The Johor State Government, through the Johor Heritage Foundation (YWJ), has implemented and will continue to implement several high-impact initiatives to transform the Kompleks Warisan Sultan Abu Bakar (KWSAB) into a Johor Cultural Centre as well as a Centre of Excellence promoting Johor’s history, heritage, and culture.
Raven Kumar, chairman of the State Unity, Heritage, and Culture Committee, made this statement during the question-and-answer session in the state’s assembly meeting at Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
“One of the promotional initiatives implemented at the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex is the introduction of the Let’s Visit KWSAB package,” he added on promoting the venue.
The package is said to offer 4 main attraction locations: Rumah Limas Johor, which offers several activities such as an explanation of the philosophy and architecture of Rumah Limas Johor, the uniqueness of recipes and replicas of Johor Heritage Dishes, traditional games, wearing authentic Malay clothing, and an introduction of decorative accessories and types of hair buns.
He added that the Johor Art Gallery in the complex, would exhibit paintings by Johor-born artists and offers several “hands-on” activities such as tie and dye, and graffiti art (shadowing technique).
“Meanwhile, the Johor Weaving Gallery, which was the former residence of Tunku Fatimah (sister of the late Sultan Sir Ibrahim), is now the main location to exhibit Johor weaving and produce and house a collection of Johor yarn.”
“And finally, the Johor Zapin House, which is a must-stop location for visitors to get to know the 15 variations of Johor Zapin and have the opportunity to learn the five basic structures of the Johor Zapin dance, namely, taksim, les, ragam, kopak and wainab,” he added.
In addition, the Johor Heritage Foundation has implemented a strategic collaboration network with schools under the Ministry of Education Malaysia and international schools as well as involvement from public and private higher education institutions (IPTA/IPTS).
In the meantime, this department has also implemented a collaboration network with the Johor Tourist Guides, Towns and Nature Association (JCNTGA) and the Johor Tourist Guides Association (JTGA).
“The good relationship between the Johor Heritage Foundation and departments such as Tourism Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia Southern Region, the Johor Economic, Tourism and Cultural Office (JETCO) and the Consulate General of Indonesia (KJRI) has also helped to some extent to promote the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex,” said Raven.
He said that in 2025, the Johor Heritage Foundation also plans to collaborate with tourism agencies such as Group Independent Traveller (GIT), Free Independent Traveller (FIT) and M.I.C.E. Traveller.
Among other efforts carried out by this department is continuous promotion through a campaign on social media regarding the introduction of the Let’s Visit KWSAB package, which is also produced in bilingual. The video production, which is displayed through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, has successfully attracted the interest of visitors to continue visiting the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex.
Apart from that, in line with the preparations for Visit Johor Year 2026, the Johor Heritage Foundation plans to increase the visibility of Johor’s heritage through tourism-related digital platforms, including tourism review and rating websites such as TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, Booking.com, Traveloka, and Klook. This initiative aims to increase Johor’s attractiveness as a cultural and historical destination.
Meanwhile, in terms of improving facilities, the Johor Heritage Foundation will implement improvements in terms of facilities and public amenities at the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex.
The physical development works of the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex involve an estimated cost of RM3.6 million, which has been approved by the Johor Minister’s Office.
The project involves several zones, including Preliminary Works; Zone A (Arrival Zone), which includes the New Laman Seri Gelam Stairs, Disabled Friendly Lanes (OKU), Perimeter Fences and new bus stops; Zone E (Commercial Zone), which includes the Culinary Gallery, Souvenir Shop and Food Court, Entrance and Parking, Surau Upgrading, Toilet Upgrading and Garbage House Upgrading; and also System Components, which include the Outdoor Audio System and Public Address, and the Ticket and Turnstile System along with the Signboards and Sculptures.
“The State Government through the Johor Heritage Foundation is committed to ensuring that the Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex is not only a symbol of the historical identity of the state of Johor but also a catalyst for cultural tourism that can generate the local economy and foster a love for the nation’s heritage. The implementation of these measures is believed to be able to attract more visitors from within and outside the country, in line with the aspirations of the Johor Budget 2025,” he concluded.
