Johor Bahru

Sister cities

• Istanbul
• Jeddah

History

Due to a dispute between the Malays and the Bugis, the Johor-Riau Sultanate was split in 1819 with the mainland portion of the Johor Sultanate coming under the control of Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim while the Riau-Lingga Sultanate came under the control of the Bugis. The Temenggong intended to create a new administration centre for the Johor Sultanate to create a dynasty under the entity of Temenggong. As the Temenggong already had a close relationship with the British and the British intended to have control over trade activities in Singapore, a treaty was signed between Sultan Ali and Temenggong Ibrahim in Singapore on 10 March 1855. According to the treaty, Ali would be crowned as the Sultan of Johor and receive $5,000 (in Spanish dollars) with an allowance of $500 per month. In return, Ali was required to cede the sovereignty of the territory of Johor (except Kesang of Muar which would be the only territory under his control) to Temenggong Ibrahim. The Chinese planted the area with black pepper and gambier, while the Javanese dug parit (canals) to drain water from the land, build roads and plant coconuts. During this time, a Chinese businessman, pepper and gambier cultivator, Wong Ah Fook arrived; at the same time, the Kangchu and Javanese labour contract systems were introduced by the Chinese and Javanese communities. After Temenggong's death on 31 January 1862, the town was renamed "Johor Bahru" and his position was succeeded by his son, Abu Bakar, with the administration centre in Telok Blangah being moved to the area in 1889. He managed to regain Kesang territory for Johor after a civil war with the aid of British forces and he boosted the town's infrastructure and agricultural economy. Infrastructure such as the State Mosque and Royal Palace was built with the…

Geography

Johor Bahru is located along the Straits of Johor at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia with mostly flat landscape, save for some hills dotted around the city area. The wettest months, with 19 to 25 per cent more rain than average, are April, November and December. Although the climate is relatively uniform, it does show some seasonal variation due to the effects of monsoons, with noticeable changes in wind speed and direction, cloud cover and amount of rainfall. There are two monsoon periods each year, the first one between mid-October and January, which is the north-east Monsoon. This period is characterised by heavier rainfall and wind from the north-east. The second one is the south-west Monsoon, which hardly affects the rainfall in Johor Bahru, where winds are from the south and south-west. This occurs between June and September. Johor Bahru is a largely suburban city, which has considerable urban sprawl and a high degree of car dependency. The state government has acknowledged the high degree of traffic congestion within the city, and has been making plans for the implementation of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system since at least 2017. As of 2024, the state government is commencing plans to construct an elevated Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) network in the city.

Most-observed species

• Javan Myna

  Acridotheres javanicus Cabanis, 1851 · Aves
  23,975
• Yellow-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus goiavier (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  21,229
• Black-naped Oriole

  Oriolus chinensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  18,708
• Pink-necked Pigeon

  Treron vernans (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  18,527
• Spotted Dove

  Spilopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  17,616
• Asian Glossy Starling

  Aplonis panayensis (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  16,962
• Red Junglefowl

  Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,208
• White-breasted Waterhen

  Amaurornis phoenicurus (Pennant, 1769) · Aves
  14,890