1368
NON-FEDERATED MALAY STATES-JOHORE
Railway Department of the Kingdom of Siam, and with this money a railway is being constructed through the Siamese Peninsular States to link up with the F.M.S. system on the Kelantan and Kedah frontiers. The F.M.S. Railway has been constructed from Bukit Mertajam, in Province Wellesley, to the Kedah-Siam frontier, and has been extended through Pahang as far north as Kuala Lipis from the junction at Gemas. Thirty-two miles of railway have been constructed in Kelantan, from the port of Tumpat south to Tanah Merah. Great benefits are expected from this extension of the F.M.S. railway system through these States, and by 1918 it should be possible to make the journey from Penang to Bangkok in thirty-six hours, thus effecting a saving of five day's over the present sea-route between Bangkok and Europe via Singapore.
In 1910, the Sultan of Johore accepted the services of a British officer, who is known as the General Adviser, and he has been instrumental, with the help of other officers lent by the F.M.S. and Straits Civil Services, in effecting many important reforms in Johore, which promises to become one of the most prosperous States in the Peninsula.
With the construction of proper roads and the extension of the railways and telegraphs through these Native States, and the establishment of an adequate postal service, all the States have already made rapid progress.
JOHORE
This State occupies the southern portion of the Malayan Peninsula, and has an area of about 9,000 square miles. The State is ruled by a Sultan, who is indepen lent, but under the protection of the British Government so far as external policy is concerned. The present Sultan, Ibrahim, was born in 1873, and succeeded his father, the late Sultan Abubakar, in 1895, being crowned on the 2nd of November of that year. Since 1910, the Sultan has had the services of an officer of the Straits or F.M.S. Civil Services. as General Adviser, and other members of these services are seconded to control various. departments, with the result that the government is now on a better footing and the finances materially improved. The country has made great progress in material pros perity, and its orderly condition has attracted a good deal of European capital, invested in planting enterprises.
The revenue for 1914 amounted to $1,352,896 against $1,378,555 in 1913, and the expenditure to $3,899,698 in 1914 against $3,267,484 in 1913. Improved methods of collection and administration, and the expansion of agricultural industry, are the main factors in the increase of revenue. The public debt is now $7,852,492, representing capital outlay on the construction and equipment of the State Railway. The money was lent by the F.M.S. The railway, which connects Singapore with the F.M.S. system, was completed in 1909, and its construction has already given a great impetus to the opening up of this fertile State. Along its 120 miles it provides access to the extensive areas of valuable forest land not conveniently reached by the natural waterways. It is operated and leased by the F.M.S. Railway Department, which now controls the whole of the railways in the Malay Peninsula. The State owns a light railway in Muar; it carried 304,725 passengers in 1914 and 8,282 tons of goods, and the receipts were $79,044 compared with $63,440 in 1913.
Fifty-six schools are maintained by the Government, and at four of these English is taught.
The Sultan maintains and commands a regiment of Malays, comprising 382 infantry- men and 81 bandsmen, as well as a force of 98 Pathan artillerymen. There is also a Malay volunteer force of 360 men. The equipment, drill and discipline are excellent,. and occasionally the force parades with the British garrison on field days at Singapore. A new barracks is under construction at Johore Bahru.
The capital is the town of Johore Bhâru, or new Johore, as distinguished from Johore Lâma, or old Johore, the former seat of the Sultans of Johore, which was situated a few miles up the wide estuary of the Johore river. The new town is a flourishing little place on the nearest point of the mainland to Singapore island, and lying about 14 miles to the north-east of Singapore city, in 1° 26' N. It contains some 20,000 inhabitants, mostly Chinese. Amongst the Government buildings are the Istana, court and police stations, barracks, gaol, hospital, market, railway station