Muar Bandar Maharani | |
|---|---|
| Bandar Maharani, The Royal Town Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja | |
    Clockwise from top: Muar Clock Tower, colonial-erashophouse,Sultan Ismail Bridge,Sultan Ibrahim Jamek Mosque. | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Cekap, Amanah, Dinamik, Makmur "Efficient Trustworthy Dynamic Prosperous" (motto ofMuar Municipal Council) | |
 Location of Muar in Johor | |
  Muar Muar (Malaysia) Show map of Malaysia Muar Muar (Southeast Asia) Show map of Southeast Asia Muar Muar (Asia) Show map of Asia | |
| Coordinates:2°3′00″N102°34′00″E / 2.05000°N 102.56667°E /2.05000; 102.56667 | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Johor |
| Districts | Muar District |
| Township | 1885 |
| Municipality | 2001 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Body | Muar Municipal Council |
| • President | Jamil Hasni Abdullah |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,376 km2 (531 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 36.88 m (121.0 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 314,776 |
| • Density | 228.8/km2 (592.5/sq mi) |
| • Demonym | Muarian |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 84000 |
| National calling code | 06-95xxxxx to 06-98xxxxx |
| License plate prefix | Jxx |
| Website | www www |
Muar (Muarian dialect:Muo) orBandar Maharani is a historical town and the capital ofMuar District,Johor,Malaysia. It is one of the most popular[1] tourist attractions in Malaysia to be visited and explored for its food, coffee, and historical prewar buildings. On the 5 of February 2012, Muar was declared as the royal town of Johor bySultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar[2] and is the fourth largest urban area (afterJohor Bahru,Batu Pahat andKluang) in Johor. It is the main and biggest town of the bigger entity region or area of the same name, Muar, which is sub-divided into the Muar district and the newTangkak district, which was upgraded into a full-fledged district from theTangkak sub-district earlier.[3] Muar district as the only district covering the whole area that formerly bordersMalacca in the northern part. Upon the upgrading of Tangkak (formerly Ledang) district, the Muar district now covers only the area south ofSungai Muar, whilst the northern area beyond the river is within the Tangkak district. However, both divided administrative districts are still collectively and fondly called and referred to as the region or area of Muar as a whole by their residents and outsiders. Currently, the new township of Muar is located in the Bakri area.
Muar is one of the cleanest cities in South East Asia, being awarded with Asean CleanTourist City Standard Award 2017 and 2022.[4][5]
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Muar also known as Bandar Maharani is said to have had other names earlier and the name itself Muar is believed to have originated and derived from its geographical location at the mouth orestuary ofMuar River as the following different version of theories:
There a few old historic legends which evolved around the area of Muar namely,Hikayat Malim Deman (Epic of Malim Deman), Legenda Lembing Awang Pulang Ke Dayang (Awang's Spear Return to Dayang Legend) and Legenda Puteri Gunung Ledang (Mount Ledang Princess' Legend).
Muar is rich in history as mentioned in many historical records and archaeological works.[9] It is believed that the history of Muar started much earlier than the establishment of theSultanate of Malacca. There were many accounts recorded about the early history of Muar. In 1361, it was claimed that Muar was a part of theMajapahit empire. Another account also stated thatParameswara, upon his exile fromTemasik before proceeding to found Melaka, had established some settlements atKota Buruk,[10]: 51 Pagoh, Ulu Muar and Muar before reaching the place that would becomeMalacca. Historically, Muar was also where the deposed heir of theMalacca Sultanate escaped to in 1511 following thePortuguese invasion launched from Goa byAfonso de Albuquerque. Muar played a role in resisting the Portuguese occupation of Malacca; theKubu Bentayan fort was built bySultan Mahmud Shah to repel seaborne invasions, before he was defeated and retreated further toPagoh, this time witnessing the fall of his empire.[citation needed]
The Portuguese occupied Muar after that and built a fortress namedFortaleza de Muar to defend the colony against the attack ofDutch andAceh instead at the same strategic site of Bentayan. The colonial British did just about the same thing at the Muar River site near Bentayan in defence against the advance ofJapanese Imperial Army in theBattle of Muar inWorld War II.[citation needed] Muar is also the home for the one and only tomb of the seventh Malacca Sultanate,Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah I (1477–1488). During the time of the beginning ofBugis immigration fromSulawesi Indonesia and their influence in Johor Sultanate, the five Bugis pioneer prince-brothers sea-warriors or rather pirates from Sulawesi, Indonesia; Daeng Marewah,Daeng Parani, Daeng Celak, Daeng Manambun and Daeng Kemasi said to have come to reside in Liang Batu,Lenga, Muar before they and their descendants become the influentialTemenggungs and even rulers later.
Muar, the Bandar Maharani, have been recorded by several historians, scholars and authors and in many important historical materials like old maps, poems, epics, manuscripts and books :
Sultan Ali's Rule of Muar:Muar was the royal town of northernJohor once. A civil war between the prince ofSultan Hussein Shah;Tengku Ali dan Dato'Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim which was later settled by a treaty of agreement and understanding signed inSingapore between the British andTengku Ali; that ceded the control of the rest of state of Johor (except Muar region) formally to Temenggong Ibrahim in returns of the sultan title with the condition the title is not hereditary for succession, and recognition of him asSultan Ali and his reign ruled over the Muar region (state) of the area lies between the Muar River and Kesang River with an annual pension from the British Government under the terms of the treaty. Although Sultan Ali was in fact the real heir of the Johor Sultanate but due to his weakness, theTemenggong became thede facto ruler instead and begin the rule of the Temenggung in Johor onwards. Sultan Ali delegated the administrative affairs of Muar to the Raja Temenggung of Muar[13] (also known by the title ofTemenggong Paduka Tuan of Muar)[14] and rather spent most of his time in Malacca. Muar was sparsely populated in 1855 and had a population of 800 and no formal structure of government was formed. In 1860, Sultan Ali reportedly borrowed $53,600 from aChettiar money lender, Kavana Chana Shellapah and signed an agreement with Shellapah to contribute a portion of his monthly allowance to repay his debt. However, Sultan Ali found himself unable to pay settle his debts in time, and an angry Shellapah wrote to the British government in 1866. Pressured to liquidate his debts in time, Sultan Ali granted Shellapah the right to trade off Muar to the Raja Temenggung of Muar|Temenggong of Johor as mortgage if he is unable to pay off his debts in time.[15] His relations with Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim remained strained; in 1860, Sultan Ali allowed a Bugis adventurer, Suliwatang, the chiefs ofRembau andSungei Ujong to settle in Muar and prepare themselves for an attack on Johor.[16] Such bad blood between the Sultan Ali and Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim passed down to the Temenggong's son, Temenggong Abu Bakar, who succeeded his father after the former died in 1862. Shortly after Temenggong Abu Bakar became the Temenggong of Johor, he sent a letter to Sultan Ali to reassert of Johor's sovereignty over Segamat. Continued disputes over the sovereignty of Segamat led to an outbreak of a war between the Temenggong's men with the Sultan's. Eleven years later in 1873, attempts made by Suliwatang to collect custom taxes from inhabitants at the Muar estuary led to further conflict with Temenggong Abu Bakar's (who became Maharaja in 1868 and finally Sultan later in 1885, 8 years after death of Sultan Ali) men.[17]
Upon Sultan Ali's death inUmbai, Malacca in 1877, his 11-year-old youngest son, Tengku Mahmood, was named his successor, fuelling anger and dissatisfaction of his oldest son,Tengku Alam Shah. The Raja Temenggung of Muar[13] (also known by the title of Temenggong Paduka Tuan of Muar)[14] and its village chieftains voted in favour of a merger of Muar with Johor following the succession dispute between the two of Sultan Ali's sons. Tengku Alam Shah, disputed the legitimacy of the chieftains' wishes and staked his hereditary claims over Muar, started to instigate and launch the 1879Jementah Civil War in a bid to reclaim Muar, but was quickly defeated by the Maharaja Abu Bakar's forces and Muar was finally annexed and return as part of the Johor state on 30 December 1879.
During the 1880s, the sovereign rulers of Johor, Temenggong Ibrahim and his successor, Sultan Abu Bakar introduced theKangchu system and actively encouraged the Chinese leaders to set up newgambier andblack pepper plantations and to bring in the Chinese immigrants as agricultural settlers and labourers to open and work in these plantations in Muar.[18] A Western-style contracts (termed asSurat Sungai in Malay, literally "River Documents") to theKapitan Cina (Chinese leaders) who have established the plantations along river banks in Johor. Letters of authority (Surat Kuasa) were issued when the first Chinese leaders began settling in Johor during the 1850s. The Temenggong quickly established goodwill relations with the Kapitan Cina by appointing oneMalay administrator,Muhamad Salleh bin Perang, theDato' Bentara Luar who was able to speak theTeochew dialect, the language spoken by most Kapitan Cina and settlers and able to read Chinese for these purposes.[19] Influx of these settlers mainly ofTeochew origin, and were generally first- or second-generation ethnic Chinese who became an important part and parcel of life and population of Muar until today and helped shape the population demographic and the social economy of Muar. There is even a town calledBukit Gambir meaningHill of Gambier in Muar.
Modern Muar Town, known as Bandar Maharani, which is the main city center of Muar district, was founded byDato' Bentara Luar,Muhamad Salleh bin Perang in 1885 and was only officially opened by His Majesty Maharaja Abu Bakar 12 August 1887 (who just became opted Maharaja title on 30 June 1868) and conferred the namesake Bandar Maharani meaning the Town of Empress, the title of Maharani Fatimah who had accompanied to graced the inauguration ceremony of the new town at Tangga Batu a place around Hentian Maharani bus station now where an auspicious "amulet" or "azimat" is said to be buried underground there then. Muar celebrated its centenary in a grand celebration attended by the Sultan of Johor in 1984.[20]
The prosperity and rapid development of Muar made it the only town in Malaysia ever to have had its own local railway network in the early days. TheMuar State Railway (MSR) operated from 1889 to 1925, linking Jalan Sulaiman in Bandar Maharani and Sungai Pulai for a distance of 22.5 km. A 1916 plan to extend the line toBatu Pahat was aborted and the service totally stopped in 1925 due to financial and geographical constraints and its reduced importance after the construction of Jalan Abdul Rahman linking the Muar town andParit Jawa. It remains a memory and is only a part of history of Muar now with just the MSR steam locomotive relic on display at Tanjung Emas Park.
InWorld War II, theBattle of Muar, 14–22 January 1942, fought around the area fromGemencheh, Muar River andBukit Bakri in Muar was the last major battle of theMalayan Campaign of the Battle of Malaya, fought byBritish Allied forces andJapanese forces from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 inBritish Malaya. The Battle of Bakri or Siege of Bakri was a fierce battle of the fighting troops in Bukit Bakri on 17 January 1942. The battle resulted in the near-annihilation of theAllies' deployed45th Indian Infantry Brigade, with heavy casualties for its two attached Australian's2/19th and 2/29th Infantry Battalions[22] and the eventual fall of Muar to theImperial Japanese forces. During the 1942–45Japanese occupation of Malaya era, Muar continued to serve as important administration town under the occupying Japanese army with many locals involved in the bulk of anti-Japanese resistance groups such as the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) andForce 136.
During theMalayan Emergency period, in theBukit Kepong Incident, the police station ofBukit Kepong was ambushed and brutally attacked by members of theMalayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military arm of theMalayan Communist Party, on 23 February 1950 killing 26 policemen and family members.
Muar also recorded the history of resistance against the communist attacks andBritish occupation by Panglima Kiyai Salleh, a religious and martial arts teacher ofBanjarese &Javanese origin who founded the resistance guerillas troopTentera Selempang Merah. The Group of Seven or Orang Tujuh of Muar which consists of Tun Dr Awang Hassan (the former Governor of Penang), father of Tun Dr Ismail Dato Abdul Rahman Mohd Yasin (father of Tun Dr Ismail former Deputy Prime Minister), his brother Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman, Tan Sri Datuk Hassan (former Menteri Besar) and Dato Hj Kosai Mohd Salleh was said to be active fighting the formation ofMalayan Union and advocating the independence of Malaya. Muar was declared a municipality in 2001 with the declaration ofMuar Municipal Council.[23]
Muar district formerly covers 2346.12 km2, with a population of 328,695 (2000). The town of Muar is located at the mouth ofMuar River.
The flat terrain of Muar's geographical ground and areas has enable the extensive use of bicycle and tricycle vehicles as the main and major mode of transportation in Muar in the early days. This believe to be the main factor and reason Muar was once the town with the most bicycles and the only town that requires valid license issued by the town council to own and use a bicycle in the country.
Muar, like the rest of peninsular Malaysia, enjoys a year-roundequatorial climate which is warm and sunny, along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the southwest monsoon from April to September. The climate is very much dictated by the adjacent sea and the wind system.In the 2006/2007 floods, unusually heavy rainfall in the states of Johor and Melaka resulted in the worst flooding in southern Peninsular Malaysia in history. Muar was not spared from this dreadful disaster which lasted almost a month. Many areas of Muar such asPagoh,Lenga, Kundang Ulu,Bukit Gambir andSawah Ring were seriously flooded with some areas up to 10 feet (3.0 m). About 22,933 people were evacuated to relief centres[24]
| Climate data for Muar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.3 (90.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.9 (80.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.6 (70.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 140 (5.5) | 112 (4.4) | 174 (6.9) | 217 (8.5) | 205 (8.1) | 219 (8.6) | 216 (8.5) | 226 (8.9) | 201 (7.9) | 238 (9.4) | 224 (8.8) | 166 (6.5) | 2,338 (92) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[25] | |||||||||||||
In year 2010, the estimated population of Muar district was 239,027 people.[26] The majority of the Muar's population is of 55.9% Bumiputera (55.3%Malays), 35.7%Chinese descent, 2.4%Indian and others 0.2%.[27]
The city's age distribution (as of 2010):
Muar District was formerly divided administratively into Muar (Bandar Maharani) municipality andTangkak township. Upon upgrade of Tangkak sub-district to full-fledged Tangkak district, Bandar Maharani of Muar is now administered byMuar Municipal Council (formerly South Muar Town Council, later Muar Town Council) under the Muar District Office, while Tangkak is administered by Tangkak Town Council (formerly North Muar Town Council) under theTangkak District Office.
A new administration hub and transportation hub integrated with bus terminal and market called Maharani Sentral are being planned to be built at the location nearMuar Bypass in between Jalan Haji Kosai and Jalan Temenggung.
Besides federal roads such asFederal Route 5 that runs through Muar town centre, Muar is also accessible via thePLUS Expressway through the Tangkak (EXIT 235), Bukit Gambir (EXIT 236), Pagoh (EXIT 238) and Yong Peng (EXIT 241) interchange exits.
Access toSegamat, the closest railway station to Muar, is possible usingFederal Route 23.
Sultan Ismail Bridge, the first bridge across theMuar River is the landmark of the town, built in 1960 and completed in 1962 to replace old ferry services in the 1960s.
The newMuar Second Bridge connecting Parit Bunga at the north and Sabak Awor at the south across the river is part of the 13 kmMuar Bypass (highwayFederal Route 224) that was completed in 2005. The bridge is the latest landmark of the town. The highway that traverses through the outskirts of the town has ease the journey by diverting the traffic from downtown Muar.
Muar with status as an important trading and administrative town in the state of Johor for both the colonial British and the old Johor Sultanate in the early days has contributed in shaping the landscape of the town.
The state railwayKTMB does not serve Muar or its environs; instead the closest station is inSegamat. Train services to the state capitalJohor Bahru as well asKuala Lumpur,Ipoh,Seremban orTumpat in Kelantan are available.
There are also express bus coaches to all the nearby towns and the major cities ofMalaysia includingKuala Lumpur,Johor Bahru,Melaka City,Kuantan,Ipoh,George Town etc. and alsoSingapore andHat Yai (southThailand). There are two bus stations in Muar; Hentian Maharani Bus Station and Bentayan Express Bus Station (formerly Pagoh Bus Station).
. The Maharani bus station provides access towards to nearby cities includingMelaka City,Batu Pahat,Tangkak,Segamat,Labis,Bakri andPagoh.
| Code | Route | Operator |
|---|---|---|
 MSBP002 | Muar - Batu Pahat via Semerah | Mayang Sari |
| 65 | Muar - Segamat via Tangkak | Northwest |
Ferry services toDumai,Sumatra,Indonesia, is also available on a regular basis, departing from the Custom Jetty. Muar is the only district (besides the state capital Johor Bahru) in Johor that has its own Custom and Excise Duty Department office and checkpoint at its own jetty.
By air, the nearest airport is arguably theBatu Berendam airport (IATA:MKZ,ICAO:WMKM) inMalacca. TheSenai Airport (IATA:JHB) is further away, being closer toJohor Bahru than Muar.
Muar is internationally well known as the hub of the furniture industry of Malaysia.[citation needed] Industrial estates within Muar district are located at Tanjung Agas, Bukit Bakri, Jorak,Parit Bakar,Pagoh andTangkak. There are notably three big factories of multinational companies, i.e.STMicroelectronics,Micron Technology andPioneer Corporation at Tanjung Agas. The town is robust of business and trading activities, with many old traditional Chinese shops offering variety of products at reasonable and attractive prices.[citation needed]
Muar agriculture is mainly made up of the major crops of rubber and oil palm beside some coconut, cocoa, fruits (durian, rambutan, duku, mangosteen, banana, papaya, pineapple, dragon fruit etc.), vegetables and livestock, poultry and fish farming.[citation needed] Fishing is the major economy of some fishing villages likeParit Jawa, Parit Raja, Parit Tiram, and Kesang.[citation needed] There are many cafes that are being open in Muar around the Bakri area to attract tourists and for local enjoyment.
Muar High School (Sekolah Tinggi Muar)(麻坡高级中学) began as a Government English School and it was first housed in an attap (the processed leaves ofnypa fruticans) shed known as 'Balai Kuning' which was actually used by the Sultan of Johore as a reception hall whenever he visited Muar. It was located near the site of the former High Court Building. The school was founded in 1902. It was under the charge of C.P. Frois, aEurasian gentleman from Malacca. He was the firstheadmaster cum teacher of the school and the enrolment of the school then was about 40 pupils.
It was not until 1904 that the majesticBritish colonial style historical school building started its construction. Completed in 1915, it is still standing. During theSecond World War, the school was used as a Japaneseconcentration camp. Its alumni include national and state leaders, high-ranking government officials and industrialists, such as Osman Saat, Muhyiddin Yassin, Abdul Ghani Othman, Bahar Munip, and Hussin Hj Ismail.
Chung Hwa High School is one of the oldest Chinese independent high schools in Malaysia. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in July 2012. A fund raising event and dinner was held in conjunction with Chung Hwa High School's 100th anniversary and several million ringgit was raised for the school's fund.
Pagoh Educational Hub (EduHub Pagoh), the largest public education hub area in Malaysia, is being constructed atBandar Universiti Pagoh, a new well-planned education township in Muar.[28] The first phase has been launched in the middle of September 2011.[29] The first phase is expected to be completed by 2015. The first phase will see the opening of campuses of four local universities such as:
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In the town centre, rows of well-preserved pre-war commercial buildings still dominate the town's architecture.
Further up the town along the river where the main government administrative area located at the Jalan Petrie, Jalan Othman, Jalan Junid and Tanjung Emas area. TheSultan Ibrahim Jamek Mosque, theSultan Abu Bakar Building, the former High Court Building, the Police Traffic Department building, the Muar High School building, the former Telecom building, the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) building, the 2nd Battalion Regiment 501 AW's territorial army camp building, the Custom Department building and the official District Officer residence and others government official residence houses are among the many old, heritage and historic buildings still standing in the area.
Muar being the royal city of Johor have an official royal palace with a helipad situated at the Muar river bank at Jalan Petrie near Tanjung Emas.
There are many local attractions and places of interest of Muar:[30][31]
Muar is the birthplace of ‘Ghazal', Johor’s traditional musical heritage, which has aPersian origin. Muar is also the birthplace of several type ofZapin dances like Zapin Lenga, Zapin Parit Bagan, Zapin Muar and Zapin Putar Alam and also theCeracap Inai dance.[34] Zapin is a combination ofsemi-squatting style Malay dance with Arabic influence. The dancers usually perform in pairs and are accompanied by a traditional music ensemble normally consists of thegambus, accordion, violin,marwas (bongos), rebana (drum) and dok. UsuallyZapin music is very alive and energetic.Keroncong is a popular musical and songs among theMalays of Javanese descends in Muar.[35]
The traditional Javanese 'Kuda Kepang', a traditional horse dance and 'Barongan' dance originating fromIndonesia is believed to be best performed by the MuarMalays of Javanese origin especially the Sg. Balang, Parit Bugis, Parit Yusof, Lenga or Bukit Gambir troupes.
It is generally acknowledged that the local dialect of Malay spoken here (and throughout the state of Johor), the Johor-Riau dialect is the common and standard official version of theMalay language adopted throughout the country.
Other than the above, the Muar is well known for their Chinese community'sLion Dance. Muar "Kun Seng Keng"Lion Dance association had been national champion for 48 times and world champion for 44 times in the International Championship for Lion Dance since 1992 beside many winning other various championship.[36]
Ching Giap See Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the state of Johor and it is located along Jalan Sulaiman in Muar. Nan Hai Fei Lai Temple was established before 1913 and is considered as the oldest Buddhist temple in the town, it is located at Jalan Salleh.[37]
Gurudwara Sahib Muar is the historical Sikh temple in the state of Johor and it is located along Jalan Mohamadiah, Taman Sri Tanjung, 84000 Muar, Johor, Malaysia. It was opened on 3 February 1933.[38]
Muar and Tangkak are served by two government hospitals as well as numerous primary health centres. The two hospitals are:
Currently, both hospitals also serve as teaching hospitals forMelaka Manipal Medical College and Asia Metropolitan University.
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