Johor : Local History, Local Landscapes 1855-1957

How Johor was transformed from virgin jungle into a vigorous economy and a harmonious society, and how Johor Bahru grew from a village on the shoreline into a bustling metropolis that is the story of Johor told in this book.

Visionary leadership and the energy and enterprise of many people kept Johor a step ahead whether as the worlds largest producer of pepper and gambier, or as Malayas largest rubber producer, or in the forging of the first state constitution, not to mention its leadership role in the struggle for independence. Johor was modern in its policies and multicultural in its outlook.

The story of Johor is told through old photographs and historical maps accumulated through careful archival research, fieldwork through the highways and byways of Johor, and through the lives and memories of many people.

It is a history of the interaction of people and landscape that has come together to make what Johor is today.

Datin P. Lim Pui Huen comes from a family with deep roots in Johor. Her greatgrandfather, Wong Ah Fook was one of its early pioneers and his son Dato S.Q. Wong was a member of the Council of State for more than twenty years. Her husband Dato Lim Kee Jin served as State Physician for an even longer period.

She has written about secret societies, clan associations, Chinese genealogies and the Second World War. Her writings including this volume and her biography of Wong Ah Fook reveal her connections to Johor and her fascination with its history. They also reveal an absorbing interest in the theme of continuity and connectedness between past and present, tradition and modernity, and between people of different communities.
The book grew out of the support and cooperation of many people, who obligingly scoured their memories, searched their photo albums, peeled pictures from their walls and willingly subjected themselves to long interviews over many cups of tea.