Sultan Abu Bakar's 1885 Treaty of Friendship with Britain

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1885 Treaty of Friendship between Johor and Britain—a diplomatic tightrope that gave Sultan Abu Bakar de facto independence in exchange for British control over foreign affairs. They discuss how the treaty emerged from Johor's need for protection against Siam and internal rivals, the role of Singapore-based merchants like Tan Hiok Nee, and how Abu Bakar used the treaty to modernise Johor while avoiding direct colonial rule. The conversation also touches on the treaty's secret provisions, its impact on Johor's 1895 constitution, and the lingering tensions over Bunga Mas tributes to Siam. A nuanced look at how a small Malay state navigated imperial pressures.

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