THE FATHER OF MODERN JOHOR

The Father of Modern Johor

Sultan Sir Abu Bakar ibni Almarhum
Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Daeng
Ibrahim

Student's profile

Name : Kerk En Ton

Class : 6B

E-mail address : [email protected]

School address : 1,Jalan Maju 2, Taman Maju, 83000,
Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
School Name : S.J.K(C) Sin Hua Bukit Pasir

Preface

There are many outstanding leaders in
our country or state, and I chose "The
Father of Modern Johor"-Sultan Abu
Bakar. You don’t need to be surprised
that he got this title, because he used
actions to change With the economy and
independence of Johor, the people are
more united. He had made a lot of
contributions to Johor, so the people
should thank him even more.

Table of Content

Chapter 1 : Personal Information--------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.1 Father-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.2 Mather------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.3 The Date of Birth and The day of Dead---------------------------------------------------1
1.4 Position-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.5 Spouse------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.6 Offspring---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

Chapter 2 : One's Life Story--------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
Chapter 3 : The Story of Sultan Abu Bakar---------------------------------------------------------------3

3.1 Sultan Abu Bakar's contribution to Johor--------------------------------------------------3
Chapter 4 : During the tenure of Sultan Abu Bakar-----------------------------------------------------4

4.1 Friendship with Queen Victoria-------------------------------------------------------------4
4.2 Change A Title---------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
4.3 Gentleman Behavior--------------------------------------------------------------------------4
Chapter 5 : Sultan Abu Bakar's contribution to Johor---------------------------------------------------5
Chapter 6 : Sultan Abu Bakar did for Johor---------------------------------------------------------------6
6.1 Modernization measures----------------------------------------------------------------------6
6.2 Things About Britain--------------------------------------------------------------------------6
6.3 The welfare of the people---------------------------------------------------------------------6
Chapter 7 : The Honours of Johor and Foreign-----------------------------------------------------------7
7.1 Johor---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
7.2 Foreign------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Table of Content

Chapter 8 : Modernisation or Westernisation of Johor-------------------------------------------------8 and 9
Chapter 9 : Uphold------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
Chapter 10 : The ingenuity of Sultan Abu Bakar--------------------------------------------------------10
Chapter 11 : The Legendary Life of Sultan Abu Bakar-------------------------------------------------11 and 12

11.1 Independence of Johor----------------------------------------------------------------------11
11.2 Sultan Abu Bakar’s attitude ---------------------------------------------------------------11
11.3 Pros of Sultan Abu Bakar------------------------------------------------------------------12
11.4 Johor Achievement--------------------------------------------------------------------------12
Chapter 12 : Leadership values----------------------------------------------------------------------------13
Chapter 13 : Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14
Chapter 14 : Reference Material--------------------------------------------------------------------------15

Personal Information

Sultan Sir Abu Bakar ibni Almarhum
Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Daeng Ibrahim

• Father : Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim
• Mather : Cik' Ngah
• The Date of Birth and The day of Dead : 3 February 1833 to 4 June 1895

• Position : He was the 1st Sultan of Modern Johor, the 21stSultan of Johor the first Maharaja of Johor

from the House of Temenggong

• Spouse : Wan Chik bt Muhammad Tahir Zubaidah binti Abdullah Fatimah binti Abdullah Khadijah

Khanum Ibrahim of Johor(Tunku Mahkota of Johor)
• Offspring : 1.

2. Tunku Mariam

3. Tunku Besar Putri

4. Tunku Azizah

5. Tunku Fatimah

• An able and clever ruler, he did much to promote trade, investment, and agriculture in his state.
• Queen Victoria has conferred the star title of 'Knight Commander Of The Star Of India' and Maharaja

of Johor to her majesty.

One's Life Story

 He was the eldest son of Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, he
is a patrilineal descendant of Temenggong Abdul Rahman
who in turn was a matrilineal descendant of Sultan Abdul
Jalil Shah IV, the first Sultan of Johor's Bendahara
dynasty.

 Abu Bakar spent his childhood years in his father's
kampung in Teluk Blanga.

 Under the guidance of the missionary teachers, Abu Bakar
was observed to develop the manners of an English
gentleman, and the ability to speak fluent English in
addition to his native Malay.

 As the Temenggong aged, he gradually delegated his state
administrative duties to Abu Bakar.

 several British officers praised of Abu Bakar's excellent
diplomatic skills.

 He was also informally known as "The Father of Modern
Johor", as many historians accredited Johor's development
in the 19th century to Abu Bakar's leadership.

 Abu Bakar was noted for his diplomatic skills, and both
the British and Malay rulers had approached him for
advice in making important decisions.

 He was also an avid traveller, and became the first Malay
ruler to travel to Europe during his first visit to England in
1866.

The Story of Sultan Abu Bakar

He also took charge of the He initiated policies and Abu Bakar assumed office
development of Johor's provided aids to ethnic as the Temenggong of
infrastructure, Chinese entrepreneurs to
administrative system, stimulate the development Johor within three days of
military . of the state's agricultural his father's demise and
moved his residence to
economy. Tyersall.

Sultan Abu Bakar's
contribution to Johor

He also took charge of the He established a
development of Johor's Western-styled
infrastructure, bureaucratic system
administrative and civil service.

system,military . He consolidated the
state's agricultural

economy.

During the tenure of Sultan Abu Bakar

Friendship with Queen Victoria

Abu Bakar was also the first Malay ruler to visit
Europe in 1866. Abu Bakr's friendship with
Queen Victoria played an important role in
shaping Johor's relationships with Britain.

Change A Title

A proclamation ceremony was held on 13
February 1886, whereby Abu Bakar made an
official announcement on his adoption of the
title "Sultan" in place of "Maharaja".
Gentleman Behavior

The British governor, Sir Harry Ord had once
written to the Secretary of State of Great Britain
and described Abu Bakar as an "English
gentleman" in his tastes and habits.

Most Western historians and British colonial
officials held Abu Bakar in high regard due to
his Western orientation including his physical
appearance, compared to other Malay rulers.

Sultan Abu Bakar's contribution to Johor

During the 1880s, Abu Bakar actively encouraged the Chinese leaders to set up new gambier and
pepper plantations in Muar.Meanwhile, Weld's continued efforts to keep Abu Bakar's political
influence in check and relations between Johor and Singapore became increasingly strained. Abu
Bakar was reportedly said to be increasingly reluctant to accept advice from the British-appointed
state lawyers, and increasingly turned to his private lawyers which he had employed. The Assistant
Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, Robert Meade, conceded to Abu Bakar's request for an
absence of a British Resident in Johor, although Abu Bakar gave an in-principle acceptance for a
British adviser in Johor (though none was appointed until 1914).During his stay in London in late
1885, Abu Bakar expressed his desire to Meade for a formal recognition as the Sultan of Johor.The
formal recognition of Abu Bakar by the British as the Sultan of Johor quickly drew criticisms
among the Malays in Johor. A proclamation ceremony was held on 13 February 1886, whereby Abu
Bakar made an official announcement on his adoption of the title "Sultan" in place of "Maharaja".
He maintained independence from Britain and stimulated economic development in Johore at a
time when most Southeast Asian states were being incorporated into European colonial empires.

Sultan Abu Bakar did for Johor

Modernization measures
Among the modernization measures implemented by Sultan Abu Bakar is to modernize the
administration of Johor by establishing courts, postal services and the Public Works Department.
State security was also emphasized by setting up police and army forces.

Things About Britain

The policy of friendship with the British that he practiced managed to maintain the sovereignty of
the state until 1914.
To ensure good relations that can benefit the administration, then in 1885 he made a Treaty of
Friendship between Johor and the British. Through the agreement, Johor was recognized as an
independent and sovereign state.
In carrying out his administration, he also took British officials as his advisors in the administration.
This caused the British to feel that they were equally involved in the administration in Johor.
The British also placed the position of the Sultan of Johor higher than the High Commissioner in
Singapore. This gave him the advantage of being in direct contact with the British government in
London without going through the High Commissioner. This position had a positive impact on his
administration. Most importantly, the Sultanate of Johor managed to restrict British power over
Johor even though Sultan Abu Bakar agreed to accept a British Consul but not the rank of British
Adviser.

The welfare of the people

He looked after the welfare of the people by building
schools, hospitals and roads.

Johor The Honours of Johor and Foreign

• Founding Grand Master (1886) of the Royal Family Order of Johor
• Founding Grand Master (1886) of the Order of the Crown of Johor

Foreign
• Austria-Hungary : Grand Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph – 1893

• Qing Dynasty : Imperial Order of the Double Dragon, 1st Class, 1st Grade of the
Chinese Empire – 1892

• Kingdom of Hawaii : Grand Cross of the Order of Kalakaua I – 1881

• British Raj : Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) –
17 September 1866

• Italy : Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy – 1891

• Ottoman Empire : Imperial Order of Osminieh (Nishan-e-Osmanieh), 1st Class –
1893
• Prussia : Order of the Crown, 1st Class – 23 June 1880
• Saxony Ernestine Duchies of Saxe : Grand Cross of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine
House Order – 1893

United Kingdom : • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
(GCMG, 20 March 1876)

• Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI, 17
September 1866)

• Prince of Wales's Gold Medal – 1876

Modernisation or Westernisation of Johor

The transformation of Johor under Abu Bakar has been variously described as modernisation or
westernisation. The reforms Abu Bakar brought about in Johor affected more the Malay culture than
Islamic rules and practices. It is, therefore, appropriate to describe Abu Bakar as the father of modern
Johor.
The “process of modernisation” in Johor refers to the introduction of modern elements in Johor’s
administration, development of economic infrastructure and tele communications.These terms are found
in the British correspondence in the 1860s, and were applied to the process of modernisation in Johor
under Abu Bakar.
Rahimah Aziz argues that the term “modern” or “modernisation” cannot be accurately applied to Johor
and to Abu Bakar, because she perceives the circumstances in Johor to be a continual reflection of the
West, especially of Britain.
She states that “modernisation” is not necessarily derived from the West because these elements were also
found in China, Japan, Turkey, and Thailand.

Modernisation or Westernisation of Johor

1. Hence, it is pedantic to separate the term “modernisation” from “Westernisation” in the
context of the nineteenth century.Modernisation and Westernisation were important
features in the historical development of the Malay Peninsula, especially Johor, in the
nineteenth century.

Uphold

1. Ethnocentricity, in short, refers to the strong tendency to view other races or cultural
groups in terms of the standards of one’s own race or group.The correspondence in the
Johor Archives indicates that English and the Roman script was used only in official
correspondence with the Straits Government thus giving ceredence to the view that Abu
Bakar was committed to preserving certain traditional elements. During this period, all
government proceedings were conducted in the Malay language, even when Malay
officials had acquired English.

The ingenuity of Sultan Abu Bakar

In his conduct of Johore’s internal affairs, he made use of Western
advisers and methods.This stood him in good stead in persuading
the British that the government of Johore was stable and just. Thus,
he not only maintained his independence but also strengthened his
position vis-à-vis other Malay rulers.

The Legendary Life of Sultan Abu Bakar

Independence of Johor
It is clear that Sultan Abu Bakar managed to bring
about many changes in the administration and
development of Johor so that the British could not
challenge the independence of Johor. In fact, the
law introduced in Johor succeeded in creating
harmony in the state.

Sultan Abu Bakar’s attitude
He had a vision to develop Johor. He often went to
England to learn the best way of administration to
develop Johor. The culmination of the
modernization of Johor was done by Sultan Abu
Bakar to qualify him to be called the Father of
Modernization of Johor.

The Legendary Life of Sultan Abu Bakar

Pros of Sultan Abu Bakar
According to Rupert Emerson, Johor's independence was essentially the result of the wisdom and
political maturity of Sultan Abu Bakar. He was able to adapt to the changing socio -political
situation at that time.
He maintained independence from Britain and stimulated economic development in Johor at a
time when most Southeast Asian states were being incorporated into European colonial empires.

Johor Achievement
Johor is the world‘s largest exporter of black pepper and gambier.
During his reign there was no unrest among the Chinese people in Johor compared to what
happens in other Malay states, especially Perak and Selangor.

Leadership Values

Sultan Abu Bakar had many advantages that we can
learn from. When he encountered difficulties, he will
not choose to give up, but will continue to move
forward and persevere. Moreover, he also led the
economic development of Johor, especially in
agriculture. He was also very smart. He will gain the
trust of Britain through some things. He was even
higher than the British colonial governor of
Singapore, and he can directly talk to the British
government. During his tenure, he vigorously
promoted the modernization movement of Johor, and
also made Johor the fastest growing state at that time.

Conclusion

I am very grateful to the teacher for giving me
this opportunity to participate in this competition.
I benefited a lot from this competition. I have a
deeper understanding of Sultan Abu Bakar, which
has made me feel full of admiration for him from
the ignorance of him. In addition, I learned more
about the history of Johor through this
competition. In this competition, my teacher in
charge also gave me great help and encouraged
me to keep moving forward.

Reference Material

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakar_of_Johor
2. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Abu_Bakar_of_Johor
3. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=htt

ps://www.researchgate.net/publication/277149574_Modernis
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on-or-Westernisation-of-Johor-under-Abu-Bakar-A-Historical-
Analysis.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjQgbHp-
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4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abu-Bakar
5. https://www.bharian.com.my/taxonomy/term/61/2015/03/44
028/kesultanan-johor-pencetus-amalan-birokrasi-moden
6. https://kemahkotaan.johor.gov.my/arkib/arkib-gambar/dymm-
almarhum-sultan-abu-bakar/