Johor Bahru was founded in 1855 when the sovereign ruler of Johor, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, established his administrative headquarters there. That time Johor Bahru was known as Tanjung Puteri, was a small Malay fishing village. Temenggong Ibrahim renamed Tanjung Puteri as Iskandar Puteri in 1858; His son and successor, Temenggong Abu Bakar (Sultan from 1885) renamed it Johor Bahru from Iskandar Puteri during the grand opening of Istana Besar Johor on 1 January 1866.
Redevelopment of modern Johor Bahru
Further information: Abu Bakar of Johor, Tan Hiok Nee, and Wong Ah Fook
Johor Bahru quickly expanded into a town under Abu Bakar's direction. Many of the town's buildings were constructed during Abu Bakar's reign, notably the State Mosque, Istana Besar, and the Menteri Besar's residence—many of which were built by Wong Ah Fook, a Toisanese-Chinese contractor who became a close patron of Abu Bakar. The town also saw an influx of Chinese immigrants.
Under Sultan Ibrahim's reign, Johor Bahru continued to develop; the Malay Peninsula railway extension was completed in 1909, and the completion of the Causeway in 1923 linked the railway and road systems between Singapore and Malay Peninsula. Johor Bahru developed at a modest rate between the First and Second World Wars. The state secretariat building—Sultan Ibrahim Building—was completed in 1940 as the British colonial government attempted to streamline the state's administration.
World War II
The Japanese army invaded Johor Bahru on 31 January 1942, during the Battle of Malaya; the Sultan's residence at Istana Bukit Serene became the Japanese military's preparatory base for their conquest of Singapore.
After World War II
Shortly after the war ended in 1946, Johor Bahru became a hotspot for Malay nationalism in the state. Onn Jaafar, a local politician who later became the Menteri Besar of Johor, formed the United Malay National
