Muhamad Salleh bin Perang, carrying the title Dato' Bentara Luar, held an important post in the administration of the Malaysian state of Johor from 1856 to 1912. His main task was to plan the development of Johore state.
Map making and development tasks
Perang was a bureaucrat whose duty was to manage and develop lands and taking care ofgambir and black pepper plantations. As the Head of Land Management and State Survey, he successfully drew a complete map of Johor with Jawi legends. It was the first complete map that was plotted for a state in East Peninsular Malaya. This information was then used to plan the development of Johor State. The map showed all the roads and cities that were planned for development during his tenure. The map also shows geographical details for most of the district of Johore. Perang was involved in the development and planning of the cities of Bandar Maharani and Batu Pahat. Perang was a Malay. But his ability to converse in Chinese and his knowledge of Chinese culture made him close to the Chinese people brought in by the Kangchu system. In the 1880s, he accompanied the Sultan on a visit to China. He started off as the commissioner of the State Police and ended up as member of State Legislature and Cabinet.
Batu Pahat
was a small town situated in the Simpang Kanan area, roughly seven miles from the Sungai Batu Pahat river. On 11 November 1893, Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor instructed Perang begin development of Batu Pahat into a city. He started by preparing roads, government departments, and a modernized management system. The official opening of Batu Pahat city was held on 1 January 1894 by Perang and attended by important dignitaries, influential people, and chiefs of nearby villages. The city prospered under him as the Sultan's representative governor. He later became commissioner and encouraged villagers to develop farms and irrigation works. At the same time, foreign investors opened businesses in Batu Pahat. Perang's contributions were recognized by Ungku Sulaiman bin Daud, the chief commissioner of Johor, during his official visit on 21 December 1896.
Retirement
The death of Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor led the British government to increase their influence in the Johor government. Slowly, the district officials throughout Johor, capable Malays in administration and development posts, including Muhammad Salleh Perang himself, were replaced. On 3 April 1909, Perang received a letter from Dato' Seri Amar Di Raja which asked him to retire from his post. All his life, he had showed his loyalty to the Sultan and proved that he was able to expedite his responsibilities with his own effort. Dato' Bentara Luar accused him of treason but no strong evidence was found. On 21 May 1912, Perang resigned at the age of 71. He was replaced by Ungku Ahmad bin Ungku Muhammad Khalid as the commissioner of Batu Pahat. Under him, the Malay district commissioner was jointly responsible with the British commissioner for administration.
