From Johor Bahru Directory
| Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) was a short-lived Johor political party that was founded in 1955 to seek the secession of Johor from the Federation of Malaya.
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Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) was a political party founded in Johor Bahru in October 1955 by Ungku Abdullah bin Omar, a Johor state executive councillor and relative of Sultan Ibrahim, to seek the secession of Johor from the Federation of Malaya.
2. Objective: The formation of Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) was inspired by Sultan Ibrahim's public call for the secession of Johor from the Federation of Malaya at his diamond jubilee celebrations in September 1955.[1] The Sultan had become increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of Johor as a state within the Federation of Malaya, particularly when the prospect of an independent federation, free from British interference, became increasingly clearer under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership. In a letter, entitled "Straits Settlement Forever", which he wrote to The Straits Times in 1953, Sultan Ibrahim expressed his skeptism over Johor's future as part of an independent Malaya and voiced support for the continuation of the British Adviser system in Johor.[2]
3. Development: Sultan Ibrahim publicly voiced support for Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Johor (PKMJ) during a public gathering in mid-December 1955, and PKMJ courted considerable support from the grassroots within the first half of 1956.[3] The Alliance party reacted strongly to the events and actively attempted to suppress and discredit the party. PKMJ rapidly lost most of its members to the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and by mid-1957, Ungku Abdullah only had 10 members left within the party.
4. Dissolution: In July 1957, Ungku Abdullah made one last call to urge Sultan Ibrahim not to sign the Malayan Federal Constitution. The Sultan, who was now residing in London, replied to Ungku Abdullah that he had empowered Tunku Ismail (later Sultan Ismail), the then Tunku Mahkota, to decide on the matter. Ungku Abdullah then called upon Tunku Ismail not to sign the Constitution, but his calls were ignored. Aftr Tunku Ismail signed the Constitution at the rulers' meeting, he formally disbanded PKMJ a few days before Malaya's Independence Day.[3] In all, the short-lived political party existed for 1 year and 11 months.
