This Malaysian State Long Overshadowed by Singapore Is Having a Moment-Here's Why Now

"Once upon a time, a dynasty with a fleet of swift warships established an empire stretching from the tip of the Malay Peninsula across the Southeast Asian seas. It exported ivory, timber, and spices, using the revenues to buy tobacco, silk, and porcelain from abroad. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, alliances with various European powers shifted and forts rose, then fell into piles of matchsticks. Enemies became friends who became enemies again."

"With its fertile soil and strategic location, the Sultanate of Johor drew immigrants from all over Asia-merchants, miners, farmworkers. But under British rule in the early 1900s, the region declined as the colonial government invested heavily in neighboring Singapore, which is separated from Johor by a narrow strait. Though the state's population tops 4 million, Johor remains something of a satellite of Singapore; millions of Singaporeans visit every month for cheap eats and shopping sprees."

"We landed at Senai Airport, near the state capital, Johor Bahru, which almost everyone calls JB. The next 12 hours were a culinary whirlwind. After dropping our bags at the DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, which is ideally situated downtown, we went to Haiiro Usagi, a dimly lit speakeasy run by three young Johoreans, where we ordered Japanese-inspired cocktails-including a twist on an Old-Fashioned made with black tea and sweet Osmanthus. Then"

A dynasty with swift warships established an empire across the Southeast Asian seas. The state exported ivory, timber and spices to fund purchases of tobacco, silk and porcelain. Alliances with European powers shifted during the 16th and 17th centuries as forts rose and fell. British colonial investment in Singapore in the early 1900s contributed to Johor's relative decline despite fertile land and immigrant labor. Johor's population tops four million and the state remains economically intertwined with Singapore, attracting millions of visitors. Recent developments include a booming economy, a 2026 tourism campaign and a planned light‑rail link. Travelers arrive via Senai Airport and find a lively Johor Bahru culinary scene, including a dimly lit speakeasy serving Japanese‑inspired cocktails.

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