Migration and inter-ethnic relations in Johor during British rule 1885-1941

Abstract

This study examines how migration affects the population and the inter-ethnic relations of people in Johor during British rule from 1885 to 1941. This study also addresses the correlation between the land, the policy-makers of the Malay rulers and the British government, the migration and the people in Johor. It is thought that the British was responsible for the making-up of Johor’s plural society as well as the state’s prosperity. However, it is imperative also to rectify the role of Malay indigenous rulers in the migration process. In dealing with migration and its effects on inter-ethnic relations in Johor, one aspect to look at is the law and legal codes, especially the state’s constitution, Undang Tubuh Johor, which is the first written constitution in Malaya. It was an instrument used by the local rulers in dealing with migration and this, in a way, explained the peaceful state of Johor in comparison to other Malay states during that time. By using archival materials such as state census records and ne