Sharing Of Hardships

“Today, we see mainly oil palm plantations. Before that it was rubber and pineapple plantations. But in the old days, the cultivation of gambier had transformed Johor Baru from a virgin forest to what it is today,” Johor Baru member of Parliament Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.

Not many of today’s generation know of the significance of the humble gambier, a tropical shrub instrumental in the development of Johor Baru.

If you were to look at the design of the Johor Baru City Council’s crest and the arches, street lamps and flower pots in Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk here, one would notice the gambier and pepper motifs. It is also a symbol of the Johor royal family.

The history of the Chinese community began in the early 1800s with the arrival of the Teochews from Swatow province, China.

In Johor, the Kangchu title was given to the Chinese headmen, who were known as the “kapitan”.

The Kangchu system was a socio-economic administration system developed by the Chinese agricultural settlers near the rivers of Johor in the 19th century. The settlers formed informal associations (similar to the kongsi of other Chinese communities) and chose a leader among themselves.

Later, other waves of immigrants arrived via Singapore and Indonesia. Most notable were the Hokkien from Fujian and the Cantonese, Hakkas and Hainanese, all of whom were eager to start a new life in Johor.

Temenggong Ibrahim, who was the ruler then, had invited Chinese settlers in Singapore, who had emigrated from China, to Johor.

The ruler issued “surat sungai” (river documents) to more than 140 headmen to start their own gambier plantations.

Today, there are no more gambier plantations in Johor.

The contribution of the Chinese community toward the development of Johor was acknowledged by the Johor royal family then, and till the present day.

Head to the "Sharing Of Hardships - Exhibition on Gambier & Pepper" which will be held at the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum at Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, from now to September 18, 2015. 

Entrance fee for adult RM5, senior citizen RM3 and student RM2.

The museum opens from 9am to 5pm daily. It closes on Monday.