Gambier and pepper plant motifs that appear in the Johor Royal Coat of Arms and Insignia will be patented as being unique to Johor.
Johor Council of Royal Court President, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Ramli stated in a Royal Johor Facebook post that this was done to acknowledge and maintain its contribution to Johor’s economic development.
“The patent will be in the Johor Emblems, Titles and Awards (Prevention of Improper Use) Enactment 2017 to ensure that no party misuses the motifs,” said Abdul Rahim at the launch of the book ‘Perkembangan Penanaman Gambir Di Johor’, published by the Johor Bahru Tiong-Hua Association.
“Gambier and pepper are synonymous with the early social-economic development in Johor”, he added in the statement.
The book, which was released in both Chinese language and Bahasa Melayu, tells the tale of how the two goods were introduced into Johor in early 1885 under Temenggong Daing Ibrahim’s rule.
The book also discusses the crucial part the Chinese community played in making Johor a global leader in the production of pepper and gambier.
