 Johor Bahru is located along the Straits of Johor at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia . It is the southernmost city in the Malay Peninsula . Originally , the city area was only 12 @.@ 12 km2 ( 4 @.@ 68 sq mi ) in 1933 before been expanded to over 220 km2 ( 85 sq mi ) in 2000 . Mount Pulai , which stand at 654 metres ( 2 @,@ 146 ft ) above sea level , is located 19 km ( 12 mi ) from the city centre . 
