State Spot: JOHOR

THIS year’s Lighting Up Our Nation programme, held in conjunction with Merdeka Day, will focus on praying for our own nation. Berita NECF will highlight in each issue a state for intercession. In the last issue, we focussed on Pahang and here, we look at Johor, a state made famous by the now-defunct “crooked bridge” project. We hope that the information provided through “State Spot” will stir up more passionate intercession.

Johor has gained much attention as a result of the controversies arising from the now-defunct ‘crooked’ bridge project. Johor is the birthplace of Malay nationalism, which led to the formation of United Malay National Association (UMNO) in 1946.
It was the first state, and currently the only state in Malaysia, that has its own military force called Johor Military Force or ‘Timbalan Setia Negeri’, a private army of the Sultan of Johor. Since independence, Johor has been a bastion for UMNO.

Islamisation and religious freedom

Johor was the first Malay state to organise Islam on a bureaucratic basis. The Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Johor (Johor Islamic Department) was established under the state constitution, enabling the state government to have direct control over religious activities.

A section headed by the Inspector and Registrar of Religious Schools took charge of religious education. The Johor Islamic education system should be a model to be emulated by other states, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad during his premiership, in an effort to root out extremist teaching.

In 2004, there were already 537 religious schools directly administered and fully funded by the state government. The state religious department also regulates and supervises the remaining 23 ‘private’ religious schools (Sekolah Agama Rakyat), assisting them with annual financial grants. For many Johoreans, Islamic education is a matter of course to complement the national education stream.Muar became the birthplace of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) in 1951 when the ulama (Muslim scholars) met to discuss and exchange views on the promotion of religion with a concentration on education. Although relationships among the people of different religious background are generally harmonious, Islamic consciousness is evidenced by a great demand for religious education as well as the rigorous enforcement of religious principles in many aspects of people’s lives, including those of other faiths. For example, in Johor Baru, written consent of Muslim neighbours must be obtained before renewal or new dog licences can be issued.

In their effort to rein in the deviant group ‘Sky Kingdom’ and its teachings, the religious department has been closely monitoring two villages in Kluang and Mersing. The authorities are also keeping an eye on any possible Shi’ite activity.
In 1991, the state passed the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Bill. The law provides that for Christians to be fined up to $4,000 or imprisoned for up to four years for “exposing a Muslim to Christian literature, gospel music or even an evangelistic car bumper sticker”. Section 133 of the Johor Islamic Family Law Enactment 1990 provides apostasy as a punishable offence.
In 1992, Johor mandated that all building applications, including applications to construct churches, be approved by seven state agencies, including the Islamic department.

In December 2005, the state authorities demolished a church of the Orang Asli in Kampung Orang Laut Masai settlement on grounds that the church was built illegally on state land. 

Orang Asli (OA)

In 1997, the OA community received a morale booster in the case of Adong bin Kuwan v Kerajaan Negeri Johor & Anor when the High Court declared that the OA of Sg. Linggiu had common law rights besides their rights under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 over their ancestral lands, rights that are protected by the Federal Constitution.
Nevertheless, development plans along the coast overlooking the Tebrau Straits have often forced the relocation of OA communities. They continue to face land issues, and many remain poor and uneducated because of their reluctance to change their lifestyle and inability to face modern challenges.

Terrorism

Wan Min Wat Mat, currently detained under the Internal Security Act, admitted to having been involved in the Bali bombing. He was head of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) chapter in Johor and was said to have carried out secret military training in the jungles of Gunung Ledang and Gunung Belumut from 1994 to 1998.
He was also said to have set up Luqmanul Hakiem in Ulu Tiram in 1998 (closed down by the government in 2001). The school was financed by JI Imam Samudra, Mukhlas and Indonesia’s JI leader Abu Bakar Ba’asyir are all said to have taught there. Of the 10 Malaysians recorded on the al-Qaeda associates and members list, four — Mohd Nasir, Amran, Nordin, Yazid — were born in Johor.
 
Other issues

Syndicates specialising in selling luxury cars and corrupt practice in the timber industry are frequently reported.
According to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released early this year, human trafficking is a problem in Johor, which also has been recording high number of reported incest and rape cases since 2000.
In March at the Dewan Rakyat, the state capital was labelled as “sin city” and “crime city” by a Johor MP. It is believed that security in Johor Bahu has reached a worrying trend, and the Singapore media has reported the city as unsafe for tourists.
The eastern coast between Kota Tinggi, Penggerang and Mersing is one of the major entry points for illegal Indonesian migrants. Many of them have contributed to social problems in the communities.
Johor’s supply of water to Singapore, which revolves around price and how it is calculated, remains one of the outstanding issues in the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Singapore.
 
The Church

Presbyterianism grew through Chinese churches in Johor.. The Johor Baru Holy Light Church, founded in 1886 by a missionary of the Presbyterian Church of England, is the oldest Protestant church in Johor. There are more than 150 churches in the state capital and unity among the churches is evidenced in the strong pastors’ fellowships. The largest congregation in a single locality has about 2000 members. Recent years have seen consistent and steady growth, particularly in the Chinese-speaking churches. It is reported that 80% of Chinese Johoreans attend Chinese schools, at least at the primary level. There is a huge pool of foreign workers coming mainly from Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma and Bangladesh. Ministry to the Vietnamese workers appears to be the strongest. Few churches are active in social ministry while many are dynamic in short-term mission involvement, both abroad and local. Church leaders believe that Johor churches could be more vibrant and zealous in evangelism.