The Muar River is the backbone of the city, and still used today. The jetfoil (photo right) was just on its way to Indonesia just across the Straits of Malacca.
(The Malaysian Government has declared that the colonial term ‘Malacca’ should be replaced by ‘Melaka’, but strangely this does not apply to the Straits of Malacca. I am still uncertain whether all the Sultans of Malacca are now the Sultans of Melaka? It’s a bit like using ‘Johor’ vs. ‘Johore’, or ‘Johor Bahru’ vs. Johor Baru’ vs. Johore Baru. What to do?)
The intention today was to take the river cruise from Tanjung Emas. This cruise runs on Fri, Sat and Sun, and since today was Sat we should have been OK. When we arrived at the terminus, I wondered why there was no timetable. It seems that the boat only leaves if there are enough passengers (I think the number was 20). They suggested we come back in the afternoon but they still would not have been able to guarantee departure, so we crossed this off the to-do list.
There are some interesting sites along the river, but it is not essential to be on the river to see them. The Sultan Ismail Bridge shown below has been beautified with these towers etc showing the Sultan’s Crown and the gambier and pepper motifs representative of Johor. According to Google Translate, Bandar Maharani means ‘the mighty city’ but locals refer to it as ‘the Queen’s city' or 'the Empress town', referring to Sultan Abu Bakar’s wife Maharani Fatimah. The term ‘Bandar Diraja’ means ‘Royal city’.
According to the plaque by the bridge, on 12th September 2017 His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan of Johor, inaugurated the 130th anniversary celebration of Bandar Maharani and declared Muar as the Royal Town of Johor. This is because Sultan Abu Bakar and his family arrived in Muar on 12th August 1887. It is said that the Sultan and his wife prefered living in Muar, with Sultan Abu Bakar only returning to live in Johor Bahru following her death.
Originally, when Muar was declared a Queen City by the late Sultan Abu Bakar in 1887, there was a brief ceremony where he planted an ‘ampulet’ in Tangga Batu (behind Pekan Rabu). In effect he planted what today would be known as a time capsule. But he did not plant it near this bridge, he planted it to the west nearer to the site of Kubu Bentayan.
If you stand on the pedestrianised area at the back and left of the bus station (where Lawrence is in the photo below right accessed through the taxi rank at the bus station shown below centre), then look to your left for the steps coming down into the river, this is more likely the resting place of the royal time capsule.
It is worth noting here the beautiful Masjid Sultan Ismail Muar in Tanjung Agas, across on the other side of the river, built in 2002.
The Sultan gets his own special view of this mosque from his palace (Istana Bandar Diraja) on Jalan Peteri.
Click here to return to Muar - the Queen’s Town
Click here to return to Travels in Malaysia home page