Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes
Malaysia, lies on the western coast of
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, just south of
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and borders
SelangorSelangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
on the north,
PahangPahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
in the east, and
MalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and
JohorJohor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
to the south.
The name is believed to derive from the nine districts or
negara (now known as
luak) settled by the Minangkabau, a people originally from West
SumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
(in present-day
IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
). Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the dialect of Malay spoken.
Unlike the hereditary monarchs of the other royal Malay states, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan is known as
Yang di-Pertuan BesarYamtuan Besar, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, is the royal title of the ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The ruler of Negeri Sembilan is selected by a council of ruling chiefs in the state, or the datuk-datuk undang. This royal practice has been followed since 1773...
instead of
SultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. The election of the Ruler is also unique. He is selected by the council of
UndangAn Undang is a ruling chief or territorial chief who still play an important role in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The name is believed to be derived from the Malay word undang-undang meaning law....
s who lead the four biggest districts of Sungai Ujong,
JelebuJelebu is second largest districts in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, consisting more than 40,000 in population. Jelebu borders with the Seremban district, Jempol district, Kuala Pilah district, Pahang and Selangor...
,
JoholJohol is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The reigning Undang Luak of Johol is HAJI MOHD JAN BIN ABDUL GHANI .-External links:...
, and
RembauRembau is a town within a district that shares the same name that is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. With a population of 40,000 people the district is a stronghold of the matrilineal system known as adat perpatih, a customary practice inherited from the Minangkabaus, of...
, making it one of the more democratic monarchies.
The capital of Negeri Sembilan is
SerembanSeremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
. The royal capital is
Seri MenantiSeri Menanti is the royal capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Situated in the Kuala Pilah district, it houses the seat of the head of state or Yamtuan Besar, the local equivalent of theSultan...
in the district of
Kuala PilahKuala Pilah is a town and district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Commonly called Pilah by the mainly Malay Minangkabau inhabitants, it is also the name of a district. It is an old valley town with many of the pre-war Chinese shophouses still fronting the main streets surrounded by traditional style...
. Other important towns are
Port DicksonPort Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia...
and
NilaiNilai is a town located in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Due to its proximity, and connection through the KTM to Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, it is a rapidly growing town. Development projects can be seen as one drives around Nilai...
.
The Arabic honorific title of the state is
Darul Khusus ("the Special Abode").
The ethnic composition in 2005 was:
MalayIn Malaysia, the Malay population is defined by Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution as someone born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay customs and is domiciled in Malaysia or Singapore...
(497,896 or 54.96%),
ChineseThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
(220,141 or 24.3%),
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n (137,588 or 15.18%), Other (50,267 or 5.54%).
History
The Minangkabaus from
SumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
settled in Negeri Sembilan in the 15th century under the protection of the
MalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
Sultanate, and later under the protection of its successor, the Sultanate of
JohorJohor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
. As Johor weakened in the 18th century, attacks by the
BugisThe Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
forced the Minangkabaus to seek protection from their homeland. The Minangkabau ruler, Sultan Abdul Jalil, obliged by sending his near relative,
Raja MelewarRaja Melewar was the first Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. He was a prince from the state of Minangkabau in Sumatra, Indonesia.-History:...
. When he arrived, he found that another royal, Raja Khatib had already established himself as ruler. He declared war against Raja Khatib and became the ruler of Negeri Sembilan. The Sultan of Johor confirmed his position by granting the title
Yang di-Pertuan BesarIn Malay, Yang di-Pertuan Besar, literally "He Who Is Made Great" or "Great Ruler", is a royal title.-In Malaysia:# Also known as Yamtuan Besar, it is the title of the elected monarch of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia...
Negeri Sembilan (He Who is Highest Lord of the Nine States) in 1773. After Raja Melewar's death, a series of disputes arose over the succession. For a considerable period, the local nobles applied to the Minangkabau ruler in Sumatra for a ruler. However, competing interests supported different candidates, often resulting in instability and civil war.
In 1873, the
BritishThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
intervened militarily in a civil war in Sungai Ujong to preserve British economic interests, and placed the country under the control of a British Resident.
JelebuJelebu is second largest districts in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, consisting more than 40,000 in population. Jelebu borders with the Seremban district, Jempol district, Kuala Pilah district, Pahang and Selangor...
followed in 1886, and the remaining states in 1895. In 1897, when the
Federated Malay StatesThe Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay...
(FMS) was established, Sungai Ujong and Jelebu were reunited to the confederation of small states and the whole, under the old name of the Negeri Sembilan, was placed under a single Resident and became a member of the FMS.
The number of states within Negeri Sembilan has fluctuated over the years, the federation now consists of six states and a number of sub-states under their
suzeraintySuzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
. The former state of
NaningNaning is an area in modern day Malacca, Malaysia and was founded in 1641. Naning was previously part of Negeri Sembilan but it was later annexed by the British into Malacca in 1832 via the Naning War. Malacca at that time was a British holding....
was annexed to Malacca,
KelangKlang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
to Selangor, and
SegamatSegamat is a town and district located in the north of the state of Johor in Malaysia, bordering two other states of Malaysia . It is located roughly 172 kilometres from Johor Bahru, the capital city of Johor State. It is 95 km travel distance via North-South Expressway from Johor Bahru to...
to Johor.
Negeri Sembilan endured Japanese occupation in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
between 1941 and 1945, and joined the
Federation of MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1948, and became a state of
Malaysia in 1963.
Constitution
The Constitution of Negeri Sembilan came into force on 26 March 1959. It is divided into two sections. The constitution establishes that the state's form of government is
constitutional monarchyConstitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
.
The Ruler
The official constitutional title of the Ruler of the state is
Duli Yang Maha MuliaThe Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Yang di-Pertua Besar Negeri SembilanYamtuan Besar, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, is the royal title of the ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The ruler of Negeri Sembilan is selected by a council of ruling chiefs in the state, or the datuk-datuk undang. This royal practice has been followed since 1773...
and he holds office for life. The state's constitution proclaims the Yang di-Pertuan Besar is vested with the Executive Power of the state, is the Head of the Religion of
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the state and is the fountain of all honour and dignity for the state. The current Yang di-Pertuan Besar is His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir. His Royal Highness succeeds
Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul RahmanDuli Yang Maha Mulia Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, GCB was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan.-Early life and education:The second son of Tuanku Abdul Rahman...
who died on 27 December 2008.
Unlike
Malaysia's eight other Royal Malay states, the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan is elected to his office by the territorial chiefs of the state. These chiefs are titled Undang. Only four of the
UndangAn Undang is a ruling chief or territorial chief who still play an important role in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The name is believed to be derived from the Malay word undang-undang meaning law....
s have the right to vote in the election for the Ruler of the State. They are:
- The Undang of Sungai Ujong
- The Undang of Jelebu
- The Undang of Johol
- The Undang of Rembau
The Undang themselves cannot stand for election and their choice of ruler is limited to a male Muslim who is Malay and also a "lawfully begotten descendant of Raja Radin ibni Raja Lenggang".
State Executive Council
The State Executive Council is established by the 1959 constitution. It consists of the Menteri Besar, who is its Chairman, and ten other members. The Menteri Besar and the other members of the council are appointed by the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar from the members of the State Assembly. The current
Menteri BesarThe Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...
or Chief Minister of the state is
Dato' Seri UtamaThe Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Muhammad HassanDatuk Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Haji Hassan is the current Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan. He was born on May 2, 1956 in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. He received his primary education at SK Datuk Akhir Zaman at Rantau and furthered his studies at SMK Rantau and SMK Tuanku Ampuan Durah at Seremban. He...
.
Economy
The state's manufacturing sector contributing almost half of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), followed by services and tourism (40.3%), agriculture (6%), construction (2.2%) and mining (0.3%). Manufacturing activity includes electrical and electronics, textiles, furniture, chemicals, machinery, metal works and rubber products. The main industrial areas are
SenawangSenawang is a satellite town located in the district of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.-Geography:Senawang is situated about 7 kilometres from Seremban town. It is located in a higher level flat terrain than other towns in Seremban. The terrain is suitable for industrial.-Demographics:Bahasa...
, Sungai Gadut, Tuanku Jaafar Industrial Park, Nilai and Tanah Merah in
Port DicksonPort Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia...
. Coca-Cola, which is in the midst of setting up its billion ringgit bottling plant in Bandar Enstek.
Negeri Sembilan is mainly an agricultural state. However, the establishment of several industrial estates enhanced the manufacturing sector as a major contributor towards the state economy.
Agricultural activity includes
rubberNatural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
and
oil palmThe oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
plantations, livestock, fruit orchards and vegetable farming. About 3,099 square kilometers are used for rubber and oil palm plantations.
Districts
The state comprises 7 districts :
- Jelebu
Jelebu is second largest districts in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, consisting more than 40,000 in population. Jelebu borders with the Seremban district, Jempol district, Kuala Pilah district, Pahang and Selangor...
- Jempol
Jempol is the largest district in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The district borders another Malaysian state of Pahang to the northeast. Bandar Seri Jempol and Bahau are the principal towns in Jempol....
- Kuala Pilah
Kuala Pilah is a town and district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Commonly called Pilah by the mainly Malay Minangkabau inhabitants, it is also the name of a district. It is an old valley town with many of the pre-war Chinese shophouses still fronting the main streets surrounded by traditional style...
- Port Dickson
Port Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia...
- Rembau
Rembau is a town within a district that shares the same name that is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. With a population of 40,000 people the district is a stronghold of the matrilineal system known as adat perpatih, a customary practice inherited from the Minangkabaus, of...
- Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
- Tampin
Tampin is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...
It originally consisted of 9 districts :
- Jelai (Inas)
-
JelebuJelebu is second largest districts in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, consisting more than 40,000 in population. Jelebu borders with the Seremban district, Jempol district, Kuala Pilah district, Pahang and Selangor...
-
JoholJohol is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The reigning Undang Luak of Johol is HAJI MOHD JAN BIN ABDUL GHANI .-External links:...
- Kelang (now a district in
SelangorSelangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
)
-
NaningNaning is an area in modern day Malacca, Malaysia and was founded in 1641. Naning was previously part of Negeri Sembilan but it was later annexed by the British into Malacca in 1832 via the Naning War. Malacca at that time was a British holding....
(now a district in
MalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
)
-
RembauRembau is a town within a district that shares the same name that is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. With a population of 40,000 people the district is a stronghold of the matrilineal system known as adat perpatih, a customary practice inherited from the Minangkabaus, of...
-
SegamatSegamat is a town and district located in the north of the state of Johor in Malaysia, bordering two other states of Malaysia . It is located roughly 172 kilometres from Johor Bahru, the capital city of Johor State. It is 95 km travel distance via North-South Expressway from Johor Bahru to...
(now in
JohorJohor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
) / Pasir Besar (now in
TampinTampin is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...
)
- Sungai Ujong
- Alu Panah (now divided between
JelebuJelebu is second largest districts in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia after Jempol, consisting more than 40,000 in population. Jelebu borders with the Seremban district, Jempol district, Kuala Pilah district, Pahang and Selangor...
and
PahangPahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
State)
External links