Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus

The Land of Nine States

Negeri Sembilan is in the throes of a massive development programme. It is a programme which will bring the State right up to the levels of the other great regions of Malaysia. All of this started with the arrival of some humble farmers and traders from Pagar Ruyong in Sumatra, who only wanted to create a better life for themselves and their families. This was not to be. It ended with them having quite a difficult life, which in turn has led to the modern Negeri Sembilan citizen being of strong character, ready, willing and able to meet all the challenges of the 21st century. This is precisely just what the country needs to implement Vision 2020. ( Picture shows the Taman Seni Budaya )

History

The Minangkabau people from Pagar Ruyong, in Sumatra had started to settle in what is known today as Negeri Sembilan, as early as the 15th century. They were traders and farmers, who readily placed themselves under the protection of the Malacca Sultanate. This protection was needed owing to the constant attacks and harassment they suffered at the hands of the Bugis, who had settled in Selangor.

Once the Malacca Sultanate was defeated by the Portuguese, however, they lost this protection, and sought protection form the Sultan of Johore. This protection was not enough to deter the increasingly stronger Bugis attacks on them. In desperation, they turned to their land of origin and sought the protection of the Sumatran Royal Family.

As a result of their endeavours, Raja Melewar was appointed the first "Yam Di-Pertuan Besar" of Negeri Sembilan in 1773, an appointment that was agreed to by the four "Undang" or chieftains of Sungai Ujong, Jerebu, Johol and Rembau. The Royal Capital of Negeri Sembilan was established at Sri Menanti and Raja Melewar was formally installed there. ( Picture shows the Istana Lama )

Unfortunately for the Minangkabau people, Negeri Sembilan had rich tin deposits. The greedy rush to exploit these deposits caused them to suffer political instability and unrest. After a series of wars over this metal, the Minangkabaus terminated their political ties with Sumatra. This did not cause the end of their problems, and unrest continued until 1874, when the British intervened to protect their own interests and installed a British Resident in Sungai Ujong. The locals did not take too kindly to this forced imposition upon themselves, and accordingly there was a brief but bloody rebellion against the British in 1875. This rebellion was put down and after a period of time, the Yam Tuan Besar agreed to place his Sri Menanti State under the protection of the British, who could not afford for Negeri Sembilan to be in turmoil. Their burgeoning trading interests had led them to construct a rail link to Arang Arang, which was later renamed Port Dickson in honour of Sir Frederick Dickson, the man who supervised the work.

Rembau and Tampin joined Sri Menanti in 1889, and by 1895, Negeri Sembilan was formally constituted into a federation of five "luaks", or States, under the Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Muhammed, with the active participation of the first British Resident, Martin Lister. This act was in accordance with a treaty signed between the British, the four "Undang" of Negeri Sembilan and the Yam Di-Pertuan Besar.

Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Muhammed´s son and successor, Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Abdul Rahman, went on to become the first elected Yang Di-Pertuan Agung (King) of Malaysia.

Geography

Negeri Sembilan lies to the south of the Malaysian Peninsula, and its´ coast overlooks the Malacca Straits. The State has joint borders with four other Malaysian States. They are Johore to the south, Malacca to the south-west, Pahang to the east and Selangor to the north. Negeri Sembilan is one of the smaller States in Malaysia, with a land area of 6,645 square kilometres. It has a short coastline of approximately forty kilometres, which looks out onto the Malacca Straits.

The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban, a modern town with a population of over 250,000. Other towns in Negeri Sembilan include Sri Menanti, Gemas, Kuala Pilah, Bahau, Rembau, Port Dickson, Tampin, Lukut and Pedas.

Negeri Sembilan is the end point for the Main Range of mountains which starts in Thailand, and runs through the centre of the Malaysian Peninsula. As a result, it is quite hilly in places, with a coastal plain which stretches for an average of thirty kilometres to the Straits of Malacca. Well known mountains in Negeri Sembilan include Gunung Angsi.

There are not very many rivers flowing through the State of Negeri Sembilan. Amongst the better-known of these rivers is Sungai Bendol and Sungai Muar.

Of the cultivated land, the main usage has been in the planting of rubber and oil palm. Paddy, vegetables and fruits can be found cultivated throughout the State, although there has been a serious decline in the acreage under paddy cultivation.

Temperatures in Negeri Sembilan range from twenty degrees to thirty two degrees Celcius. Equatorial type conditions are prevalent in the State, with predominantly wet and predominantly dry seasons. January and February see the least amounts of rain falling on the State. Humidity is quite high, and hovers around the 80% to 90% mark.

States of Malaysia