The Buildings of Johor Bahru Trivia Quiz

Answer: Johor Sultan's royal palace

The Istana Besar, or Grand palace, is in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Johor is one of 13 states in Malaysia. It is also a constitutional monarchy with the Sultan being the head. Istana Besar is a royal palace of Johor's Sultan. The palace is used for official royal functions and ceremonies.

PR's Red Crew member Jaknginger likes to think she is the "queen" of her domicile.

Answer: 19th

Sultan Abu Bakar, who ruled 1862 to 1895 was the first to be buried at the Mausoleum. Some of the founders of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) were also honored by being buried in the Mausoleum. The complex has a mixture of architectural styles, including Malay and Moorish.

Player pusdoc has been buried under a pile of facts about Malaysia for this quiz.

Answer: Istana Bukit Serene

Istana Bukit Serene, or Serene Hill Palace, is the Sultan of Johor's official residence. It is located at the southern point of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The palace is just across the straits of Johor from Singapore.
Istana Alam Shah is the Sultan's palace of Selangor. The Astana, once called the "Government House" is the palace of Sarawak. Istana Perlis is the royal family's palace of Kuala Lumpur.

Phoenix Rising's Red Crew member jaknginger is having difficulty keeping her Sultan's straight.

Answer: Sikh Temple

A Gurdwara is a place of worship for Sikhs, who originally came from India. The building was constructed in 1921, and extended a couple of times since then.
Sikhism was founded in the northern Indian state of Punjab in the late 1400s, and has more than 25 million adherents worldwide.

Phoenix Rising's Ozzz2002, has visited this beautiful building.

Answer: Figure Museum

The Dato'Jaafar building is the home of the Figure Museum which showcases the history of Johor and has exhibitions regarding famous personages from the region. The building, which was built in 1896, is modelled on the style of Hardwick Hall, a Derbyshire UK 'prodigy' house, built to grand design in Elizabethan times. The Museum building was originally the residence of the first Chief Minister of Johor. It has 3 floors, and each corner is a tower.

Smpdit from Red Crew does enjoy a good museum.

Answer: It was demolished

The Wong Ah Fook Mansion was being assessed by the government to ensure its continuance as a historical site. However, it was intimated that the owner had the building torn down to be replaced by a commercial development. The owner gave a statement subsequently that the building had structural defects and was unsafe, and therefore needed to be removed. Wong Ah Fook was a Chinese immigrant building contractor who was involved in many of the notable buildings in Johor, including the Istana Besar, the royal Palace. As well as this mansion, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, one of the busiest streets in Johor, is also named after him.

Red Crew's smpdit can do a little DIY herself but hasn't progressed to building houses yet.

Answer: Old Chinese Temple

Built around 1880 to 1890, the Old Chinese Temple in Johor Bahru is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Credited with building the old temple is Mr Tan Hiok Nee, the leader of a religious secret society called the Ngee Heng Co. The temple is still in use today as a place of worship for five ethnic groups, namely the Hakka, Hainan, Cantonese, Teochew and Hohkkein peoples. The five deities associated with the temple are honoured with an annual parade called Chingay, or "Parade of the Deities".
After the renovations were completed, many original artefacts were preserved, including a century-old bronze bell, an incense burner and a plaque that was thought to be from the time of building.
The three incorrect temples are all from Penang.

Phoenix Rising's Red Crew member leith90 has not yet seen the Old Chinese Temple, but has seen almost every single temple in Bangkok, including Wat Pho.

Answer: Kites

The Kite Museum in Pasir Gudang was first opened in 2002 to coincide with the International Kite Festival. The museum showcases traditional Malay kites, and has a special display dedicated to the wau bulan- the Malay moon-kite which is one of the country's national symbols.

Phoenix Rising's leith90 now has an ear worm- some Disney song about flying kites...

Answer: Sultan Abu Bakar

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1927 on land donated by the Sultan. The original church was founded in 1883 in a building that later became a funeral parlor. A large statue of the Virgin Mary out front of the current edifice was donated by Sultan Ibrahim. The Church remains an active place of worship, with activities in multiple languages - English, Mandarin, Tamil and Bahasa. The church is painted in white and blue, with a central three storey bell tower below the steeple. Pope Pius XI was the Pope when the church was built, Tunky Abdul Rahman was the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Daeng Parani was an important figure in the history of the Johor sultanate in the 1700s.

Player pusdoc prays this question finds an appropriate home in Red Crew's quiz for Phoenix Rising's Global Tour 2022.

Answer: Hinduism

The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is a Hindu temple. Originally a simple hut it was rebuilt by Guru Bhagawan Sittar in 1996 to be the resplendent glass adorned temple it is today. Inspired by a temple he saw in Bangkok, he felt that to have a place of worship that was visually arresting would encourage visitors from around the world. Over 90% of the temple is covered with multicoloured glass mosaic, lit with crystal chandeliers, and with walls embellished with Rudraksha beads from Nepal. Inside are statues depicting figures from non-Hindu religions such as Mother Teresa, Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Gautama Buddha, along with a mural depicting a scene of multi - religious harmony, the temple is strong in the belief of inclusion.

Red Crew's smpdit adds another building to list of sights to see.