JOHOR BAHRU \u2013 It\u2019s no coincidence that Mr Fariz is fiercely proud of both Johor and its football club. It taps into a broader state\u2011centric identity known as \u201cBangsa Johor\u201d \u2013 or the \u201cJohor Nation\u201d \u2013 a sense of belonging that the Johor royal family has spent decades actively building and which rises to fever pitch on the football field.<\/p>\n
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The idea holds that race, religion and class need not divide \u2013 that a Malay pizzeria worker, a Chinese cafe owner and an Indian trader can all be Johorean first. Backed by royal authority, welfare programmes and world-class football facilities, it has gained genuine traction, with surveys showing the vast majority of Johoreans claiming it as their dominant identity.<\/p>\n
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But as Johor transforms into one of Malaysia\u2019s most powerful economic engines \u2013 attracting billions in foreign investment and leaning ever closer to Singapore \u2013 three fault lines are emerging beneath that promise.<\/p>\n
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There is a clash between a state identity and the national one; between the development Johor is selling to the world and local residents being priced out of their own state capital; and between the confident Bangsa Johor projected from Johor Bahru and the scepticism found in the districts farther north.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Situated at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Johor is now home to roughly four million people. But the inception of the Bangsa Johor concept has its roots in the late 19th century under the rule of Sultan Abu Bakar, seen as the father of modern Johor.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n According to Professor Kassim Thukiman, an author and historian, the state became a regional economic hub after Sultan Abu Bakar\u2019s father, the Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, developed its pepper and gambier plantations by resettling Chinese migrants from Singapore.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n This was achieved through a system called \u201ckangchu\u201d that was developed more than a century ago, in which the Chinese were allowed to organise themselves by forming associations to oversee the riverine plantations and their own communities. The Teochew dialect term \u201ckangchu\u201d means \u201criver master\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n But there arose the risk of an ethnic rift: The Malays administered the state via the civil service, while the Chinese thrived within the state\u2019s economy. The need for multi-ethnic economic cooperation necessitated the Bangsa Johor concept.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSultan Abu Bakar embedded the maxim \u2018muafakat itu berkat\u2019 as part of Johor\u2019s Constitution,\u201d said Prof Kassim, who is also one of the 14 members of the Johor Council of Royal Court. The Malay saying means \u201cunity brings prosperity\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHe subsequently advanced the idea of Bangsa Johor in his later years, before his death in 1895,\u201d added Prof Kassim. \u201cThe royal family at that time saw that racial unity in Johor society would be fundamental for the state to prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n The concept was further popularised by Sultan Abu Bakar\u2019s successor, Sultan Sir Ibrahim, as the state\u2019s population grew to include Indian and Javanese communities in the early 20th century, Prof Kassim said.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n More than a century later, that early push for trade and multi\u2011ethnic cooperation has helped shape Johor\u2019s modern economic clout. In 2026, Johor has emerged as one of Malaysia\u2019s leading investment hubs.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Malaysian government data showed Johor\u2019s economy grew by 6.4 per cent in 2024 from the previous year. It also raked in RM110 billion (S$35.5 billion) in investments in 2025. Both figures were the highest among the country\u2019s 13 states.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n This economic growth has been driven in large part by Johor\u2019s proximity to Singapore. They share one of the world\u2019s busiest land crossings, the Causeway, with an estimated 300,000 people crossing each day in search of or to work in better-paying jobs in the island republic.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Johor is among Malaysia\u2019s best-performing states economically<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Johor is the only state in Malaysia with access to both the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, and its Tanjung Pelepas Port is the 15th busiest container port in the world. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone is also under development.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n As a result, Johor is welcoming substantial investments from all around the world, in areas ranging from semiconductors and manufacturing to data centres.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Politically, the state is the birthplace of the Malay nationalist party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the lynchpin of the once unassailable ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional. UMNO is still part of the federal government.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Due to its massive economic and political influence in Malaysia, many Johoreans have immense pride in their birth state, which strengthens their identification with Bangsa Johor.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n This pride was articulated by Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad, 67, born and bred in Pontian in the state\u2019s south-western tip. He served as the Johor Menteri Besar between 2020 and 2022, and is now the economic adviser to the state government.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBangsa Johor is a symbol of unity among all races with a vision to achieve global recognition,\u201d he told The Straits Times. \u201cWe are not an ordinary state in what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yet on the ground, the meaning of Bangsa Johor can vary sharply from district to district.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n The state\u2019s borders are constant, but what counts as \u201cJohor\u201d becomes looser the farther away one travels from Johor Bahru.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n In northern Muar, which is closer to the state of Melaka than to Johor Bahru, it is common to hear residents talking about \u201creturning to Johor\u201d or \u201ctravelling to Johor\u201d \u2013 as they call the state capital. It is the same in Mersing on the east coast of the peninsula, just a 30-minute drive from Pahang state, compared with at least two hours to Johor Bahru.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n At that distance from the state capital, the southern part of Johor can feel almost like a foreign country.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n At Mee Bandung Abu Bakar Hanipah, a decades\u2011old fixture on Muar\u2019s food scene, owner Abu Bakar Hanipah showed his open shirt collar to distinguish himself from \u201cmore uptight\u201d city folks from the south.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n The 76-year-old pointed to a wall plastered with old photos of the dignitaries and politicians who have stopped to enjoy his mee bandung \u2013 a yellow-noodle dish topped with a savoury tomato-based broth of beef and seafood.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cYou see those with their shirts buttoned to the top? They\u2019re not from Muar,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Abu Bakar said older folk in districts to the north, such as Muar, Batu Pahat and Tangkak, more commonly have their shirts unbuttoned because of the hot flatland climate.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n He admitted that he identifies with Bangsa Johor in official settings, but sees himself first as a son of Muar.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJohor people are like Singapore people. City people. They can be rude and showy,\u201d he said, referring to Johor Bahru urbanites. \u201cBut in Muar, we\u2019re more like a village. We help one another.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Among fishermen along the Muar river, scepticism runs deeper.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis Bangsa Johor thing is just hype for the football team,\u201d said retiree turned fisherman Kamal Yon, 63. \u201cUnless you\u2019re a die-hard fan, really, it doesn\u2019t mean much to the common man.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n The most recent survey on the subject, a 2017 ISEAS \u2013 Yusof Ishak Institute poll of 2,011 Johoreans, found that 88 per cent of respondents identified with Bangsa Johor, though only 14 per cent considered it their primary identity. No comparable survey has been conducted since.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Dr Serina Rahman, a lecturer from the National University of Singapore\u2019s Department of South-east Asian Studies, explained that different feelings about Bangsa Johor have to do with how Johoreans relate to people within the state and to those in other states.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt\u2019s relative, isn\u2019t it? Someone from Muar speaking to someone from Johor Bahru will emphasise his Muar-ness, but the same person speaking to someone from a northern state, say Kedah, will assume himself to be Bangsa Johor,\u201d she suggested.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Dr Serina said people from other states may feel that Johoreans professing Bangsa Johor have a chip on their shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cPartly because Johoreans carry with them the pride of having rulers who push the federal government on certain issues for the welfare of the state, and also JDT’s victories. And partly it\u2019s got to do with other people\u2019s resentment of Johor\u2019s success,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n The promotion of Bangsa Johor by the Johor monarchy has been constant, but not all rulers have placed the same emphasis on it. Nonetheless, the more prominent it is in their reign, the more it seems to resonate with Johoreans, observers said.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe see it more promoted under the current ruler Sultan Ibrahim, but less from his father, Sultan Iskandar,\u201d said Dr Francis Hutchinson, coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS \u2013 Yusof Ishak Institute.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cYou could say that over time, the promotion of Bangsa Johor has fluctuated, but interestingly, it\u2019s always been there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n It is hard to talk about the current resurgence of Bangsa Johor without mentioning Sultan Ibrahim\u2019s eldest son, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail, who is the current state regent while his father serves as Malaysia\u2019s King.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Success, however, comes at a cost. Johor\u2019s rise as a regional economic powerhouse has left some residents feeling they have not benefited equally, especially as foreign investments tend to be concentrated in Johor Bahru, whose rapid development has led to those in other parts of the state feeling left behind.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n A massive influx of luxury high-rise flats has altered the city\u2019s skyline while pricing out residents. Under the World Bank estimate for housing affordability, homes in Johor fall into the \u201cseverely unaffordable range\u201d, as the median price of a place in Johor is more than five times the median annual household income of Johoreans.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Johor\u2019s proximity to Singapore has also pushed inflation in the state above the national average, driven by the stronger Singapore dollar earned by some local residents and by shoppers from Singapore who cross the Causeway at the weekends.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n While Malaysia\u2019s monthly national inflation rate ranged between 1.1 per cent and 1.7 per cent from March 2025 to March 2026, Johor\u2019s rate hovered above that, at between 1.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent over the same period.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Retail assistant Abdul Hafiz Abdul Aziz is critical of what this means. He works in a street clothing boutique in Johor Bahru\u2019s main cultural street, Jalan Dhoby \u2013 a vibrant arts hub until recently, when rising rents and a focus on foreigners squeezed out local creatives.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJohor looked outwards too much to Singaporean customers and foreign tourists, instead of building its own identity,\u201d Mr Abdul Hafiz said. Unlike in Kuala Lumpur, where local brands have flourished, shops in Johor Bahru choose to carry knock-offs of international brands that appeal to visitors rather than showcase what is unique to the state.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\nA state identity years in the making<\/h2>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>\nOne Johor, many distances<\/h2>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>\nFrom the throne to the terraces<\/h2>\n
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