digital scrapbook Dato Jaafar - The Figure Leader of Johor

The first and longest serving Dato’
Menteri Besar (Chief Minister of Johor)

Dato' Jaafar bin Haji Muhammad
( Jawi: ,‫ جعفر بن محمد‬b. 1838 – d. 3 July 1919 )
D.K., S.P.M.J., C.M.G. [1] was the first and
longest serving Dato' Menteri Besar ( Chief
Minister ) of the independent kingdom of Johor
(today a state in the Malaysian Federation), an
office he held from 1886 until his death.
Dato’ Jaafar was born in Teluk Belang,
Singapore , Straits Settlements. He also
received Malay and English education.

He began serving with the Johor state
government at the age of 16, working as a
trainee clerk in the Office of the Minister
Raja Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. In 1856 he
was appointed clerk in the Office of the Minister,
and then he served as deputy for the Chief
Minister until 1882. He was Sultan Abu Bakar's
escort in the latter's first trip to Europe in 1866.

He took office when Temenggong Abu
Bakar made himself Sultan and created a
bureaucratic administration for Johor in 1885.
During his term as Chief Minister, Jaafar was
tasked to carry out state administration for the he
went overseas. His residence for most of the
latter part of his life was Istana Bukit
Senyum which was built in 1883 and a high
school behind the palace, Sekolah Dato Jaafar is
named after him.

In 1904 he was appointed by Sultan Ibrahim,
Abu Bakar's son and successor as regent.
Jaafar was married five times with five
wives, Esah bte Ibrahim, Emon bte Abu Talib,
Datin Selamah Ambak and Rogayah
Hanim. Three of his sons were also Menteri
Besar after him, including the father of modern
Malay nationalism, Dato Onn Jaafar. He died in
1919 in Bukit Senyum, Johor Bahru and was
buried with full honors at the Mahmoodiah Royal
Mausoleum.





















Prepared by :

:NUR SYAFIQAH BINTI SHAMSUL

090609-10-2042
SK Parit Setongkat,

Jalan Salleh,
84000 Muar,

Johor