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Johor Bahru, also spelled Johor Baru or Johore Bahru and near-universally abbreviated as JB, is the largest city and capital of The State of Johor in southern Malaysia. It is also the second largest city in the country, after the national capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Johor Bahru city has a population of approximately 500,000. The metropolitan area of Johor Bahru boasts a population of 1.5 million people (The District Office of Johor Bahru estimates the District of Johor Bahru alone has a population of 1.6 million people).
Johor Bahru is an important industrial, tourism and commercial hub of the country. The city receives 60% of the country's annual 10 million foreign tourists via its Causeway and Second-Link Bridge connecting the city to the city-state of Singapore.
Outlook
The Johor Bahru city itself has a lot of popular tall shopping complexes, office buildings and even wonderful artificial landscapes. New Towns, as they were called, were dotted all over the metropolis. They generally comprised of Housing estates, industrial estates and retail business areas.
History
Johor Bahru was founded in the late 1850's by the father of Sultan Abu Bakar, one of the most best-remembered of all Malay Sultans. The town was first called Tanjung Puteri and it had its beginning as a small Malay fishing village. Sultan Abu Bakar changed the name to Johor Bahru when he proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom in 1866, following the act of moving the seat of the government from the old capital at Teluk Belanga (now Johor Lama) on Sungai Johor (Johor River).
Descended from the legendary Temenggong Abdul Rahman, a local chief who signed the initial treaty with the British when they sought permission to lease Singapore island in 1819, Sultan Abu Bakar was one of the most competent of all the Sultans who have ruled the Malay States. Much of the prosperity Johor enjoys today can be traced directly to his success in persuading British and Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in agricultural estates in his Sultanate. He was widely respected for his business and political acumen, as well as his sense of justice. On several occasions he acted as an intermedian between other Malay Sultans and the British. Sultan Abu Bakar took a great interest in planning and laying out his royal city of Johor Bahru; consequently, much of the city today bears his name and marks. For example, the Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar (State Secretariat Building), Royal Abu Bakar Museum and Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque.
Johor Bahru has witnessed a few major Malaysian historical events such as the establishment of UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) in the 1950s, which is currently the leading political party in Malaysia.
Government
Johor Bahru city consists a population of approximately 500,000. However, Johor Bahru metropolitan area spans across the following local areas covering a population of approximately 1.5 million:
- Johor Bahru City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru)
- Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah)
- District Council of Kulai (Majlis Daerah Kulai)
- Local Authority Of Bandar Tenggara (Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan Bandar Tenggara)
- Local Authority of Pasir Gudang (Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan Pasir Gudang)
- District Council of Pontian (Majlis Daerah Pontian)
- District Council of Kota Tinggi (Majlis Daerah Kota Tinggi)
In a recent report by The Star Newspaper, the state Johor was listed by the federal government as one with the highest budget deficit among the federal states of Malaysia.
Geography
Johor Bahru is located at 1.29N 103.44E.
Johor Bahru city has a total area of 185 Sq. Km. It fronts the Straits of Johor (or Straits of Tebrau) which seperates Malaysia and Singapore. Metropolitan Johor Bahru occupies extensive coastal land consisting of ecologically rich swamp areas and important river systems such as Sungai Johor, Sungai Pulai and Sungai Tebrau.
Economy
As one of the three main urban centres on the peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang, being the other two), Johor Bahru is an important industrial (electronics, resource refinary, ship-building), logistical and commercial centre.
The economy of the Johor Bahru is a microcosms of the larger economic relationship between Malaysia and Singapore. Johor Bahru has often been cited as Singapore's hinterland, similar to what Guangdong is to Hong Kong.
The presence of Singapore companies and tourists are significant. Johor Bahru's many shopping complexes cater to Singaporean tourists who visit the city for shopping and entertainment, taking advantage of the stronger Singapore dollar.
As such, Johor Bahru's retail scene is much more developed for a city of its size. The main shopping areas are located within Johor Bahru city, with a few large malls located in suburban Johor Bahru. Please see Shopping centres of Johor Bahru.
The metropolitan area's designated heavy industrial area are Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat, located east of the metropolitan. Both industrial areas contains many clusters of resources refinary, chemical processing and ship-building industries. Light to medium industries areas are located north and north-west of the metropolitan area in Tebrau, Tampoi, Senai, Skudai and Kulai.
Infrastructure
Johor Bahru CBD is located on the southern tip of the metropolitan area.
Two major highways link the CBD to outlaying suburbs, with Tebrau Highway linking to the north-east and Tun Abdul Razak (TAR) Highway/Senai-Skudai Highway linking to the north-west.
Pasir Gudang Highway and the connecting Johor Bahru Parkway crosses Tebrau Highway and TAR Highway at about mid-way and serve as the middle ring road of the metropolitan area. Additionally, the Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road disperces traffic in and around the CBD.
Access to the national expressway system is possible via the North-South Expressway, with entry-exit points located strategically within the metropolitan area.
Additionally, the Causeway links the CBD to the city- state of Singapore with a six-lane road and a railway line. The Second Crosslink located west of the metropolitan area was constructed in 1997 to help alleviate the congested Causeway. It is linked directly to Johor Bahru Parkway.
Senai International Airport is located north-west of the metropolitan area, and it served by regional airlines flying to various national and South East Asian destinations. Port of Tanjung Pelepas, located west of the metropolitan area, is Malaysia's biggest transhipment hub. Johor Port (or Pasir Gudang Port), located east of the metropolitan area, is one of Malaysia's most important resources commodity seaport.
Shopping
The following lists modern shopping centres in Johor Bahru.
- Centeral Business District
- Johor Bahru City Square Located in the Central Business District along the bustling Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Five-floors divided into two sections, and a tall office tower. The building was completed somewhere around 1998. Underground carpark.
- Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak
- Kotaraya
- Merlin Tower
- Stulang Laut
- Johor Bahru Duty Free Zone
- Taman Pelangi and Kampung Wadi Hana
- Pelangi Leisure Mall
- Plaza Pelangi
- City Plaza
- Taman Sentosa and Taman Century
- Lien Hoe Complex, located along Jalan Sutera. Constructed in the 1970's, it now hosts a night club, the Ocean supermarket and accessory shops.
- Holiday Plaza, located Jalan Dato' Sulaiman. Constructed in the 1970's about one-half of the three-storey shopping centre is rented to Parkson Grand. Prior to the construction of the Johor Bahru City Square, it was the main tourist spot for Singaporean shoppers.office biuilding. At the time when VCDs and DVDs were widespread and sold at exhorbitant prices, Holiday Plaza became a hub center for VCD and DVD piracy.
- Taman Suria
- Xtra
- Johor Jaya, Tebrau and Plentong
- Carrefour Johor Bahru
- Makro Johor Bahru
- Permas Jaya
- Jaya Jusco Permas Jaya
- Permas Point
- Tampoi, Taman Perling, Skudai and Taman Universiti
- Perling Mall
- Plaza Angsana
- Skudai Plaza
- Jaya Jusco Taman Universiti
- Kulai and Bandar IOI
- IOI Mall
See Also
- Places of worship in Johor Bahru
- Hotels of Johor Bahru
- New Towns of Johor Bahru
- Hospitals of Johor Bahru