Johor Bahru
| Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru جوهر بهرو |
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| Nickname(s): JB, Bandar Raya Selatan (Southern City) | |||
| Motto: 'Berkhidmat, Berbudaya, Berwawasan' (English: 'Servicing, cultured, visionary') |
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  Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Malaysia | ||
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| State | Johor | ||
| Establishment | 1855 | ||
| Granted city status | 1994 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Latiff Yusof | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 185 km² (72.27 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 36.88 m (121 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 876,033 (4th) | ||
| - Density | 2,703/km² (6,919/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 1,730,000 | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Not observed (UTC) | ||
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| Website: http://www.mbjb.gov.my/ | |||
Johor Bahru, also spelled Johor Baharu, Johor Baru, ("Baru" means "new" in Malay) or Johore Bahru and abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. It is within walking distance from Singapore, and receives more than 60% of the country's annual 16 million foreign tourists via its bridges and road links to Singapore. With a population of approximately 876,000 in the city, it is the fourth most populated city in Malaysia. Johor Bahru also has a population of 1.73 million in the greater metropolitan area and 6.49 million in the Singapore-Johor Bahru conurbation, which is one of the highest in Southeast Asia. [1] The city is an important industrial, tourism and commercial hub for southern Malaysia. The population growth rate of Johor Bahru is also among the highest in Malaysia. Johor Bahru also has a highly developed industrial base which has made the city one of the biggest industrial centers of the country.
Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland. [2]
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Geography
The city of Johor Bahru is located at . The city council administers the highly developed southern central coast of the metropolitan area, with a total area of 185 km². It is situated on the Straits of Johor (also known as the Straits of Tebrau), which separates 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.Johor Bahru district comprises four local authorities - Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB), Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council (MPJBT), Pasir Gudang Local Authority (PBTPG) and Kulai Municipal Council with a possibly new fifth local authority covering a proposed new administrative capital of Johor in Bandar Nusajaya near the 2nd Link Expressway to Singapore. The city of Johor Bahru is 'Malaysia's Southern Gateway'. It receives 60% of foreign tourist to Malaysia and is a major holiday and shopping destination for neighbouring Singaporeans due to the weaker Malaysian ringgit vis-a-vis the Singaporean dollar. There are also considerable number of Malaysians who study and work in Singapore, but commute on a daily basis. The district has two land links to Singapore - the Johor Causeway and the 2nd Link. Plans are afoot to demolish the causeway and build instead a new elevated bridge across the Johor Straits. In anticipation of this project, a new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) is constructed.
History
Johor Bahru was founded in 1855 by Temenggung Daeng Ibrahim, the father of Sultan Abu Bakar, one of the best-remembered of all Malay Sultans, and Chinese businessman Wong Ah Fook. The town was originally named Tanjung Puteri, and it had its beginnings 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, after he moved the seat of government from the old capital at Teluk Belanga in Singapore.
Sultan Abu Bakar was descended from Temenggong Abdul Rahman, the local chief who signed the initial treaty with the British when they sought permission to lease Singapore island in 1819. Much of the prosperity Johor enjoys today can be traced directly to Sultan Abu Bakar's success in persuading British and Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in agricultural estates in the area. Sultan Abu Bakar took a great interest in planning and laying out his royal city of Johor Bahru; consequently, many buildings and places in the city today bear his name and marks. For example, the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque and Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, which is also the oldest school in Johor are named after him. The customs checkpoint at the 2nd link is also named after him into Sultan Abu Bakar Complex.
Johor Bahru has witnessed a few major Malaysian historical events such as the establishment of the leading political party in Malaysia, UMNO (United Malays National Organisation), in 1946.
While Johor Bahru has grown and developed tremendously since Malaysia's Independence in 1957, the social development did not match its economic development. Crime rates has increased over the years, from petty theft to robbery with assaults. Public transportation is adequate to accommodate the needs of its 800,000-plus inhibitants although its roads are getting increasingly congested as dozens of new suburban residential areas develop. Unfortunately, being the immediate neighbor to the highly organized and developed island-state of Singapore only serve to dramatize the gaps in developments. However, it does have a more Asian feel to it than Singapore and while many seem to highlight the contrasts between the two cities, the only majot differentiating factor really is that Singapore has developed more civic facilities in its neighbourhoods with community centres and libraries which Johor Bahru lacks. Suburban Johor Bahru has a lot of choice in terms of shopping now and in fact probably more than the city centre which is something most tourists are oblivious to because they only venture into the small square kilometre area that is Johor Bahru city from Singapore. Johor Bahru has more vibrant suburban neighbourhoods than the city itself the reason being the present city is a legacy of pre world war 2 and much of Johor Bahru's explosive growth has only been in the last 30 years. In 1957 Johor Bahru had just 75,000 residents whilst Singapore had nearly 1.5 million whilst today its approaching 2 million whilst Singapore has over 4 million.
On 1 January 1994, Johor Bahru was officially granted city status and Dato Hashim Yahya became the first mayor (Datuk Bandar). The City Square was constructed to commemorate this event.
Pasir Pelangi, the 'royal town' is located within Johor Bahru. It is also the birth place of local legend and international singer Dato Shake.
Government
The Johor Bahru metropolitan area runs across several districts and is jointly managed by the following local councils:
Johor Bahru District:
- Johor Bahru City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru)
- Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah)
- Local Authority of Pasir Gudang (Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan Pasir Gudang)
Pontian District:
- District Council of Pontian (Majlis Daerah Pontian)
Kota Tinggi District:
- District Council of Kota Tinggi (Majlis Daerah Kota Tinggi)
In announcing the 9th Malaysia Plan in May 2006, the area has been identified as a focus development area of national priority, which will see government investment of over RM12 billion (Ringgit) between 2006 and 2010.
Demographics
The District of Johor Bahru's population was around 1 200 000 (2000 census including non citizens) with current population in 2008 to be in the region of 1.7 million. It consists of 45% Malay, 41% Chinese, 9.4% Indian and 4.4% of other minorities.[3]
Among the Chinese, the Teochew, Hakka, Hokkien, Cantonese and Hainanese are the five major dialect groups in Johor Bahru. A small, significant minority of Hokchew/Foochow does exist. Due to the influence of the Singaporean mass media and the government policy of using Mandarin in all schools, the majority of the younger generation Chinese speak Mandarin and English at home.
The Teochews, who are the most populous among all other Chinese dialect groups in Johor Bahru, had a long standing history as they had established themselves in gambier plantations under the direction of Tan Hiok Nee, who developed the Kangchu system in consultation with the Sultan. He received the sultan's blessings for the plantation owners to develop their business in the systematic method. Many more Teochews migrated to Johor Bahru later, and settled there.
The Hakkas later migrated to Johor Bahru in large numbers, and also formed a large community among the Chinese in Johor Bahru. The Cantonese, under the leadership of Wong Ah Fook, began settling in Johor Bahru in the wake of the Kangchu system pioneered by Tan Hiok Nee from the 19th century onwards.
The Indian community consists of Tamils,Malayalees,Telugus,Punjabis and other smaller groups and include a large number of migrants from states like Perak,Selangor,Negeri Sembilan,Penang,Kedah etc., lured by the availability of jobs in manufacturing and services both in Johor Bahru and Singapore. The Indian community is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups with their percentage of the population increasing at every census. The increasing number of Hindu temples being built and the establishment of more restaurants, retail and small businesses in the city centre and many of the new residential areas is a reflection of this trend.
Under the Iskandar Development Region masterplan, Johor Bahru is expected to grow to a large urban area of over 3 million residents by 2025, second only to the Klang Valley. The growth is also expected to spill over into the neighbouring districts of Pontian and Kota Tinggi, creating a urban area that would be even larger then that envisaged in the masterplan, possibly over 5 times the size of Singapore.
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, logistical and commercial centre. Its major industries include electronics, resource and petrochemical refinery and shipbuilding.
Johor Bahru is often thought of as Singapore's hinterland, similar to what Shenzhen is to Hong Kong. The presence of Singapore-owned companies and tourists are 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 Johor Bahru city, with a number of large shopping malls located in the suburbs.
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. Light to medium industrial areas are mainly located north and north-west of the metropolitan area in Tebrau, Tampoi, Senai, Skudai and Kulai.
Johor Bahru enjoys close economic relationship with Singapore. A large number of residents in Johor Bahru work in Singapore due to higher salaries for the same jobs in Malaysia, partially because of the stronger Singapore Dollar (roughly 1 Singapore Dollar to 2.35 Malaysian Ringgit as of Oct 2008). For the same reason, many Singaporeans visit Johor Bahru for shopping, entertainment and dining or live there. In fact many Singaporean's own property, businesses and factories in Johor Bahru.It is estimated that 300,000 Malaysians work in the republic and as many as 150,000 commute daily to work in Singapore. The daily severe traffic jams at the Woodlands and Tuas Immigration Checkpoints reflects the sheer volume of people working in the republic as well as the large number of Singaporeans entering Johor Bahru.
Infrastructure
Internal Network
Johor Bahru Central Business District (CBD) or Daerah Sentral Johor Bahru, is located on the southern tip of the metropolitan area. Two major highways link the CBD to outlying suburbs, with Tebrau Highway linking the city to the north-east and Tun Abdul Razak (TAR) Highway/Senai-Skudai Highway linking it to the north-west. Pasir Gudang Highway and the connecting Johor Bahru Parkway crosses Tebrau Highway and TAR Highway about midway and serves as the middle ring road of the metropolitan area.
Additionally, the Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road aids in controlling the traffic in and around the CBD.
Intercity Network
Access to the national expressway system is possible via the North-South Expressway, with entry-exit points located strategically within the metropolitan area.
The Causeway links the city to the Singapore with a six-lane road and a railway line. The Second Link Expressway located west of the metropolitan area was constructed in 1997 to help alleviate the congested Causeway. It is linked directly to Johor Bahru Parkway and North-South Expressway.
Airport and Seaports
Johor Bahru is well served with strong connectivity to regional and international centres.
Senai International Airport, located north-west of the metropolitan area, serves regional and national airlines. It is one of the hubs of AirAsia.
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas, located west of the metropolitan area in the new area of Nusajaya, is Malaysia's biggest transshipment hub.
Johor Port, otherwise known as the Pasir Gudang 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 seaports as Johor is home to a large number of major commercial plantations and Pasir Gudang is home to majority of Malaysia resources refineries.
Singapore's world-renowned seaports and airport also caters to Johor Bahru's transportation/logistics need, as they are both less than an hour's drive from the city.
Radio Stations
Urban Renewal
A number of urban renewal projects in the city centre with the aim of making the city centre more pedestrian friendly has recently been completed. Among these projects are:
- Pedestrianisation of Jalan Meldrum by narrowing the two-way street into a single-lane street with the accompanying pedestrian mall with outdoor cafe kiosks.
- Pedestrianisation of the area around OCBC Bank and City Council building.
- The construction of Legaran Segget, or Segget Walk.
- The construction of Laman Tun Sri Lanang, a small park in the heart of the city.
Monorail Project
Among future plans in place include the construction of a monorail to link JB Sentral to Carrefour Pandan or ÆON Tebrau City Shopping Centre and from JB Sentral to Danga Bay and Skudai. Construction of the monorail is expected to start as early as 2007.
Similar to the KL Monorail project where all the structures are elevated, the project will have eight stations between Johor Sentral, located next to the causeway, and ÆON Tebrau City near the Pandan Hospital.
Jalur Mudra expects the Johor monorail to ferry some 98,000 passengers daily with tickets priced between RM1.50 and RM2.60 for the 13-minute ride between Johor Sentral and ÆON Tebrau City.
Sister cities
See also
- Johor Bahru landmarks
- Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road
- Daerah Sentral Johor Bahru
- Johor Causeway
- Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
- Southern Integrated Gateway
- Iskandar Malaysia
References
- ↑ Helders, Stefan. "Malaysia:Metropolitan areas". World Gazetteer. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ↑ "Hotels in Johore Bahru". Asia Rooms.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
- ↑ CITY OF JOHOR BAHRU PROFILE
- ↑ "Sister Cities of Istanbul". Great Istanbul. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
External links
- Official site of Johor Bahru City Council
- Johor Bahru travel guide from Wikitravel
- Johor Bahru Community Portal
- Johro Map and Street Photos
- Johor Bahru Hunts
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