Jalan Tan Hiok Nee: The Street Named After Johor’s Most Powerful Chinese Leader
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
Today, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is known as Johor Bahru’s heritage street - a 250-metre lane of 19th century shoplots that serve as a window to Johor’s past.
Once the hub of traditional trade, the streets still teem with activity, although textile and sundry shops have given way to local boutiques and cafes. You can still bring back a piece of the past, though, with banana cake baked in century-old ovens and museums that highlight the lives of Chinese immigrants in old Johore.
So it is perhaps apt that the street is named after one of Johor’s most prominent Chinese leaders.
Tan Hiok Nee - The “Major China of Johor”
Photo Source: Song Ong Siang - Song, O. S. (2020). One hundred years' history of the Chinese in Singapore (The annotated ed.). National Library Board, Singapore / World Scientific. (Original work published 1923), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127965021
Born in Jin Sha Village in Chaozhou, China, to a Teochew family in 1827, Tan Hiok Nee established a successful textile trading business in Singapore. Here, he became a close family friend of Sultan Abu Bakar, the first sultan of modern Johor.
Extending his business to Johor Bahru, he eventually obtained his first surat sungai under Johor’s kangchu system to cultivate pepper and gambier. Within a matter of years, he obtained a substantial enough number of surat sungai to control the entire left bank of the Johor River from Kota Tinggi to Pulau Ubin.
Photo source: National Archives of Singapore via Wikimedia Commons
At the same time, Tan Hiok Nee also became the leader of the Ngee Hing Kongsi, turning it from a secret society to a respectable economic organisation that stayed clear of many secret society conflicts that were happening in other states.
With his wealth, influence, and role as an important ally to the Sultan, he became one of two Chinese members in the state council, as well as the first Chinese to be conferred a Dato’ title. But perhaps his biggest flex came with his appointment as the Major China of Johor - a role specially created for him as there were already two kapitans at the time.
Tan Hiok Nee eventually moved back to Singapore and, missing his native hometown, returned to Jin Sha Village where he died in 1902 at the age of 75.
Today, tradition sits next to trendiness at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee
Photo source: Google Maps
As a businessman, Tan Hiok Nee would likely approve of the street that bears his name.
One of the most popular shops there is Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory, a 107-year-old bakery that produces classic handmade buns and their famous banana cake - all made in a century-old wood-fired oven. Right next door is Dona, a modern French-inspired bakery that stands in contrast to Hiap Joo. This is a modern, sleek café where croissants, pastries, and laminated doughs take centre stage.
Photo Source: Google Maps
Similarly, boutiques showcasing local designers bring the best of Malaysian fashion while second-hand vintage stores prove that good taste is timeless. What’s perhaps most notable is that, between all of these, mom-and-pop businesses like Kedai Radio dan TV Lucky and DianHuat Trading continue to serve the local community as they have been before the tourists arrived.
Photo source: Google Maps
Once you’ve sated your appetite for food and shopping, the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum is a worthwhile stop to view relics, artifacts, and stories about the early Chinese settlers in Johor, including - of course - Ngee Hing Kongsi and the pepper and gambier industry. For a low entry fee, it’s an educational look into how the Chinese community lived and grew in a strange new land.
Once the sun sets, a daily night market changes the energy on the street, with stalls offering street food and unique trinkets for sale.
Make Johor a part of your Batam adventure
Photo source: Xinhuanet
While Berjaya Waterfront is your gateway to Batam, Johor itself shouldn’t be slept on!
From nature reserves and tranquil temples to those seeking serenity to the most unique local festivals and underrated towns for the urban explorer, there is always a reason to make Johor part of your holiday experience rather than an entry and exit point.
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is just 4.1km away from Berjaya Waterfront, making it a worthwhile stop if you have some time to spare. One thing it doesn’t have though? A duty-free zone.