Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum 7 Aug 2013

Next on our Johor Bahru Heritage Trail, housed in a four story shophouse on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, is the Chinese Heritage Museum. The Museum is housed at a 4 storey building previously occupied by the JB Tiong-Hua Association since 1948, along Jalan Ibrahim, facing JB’s popular water front.

Visitors could also enter the museum via the rear entrance at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. The museum charges a RM5 entrance fee; as for students and senior citizens, it is only RM2 per person per entry.

The well-renovated 4 storey building adopts the state-of-the-art modern technology for its effort in saving energy bills, using sensors to turn on and off the lightings at every floor.

The first, second and third floor showcase the history of Chinese immigrants into Malaya in the 1800s and 1900s, the founding of the triads, clans and eventually associations of the ethnic Chinese area groups, (Hokkien, TeoChew, Cantonese, Hainanese, and Hakka). Records of the well-known Chinese Clan heads, and their beneficial, philanthropic deeds (Like building the Foon Yew Chinese schools, temples and clan houses etc.) were documented well to brief visitors of the tough founding years.

The museum also displays photos of the then livelihood when early Chinese immigrants by the ship loads arrived at the peninsula to find jobs waiting for them in tin mines, rubber plantations, and other agricultural fields ( cash crops like pepper and gambir), as well as other minor industries. As years went by, some of them and their descendants became big time traders and large land owners, and eventual tycoons.

The pictorial displays showed that Ngee Heng triad leader Tan Kee Soon had helped Temenggong Abu Bakar (1833-1895) to quash some disturbance in the Muar district, thus enabling the latter to become effectively the ruler (The Sultan) of the state. Abu Bakar was challenging Tengku Alam (son of his uncle Sultan Ali) for the throne after the death of Sultan Ali in 1877. He was not satisfied with the title of Temenggong or Maharajah. Eventually The British Empire accepted him as the sultan. And, how was the structure of the Ngee Heng Kong Si were like in the old days, including some of their customs, traditions, etc.

The museum also recorded the invasion of the Japanese Imperial Army into Singapore during the Second World War, as Johor Bahru stood strategically close to Singapore, separated by the Johor Straits and was linked by the causeway. The Japanese Occupation of Malaya (Including Singapore) inflicted unprecedented, massive misery, suffering and devastation to the people during those turbulent, desolate warring years (3 years 8 months). A pictorial poster features the contribution of the Chinese in Johor in fighting the Japanese by raising funds and taking up the arms.

The top floor of the 4 storey museum devotes its exhibiting space totally for the chronicle of Dr Sun Yat Sen, (1866-1925) the father of republican China. This great man of modern China was known to have visited Johor Baru during his many travels overseas to appeal for support and funds to overthrow the despicable, rotting Empire of Qing Dynasty and its draconian Manchu ruler.

There was some doubt about the actual occurrence of his visit; but since Dr Sun was confirmed to have visited Singapore (Penang too) and Johor Bahru was just a causeway away, it was likely to be a true event. Dr Sun probably had a hard time to convince the then Johor Chinese chieftain (Known as Kapitan during those years) Wong Ah Fook to join him fighting for a republican Chinese nation, as Wong was a conservative loyalist to the Qing Empire.

Upon Dr Sun’s earnest appeal followed by his numerous visits, many brave, eager Malayan Chinese were inspired to leave for China to become revolutionaries to fight the corrupted, diminishing Qing Empire. In their endeavor to pursue a just democratic nation, many of them lost their lives while in action.

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The JB Chinese Heritage Museum has a detailed pictorial display of the martyrdom of revolutionaries from various parts of Malaya (and Singapore) before 1911 (This was the year when the Manchurian regime was overthrown).

I enjoyed this museum which showcases the early days of Chinese settlement in JB - the history, culture, traditions and occupations of the various Chinese communities who have made Johor their home. The children too, enjoying the visits as they were learning through the displays.