History
The name Kluang derives from the Malay word 'keluang' which means a type of flying fox or rather a type of fruit bat. These used to be plentiful in the district decades ago. They have almost completely disappeared due to the combination of hunting and destruction of their natural habitat (deforestation).
Kluang was founded in 1915 as the administrative capital for central Johor. The main railway line linking north to south Malaya was built passing through Kluang and this helped in its growth. Roads were built to link Kluang to Johor Bahru towards the south, to Batu Pahat towards the north-west and to Mersing towards the east. Kluang is divided into two district councils namely Simpang Renggam District Council (Malay: Majlis Daerah Simpang Renggam) based at the town of Simpang Renggam and Kluang Municipal Council (Malay: Majlis Perbandaran Kluang) based at the town of Kluang which is also the district capital.
During World War II, the town of Kluang was captured relatively uncontested by Japanese forces advancing southwards as it was abandoned by Allied forces retreating towards Singapore. General Yamashita moved his headquarters forward from Kuala Lumpur to Kluang on 27 January 1942 as he advanced southwards. The Japanese later used the airbase in Kluang to launch air attacks on targets ranging from Singapore to Sumatra.
From 1963 onwards the airfield was used by the British Army as a base for 4 aircraft workshops together with REME and a Gurkha regiment until the early 1970s when the base was closed down.
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