[3] In the 1860s the villages were overseen by a Datuk Penggawa Timur, a government officer appointed by the Johor Sultan to administer the state's eastern territory.[4] The municipal area covers 128,830 hectares (318,300 acres) and encompasses five of the administrative mukims within Kota Tinggi District, namely Johor Lama, Pantai Timur, Pengerang, Sedili Kecil and Tanjung Surat.[1][5] The main towns and villages encompassed by the municipality include: The Johor State Government has picked Pengerang for a catalyst project for rural transformation program.Johor’s Chief Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the area has seen steady development over the last few years as investments poured in because of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC).[8] The component of this mammoth project was first initiated with the development of the Pengerang Deepwater Terminal or PDT, a joint-venture between Dialog Group, Royal Vopak of The Netherlands and the State of Johor.