Johor Bahru

 city, capital city of state/province/region, municipality, second-level administrative division

Johor Bahru (abbreviated as JB) is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. The city borders Singapore to the south, the city of Iskandar Puteri to the west, the towns of Kulai and Kota Tinggi to the north, and the town of Pasir Gudang to the east. JB encompasses 373 sq km of the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Johor. As of 2010, JB contained a population of 497,067. The city of Johor Bahru is not to be confused with the district of Johor Bahru; the former is a subset of the latter, which also comprise Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang.

In 1855, the settlement of Tanjung Puteri was founded by Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, who also became the ruler of Johor within the same year. Tanjung Puteri was then renamed Iskandar Puteri, before being renamed once again as JB in 1866. The 1km-long Causeway linking the city with Singapore was completed in 1924. Following Singapore's secession from Malaysia, the JB checkpoint was established adjacent to the Causeway in 1967. JB was granted city status in 1994, with the city's jurisdiction being expanded in 2000 and 2016. In 2009, offices of the Johor government were relocated to the neighbouring city of Iskandar Puteri.

As the capital of Johor, JB has also become the economic powerhouse of southern Malaysia. Due to JB's proximity to Singapore, firms based within the island republic have shifted labour-intensive industries to JB. Singaporeans cross the Causeway for cheaper retail options and residences, whilst more than 300,000 Johoreans head in the opposite direction daily for work and education in the island republic.

However, JB is also notorious for its relatively higher crime rates compared to the rest of the country. The city has consistently recorded one of the highest crime rates in Malaysia, along with other major cities such as Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Petaling Jaya (PJ). In recent years, JB has suffered from high property overhang as well, the largest in all of Malaysia, as weak demand for JB properties was far outstripped by the deluge of property launches within the city.


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