The Design and Philosophy of Medal Making in Johor, Malaysia

Sultan Abu Bakar drew his inspiration for the Orders from the British monarchy, it is unsurprising that the design of the Johor Orders of Chivalry and their Statutes and Regulations is closely modelled on that of the British Orders in terms of their names and the ceremonial items such as star, medal, sash and other accoutrements.

Ritual — The Significance of Numbers

Whilst the crescent moon and the star, the qubba and the minaret remain familiar and evocative symbols of Islam, numerology also plays a part in influencing the philosophy, beliefs and rituals associated with Islam.

Courage & Bravery — The Pursuit of Change

The white and blue are the colours of the sovereign, whilst yellow is the colour of royalty. Red signifies courage and bravery the attributes of leadership and concomitantly denotes the courage of Sultan Abu Bakar in pursuing Western innovations while respecting Malay traditions. The tigers represent majesty and courage, and Abu Bakar’s reminder to the future generation of the perils he faced when opening the jungles of Johor. The crossed sword and kris denote Sultan Abu Bakar’s astuteness and wisdom in administering Johor with a shrewd and deliberate adoption of Western innovations and Malay traditions respectively.

Foundations — Gambier & Pepper

Gambier and pepper motifs, which are used pervasively in the State Honours, the state crest and other regalia, serve as a salutary reminder of the foundations of Johor’s economic success in the late 19th century. Johor’s modernisation in that challenging historical period was built upon its successful development of the gambier and pepper industries.

This was in turn made possible by sound governance on the part of Sultan Abu Bakar and his forebears. The ubiquitous motifs of gambier vines and pepper berries on the Orders are therefore of especial importance for they reflect the contribution of these cash crops in the nascent stages of Johor’s economic development from the mid-19th century.

It is thus unsurprising that the motifs are a key part of the design of the highest of the Royal Orders, the Darjat Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati. Furthermore, these motifs can also be seen all over Johor on lamp posts, street decorations and balustrades.` They are also used on invitations, souvenir programmes of official functions and on public buildings.