name in Malay Name in English Acronym Website Location
Kolej Olympia Olympia College Johor Bahru
Kolej Universiti Southern Southern University College SUC Skudai
Universiti Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur University UniKL Masai
Institut Sains & Teknologi Darul Takzim University Affiliated College INSTEDT Kota Tinggi
Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic PIS Johor Bahru
Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar English College Johore Bahru EC Johor Bahru
Institut Teknologi Perindustrian YPJ Institute of Industrial Technology YPJ Johor Bahru
Kolej Aman Aman College Batu Pahat
Kolej I-Systems I-Systems College INFORMATICS Johor Bahru
Kolej Yayasan Pelajaran Johor YPJ College KYPJ Kota Tinggi
Kolej Internasional Crescendo Crescendo International College CRESC Johor Bahru
Kolej Metropoint Metropoint College Johor Bahru
Kolej Reliance Reliance College http://www.reliance.edu.my/ Johor Bahru
Kolej SAL SAL Group of Colleges SAL Johor Bahru
Kolej Sunway Sunway College SUNWAY Johor Bahru
Kolej Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman University College TARC Labis
Universiti Perubatan Antarabangsa International Medical University IMU Batu Pahat
Kolej Universiti Sains Kesihatan Masterskill Masterskill University College of Health Sciences MUCH Masai
Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) Pasir Gudang Pasir Gudang Industrial Training Institute ILPPG Pasir Gudang
Universiti Perubatan Newcastle Malaysia Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia NUMM Johor Bahru
Universiti Southampton Kampus Malaysia University of Southampton Malaysia Campus USMC Johor Bahru
Universiti Raffles Iskandar Raffles University Iskandar, Malaysia RUI Johor Bahru

Hospitals

Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital

There are public hospitals and private hospitals in Johor:

Public Hospitals

Private Hospitals

Transportation hubs

Ports

Port of Tanjung Pelepas

Johor has three ports, the Johor Port, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas and the Tanjung Langsat Port.

Airports

Senai International Airport

Johor has one international airport, the Senai International Airport in Senai. It was opened on 6 June 1974 and has been expanded several times since. Currently, it has a 5-million passenger capacity, with a parallel taxiway under construction.

The airport is a regional hub of AirAsia group, a regional low-cost no-frills airline. Malaysia Airlines and Firefly also operate flights from Senai International Airport to some local destinations.

Media

Television

Media Prima

Television in Johor consists of seven free-to-air stations. The TV stations are transmitted from Gunung Ledang, Johor (for North Johor area), Gunung Pulai, Johor (for Central and South Johor area) and Bukit Tinggi, Johor (for East Johor; TV1 and TV2 only).Three of the seven free-to-air stations are managed by Radio Televisyen Malaysia, a federal government-owned media company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, while the four commercial stations are owned by Media Prima, an integrated media company headquartered in Bandar Utama, Selangor. In addition, Singapore TV channels transmitted from Bukit Batok—like MediaCorp Channel 5, MediaCorp Channel 8, MediaCorp Suria (South Johor only), MediaCorp Vasantham, MediaCorp Channel U (South Johor only), Okto and Channel News Asia—can be received in Central and South Johor.

Free-to-air
Cable television
Satellite television

Radio

Radio stations in Johor are available in the FM frequency and transmitted from Gunung Ledang, Johor (for North Johor area), Gunung Pulai, Johor (for Central and South Johor area) and Bukit Tinggi, Johor (for East Johor). Singapore radio stations like 883JiaFM (88.3 MHz), BBC World Service (88.9 MHz), Ria 89.7FM (89.7 MHz), Gold 90.5FM (90.5 MHz), HOT FM91.3/Radio 91.3 (91.3 MHz), Kiss 92FM (92.0 MHz), Symphony 92.4FM (92.4 MHz), Y.E.S. 93.3FM (93.3 MHz), 938LIVE (93.8 MHz), Warna 94.2FM (94.2 MHz), Class 95FM (95.0 MHz), Capital 95.8FM (95.8 MHz), XFM 96.3 (96.3 MHz), Oli 96.8FM (96.8 MHz), Love 97.2FM (97.2 MHz), Power98FM (98.0 MHz), 987FM (98.7 MHz), Lush 99.5FM (99.5 MHz) and UFM 1003 (100.3 MHz; South Johor only) can be received in Central and South Johor (Batu Pahat, Kluang, Pontian, Kota Tinggi, Kulai and Johor Bahru).

Newspapers

Mainstream newspapers in Johor are:

Tourism

Major tourist attractions

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque
Tanjung Piai pier

Among the popular tourist destinations in Johor are:

International theme parks

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).

Islands and beaches

Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang

Culture

The culture of Johor is influenced by visitors and traders throughout history. A major influence was the Bugis – who first set foot in Malaysia in Johor before continuing on to Melaka, Linggi, Selangor, Pahang and Terengganu – Javanese and the Arabs. They had a powerful impact on the politics of Johor, Pahang, Terengganu and Selangor. The strong Arab influence is apparent in art performances like Zapin and Hamdolok, musical instruments like gambus.[30] 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

Songs

Tanjung Puteri is the song most commonly associated with Johor.

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

(chorus)

Tanjung Sekijang nun di kuala

Tempat nelayan mengail gelama

Istana Hinggap di Kuala Danga

Pantai berkelah keluarga diRaja

Dari Tebrau orang berakit

Singgah Setulang membeli kopi

Pusara si Bongkok di lereng bukit

Di tepi pantai Tanjung Puteri

Folk dances and music

Zapin dance

Main article: Zapin

Zapin is a dance form 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 it, but it now includes female dancers. It was once performed exclusively for religious ceremonies, but has become a traditional entertainment. The dancers usually perform in pairs, accompanied by a traditional music ensemble that typically consists of the gambus, accordion, violin, marwas (bongos), rebana (drum), and dok. There are various types of zapin—including zapin melayu, zapin pekajang, zapin tenglu, zapin pulau, zapin parit mastar, and zapin lenga.

Kuda Kepang

Main article: 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 at wedding ceremonies and cultural celebrations. There are several possible origins of kuda kepang. It is said to derive from the struggles of Wali Songo, a group of nine Islamic preachers in Java. Others think it originated from the movement of horses commanded by Ali, the fourth Muslim Caliph. There are several dance rhythms or patterns: the sola, Sselendang, 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.

Legends

Legend of Badang

This is a story of Badang, a slave who gained super human strength by eating the vomit of a river spirit. He used this to win his freedom. Contrary to popular belief, Badang was born in Sayong Pinang, Johor. 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

According to legend, Malim Deman was 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

Awang's spear returned to Dayang

Lembing Awang Pulang ke Dayang (Awang's spear Returned to Dayang) is an incident that occurred in Parit Raja, Muar.

It occurred in 1776 when a man called Awang returned to Padang (now known as Parit Raja, Muar) after more than 3 years abroad to marry his fiancée Dayang. Upon his return, he found out that another man called Bachok at Pa'achok had told Dayang of Awang's death and she was to be married to him the next day. Awang showed up at the wedding and using a twin 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 until she died.

Black Tongue Warrior

Panglima Lidah Hitam (the Black Tongue Warrior) is a legendary warrior in Johor state.

Hamdolok

Hamdolok originated from the exposure of Middle Eastern 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.

Cuisine

Cuisine in Johor is influenced by Arabs and cultures of the surrounding Maritime Southeast Asia. Some dishes are a blend of ingredients not found anywhere else in Malaysia. Due to their difficult and sometimes complicated recipes, some can only be sampled during celebrations and state banquets.

Sate

Javanese-influenced cuisine

There are a few Johorean dishes with Javanese influences due to the high number of Javanese settlers in the state. These include lontong, nasi ambeng, satay and bontrot or berkat – both traditionally served after feasts like wedding ceremonies, Yasinan and others; and ungkep.[33]

References

  1. 1 2 "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. 27. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Population by States and Ethnic Group". Department of Information, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia. 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach, James Hartmann and Jane Setter, eds., English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2
  4. ↑ "Johor". Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
  5. ↑ "Johor". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House.
  6. ↑ Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Ancient names of Johor, 2 March 2009, JohorBuzz, New Straits Times
  8. ↑ http://www.tourismjohor.com/about/
  9. ↑ A. Trocki, Carl (2007). Prince of Pirates: The Temenggongs and the Development of Johor and Singapore 1784–1885 (2nd ed.). NUS Press. ISBN 978-9971-69-376-3
  10. ↑ Jackson, James C. (1968). "Planters and speculators: Chinese and European agricultural enterprise in Malaya, 1786–1921". University of Malaya Press
  11. ↑ Roads to fame, Fauziah Ismail, Johor Buzz, New Straits Times
  12. ↑ Ancient temple steeped in history, Peggy Loh, JohorBuzz, New Straits Times
  13. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PFJe2rRXwM
  14. ↑ http://www.johor.gov.my/en/kerajaan/page/senarai_penghulu
  15. ↑ "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. iv. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  16. 1 2 "2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia" (PDF) (in Malay and English). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. iv. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  18. ↑ Mother Nature hits back, 29 December 2006, The Star
  19. ↑ An army of its own, Fauziah Ismail, JohorBuzz, New Straits Times
  20. ↑ About Southern College, Message from the Executive Advisor, retrieved 21 February 2009
  21. ↑ Archived 17 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑ "Play time for all – LEGOLAND and Hello Kitty Town, Johor". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  23. ↑ "Tanjung Piai National Park". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  24. ↑ "Endau Rompin National Park". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  25. ↑ "Pulau Kukup Johor National Park". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  26. ↑ "Pulau Sibu". Tourism Malaysia. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  27. ↑ "Pulau Rawa". Tourism Malaysia. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Desaru Beach". Tourism Malaysia. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Pulau Aur". Tourism Malaysia. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  30. ↑ Folk dance with religious origin, 14 April 2005, Peggy Loh, Travel Times, New Straits Times
  31. ↑ Kenali Gaya: Mata lalat, tulang belut bezakan baju Melayu, Berita Harian Online, September 2008
  32. ↑ Little touches for unique dishes, GEETHA KRISHNAN, 26 June 2006, The Star
  33. ↑ Hidangan dan Masakan Johor, 11 December 2006, Official Portal of the Johor State Government

Bibliography

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