Seremban
Encyclopedia
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....

, located within the district of Seremban
Seremban (district)
District of Seremban is one of 7 districts in Negeri Sembilan. This is where the capital of Negeri Sembilan, Seremban town is located.-Administration:There are two local councils within Seremban district:...

, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban
Majlis Perbandaran Seremban
Majlis Perbandaran Seremban or Seremban Municipal Council is a local authority in Malaysia which administers Seremban towns and other areas such as Senawang, Rasah, Mambau and Paroi. This agency is under Negeri Sembilan state government...

. On 9 September 2009, Seremban was to be declared as a city, however it was later deferred due to technical reasons.

Toponymy

Seremban was originally founded as Sungei Ujong (or Sungai Ujong), named after a nearby river of the same name. While the town was renamed Seremban thereafter, the Sungai Ujong name most prominently persists as a street name for a road adjoining the southern side of town (Sungai Ujong Road, or Jalan Sungai Ujong).

The town is also referred alternately as "Fu Yong" among the Chinese-speaking community
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...

, although the name is unrecognised officially.

History

Sungai Ujong came into existence with the discovery of tin ore in the 1870s like most major towns in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular 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...

. The discovery of tin in a nearby area called Rasah
Rasah
Rasah is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.- Places of worship :There are various places of worship here, of many faiths. The most prominent one is Rasah Shri Mahamariamman Temple, situated in the foothills near Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital...

, saw an influx of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

, Malay and Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

 immigrants to work on the mines and trade there. Most of the local Malays were farmers.

Renamed to Seremban, the town flourished not only as a mining area but also a business centre. The Linggi River served as the sole outlet to ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 tin and supplies in and out of the town. Revenue came not only from tin trade but also from the large amount of taxes collected, much to the displeasure of the traders and the British colonialists at the neighbouring port of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , 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...

.

The local chieftains, namely the Dato’ Kelana and the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungai Ujong were at odds with each other on the rights to collect taxes and ownership and control of the mines. The rivalry to assert influence and authority opened the door for British intervention in Negeri Sembilan. The British sided with the Dato’ Kelana upon invitation and defeated the forces of the Dato’ Bandar who was later sent into exile to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

. In a show of gratitude to the British for helping him win the war, the Dato’ Kelana had no choice but to accept a British Resident whose job was to advise him on matters other than religion and Malay customs.

Captain Murray was appointed the first resident and later set-up his residence at Channer Road, now renamed Jalan Dato’ Siamang Gagap. Soon after, the people living around Rasah moved to Channer Road for the sake of security and its orderly administration.

City status

Seremban is one of four state capitals that has not achieved city status (Bandar raya) other than Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies...

, Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...

 and Kangar
Kangar
Kangar is the state capital of Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located in the northern most point of Peninsular Malaysia and is situated by the Perlis River. The center of Kangar is Sena Province, which is referred to by few locals as 'Uptown Sena'...

. However, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
Ministry of Housing and Local Government
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government was a United Kingdom government department formed after the Second World War, covering the areas of housing and local government....

 has approved Seremban to be declared a city by 9 September 2009. To achieve the city status, the state government has agreed that Majlis Perbandaran Nilai
Majlis Perbandaran Nilai
Majlis Perbandaran Nilai or Nilai Municipal Council is a local authority which administrates whole of Seremban district such as Nilai, Pajam, Labu, Mantin, Lenggeng, Taman Seremban Jaya, Sungai Gadut, Pantai and Rantau. This agency is under Negeri Sembilan state government...

 and Majlis Perbandaran Seremban
Majlis Perbandaran Seremban
Majlis Perbandaran Seremban or Seremban Municipal Council is a local authority in Malaysia which administers Seremban towns and other areas such as Senawang, Rasah, Mambau and Paroi. This agency is under Negeri Sembilan state government...

 will be merged together.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said during the Tuanku Muhriz birthday

Geography

Seremban is situated about 30 kilometres inland from the coast. It is in the Linggi River valley, at the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range. The terrain is generally hilly, and the soil is mostly reddish laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...

 soil, suitable for the cultivation of rubber
Rubber
Natural 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 palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...

, thus making Seremban the agricultural centre for the state. Since the establishment of Seremban, the Linggi River has played an important role in the development of the town. During the boom period of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...

 mining, the Linggi River was the major transportation route for tin traders. Today, it is one of the major sources of water for Seremban and Negeri Sembilan.

Weather

The climate of Seremban, like most parts of West Malaysia, is generally hot and humid (tropical) with a mean temperature of about 27-30 degrees Celsius. Most rainfall is experienced during the inter-monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

 periods of April and October. The weather remains generally dry for the rest of the year with occasional showers.

Transportation

The rail connection was first constructed in the late 1890s as a stop on the Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala 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...

-Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 main line, and until today, the Seremban railway station still serves as one of the major stops along the line. Seremban station also serves as the southern terminal of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...

 electrified commuter network, KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter is a commuter train service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. It is popular with commuters into the city, who thus avoid being caught in road traffic...

, which links the town to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala 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 the Klang Valley on Rawang-Seremban Line.
Federal Route
Malaysia Federal Route 1
Federal Route 1 is the first federal road in Malaysia, and among the oldest federal roads in Malaysia, having been constructed by the British government during colonial times...

 , the oldest major roadway that connects the major towns and cities of the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular 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...

 runs through Seremban. It connects Seremban with neighbouring towns such as Rembau
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...

 and Tampin
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...

 to the south and Kajang
Kajang
Kajang, is a town in the eastern part of Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang is the district capital of Hulu Langat. It is located from of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.The current locational gravity of growth in Kajang would be Sungai Chua...

, Selangor
Selangor
Selangor 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...

 to the north. Seremban also provides access to the towns of Kuala Klawang
Kuala Klawang
Kuala Klawang is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Jelebu....

 and Kuala Pilah
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...

 to the east and the well-known coastal town of Port Dickson
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...

 to the west.

Negeri Sembilan is one of the two states in Malaysia that are not accessible via air transportation (Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...

 being the other state). However the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...

 (KLIA) is less than a 30 minutes drive from Seremban, essentially making the airport closer to Seremban rather than Kuala Lumpur.

Culture

Historically, Negeri Sembilan is influenced by the Minangkabau's and thus, Seremban is the centre of the Minangkabau culture in Malaysia. Minangkabau, derived from the Malay word menang kerbau, which means "winning buffalo", are famous for their unique roof architecture which resembles buffalo horns. Many buildings in Seremban adapted this feature, such as the Seremban Municipal Council Hall, the Wisma Negeri and the State Museum.

People of Negeri Sembilan are also known for the practice of an ancient Malay tradition called Adat Perpatih, where women are given a higher social status than men.

Sports

Seremban currently serves as the home ground of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan FA
The Football Association of Negeri Sembilan enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Negri Sembilan. The team is based in Seremban. They play in the top division in Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League...

 football team. The team is the state representative of Negeri Sembilan in the top tier Malaysia Super League. They play their home games in the 30,000 capacity Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium also known as STAR of Paroi is a multi-purpose stadium in Paroi, Seremban, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 20,000 people and opened in 1992...

 which is located in Paroi on the outskirt of the city.

Cuisine

Seremban is famous for its special delicacies comprising Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine
Cuisine of Malaysia
Malaysian cuisine reflects the multicultural aspects of Malaysia. Various ethnic groups in Malaysia have their own dishes, but many dishes in Malaysia are derived from multiple ethnic influences. Food preparation differs from place to place, although many of the foods used are alike...

.
Among the famous local cuisine is Seremban Siew Pau that is well known throughout the country. It is flaky pastry bun filled with meat fillings either pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

, the traditional flavour or chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...

 which is halal.

Aside from the famed Siew Pau, Seremban is also well known for its Nasi Padang or Minangkabau dishes. It is rich in coconut cream and is generally accompanied by a generous serving of cili padi (bird's eye chili).

Local desserts include ABC or air batu campur meaning shaved ice with brown sugar syrup and rose flavouring, corn, beans, and cendol
Cendol
Cendol is a traditional dessert originating from South East Asia which is still popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar , Singapore, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand where it is called lortchorng singapore ลอดช่องสิงคโปร์).-Etymology:There is popular belief in Indonesia that the name "cendol" is...

.

Economy

The state, which been home to a number of multinationals from Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union. The manufacturing sector today forms the backbone of the state economy, 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%).

Retail

Seremban is the business and commercial centre for most towns and villages in Negeri Sembilan. During the weekends, residents from outlying areas come to Seremban by commuter train or buses to shop in Seremban. Amway
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...

 opened their first concept shop in Seremban in August 2008 as on-going expansion strategy to give its distributors and customers a new shopping experience.

ÆON
ÆON
, commonly written AEON Co., Ltd., is the holding company of Æon Group. It has its headquarters in Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture.It operates JUSCO supermarkets directly in Japan.Æon is the largest retailer in Asia...

 Jusco
JUSCO
is the acronym for Japan United Stores Company, a chain of "general merchandise stores" and the largest of its type in Japan. The various JUSCO companies are subsidiaries of ÆON Co., Ltd.....

 Seremban 2, one of the premier shopping destinations in the town was the only outlet operated in the state.

Besides Jusco Seremban 2, many shopping outlets are concentrated in town centre; Wisma Punca Emas, KM Plaza, Parkson
Parkson
Parkson is a popular department store company in Malaysia which offers items at a medium rate. Parkson was established in 1987 as one of the largest retail chains in Malaysia at that time...

 Seremban Parade, The Store, Terminal 1
Terminal One Mall
Terminal One Mall is a shopping mall located at the heart of Seremban in Malaysia. It was built in 1996....

 and Era Square
Era Square
Era Square is a mixed development project located in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. It was developed and is maintained by Era Baru Sdn Bhd....

. As the population increases from time, it attracted two major hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...

s in Malaysia, namely Giant Hypermarket
Giant Hypermarket
Giant Hypermarket is a major supermarket and retailer chain in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and UAE. It is a subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings .-History:...

, Tesco Extra, Econsave to open their outlet here and on February 2010, Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...

 launched their grand opening at Seremban Forest Heights
Seremban Forest Heights
Seremban Forest Heights is new township located at suburban of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, developed by Sunrise Berhad now joint-venture with MCL Land. The township consists mainly of residential suites and office complexes. Seremban Forest Heights commercial projects include Carrefour,...

.

Apart from shopping complexes, Seremban has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as antiques, textiles, fabrics and handicrafts. Local municipal council has gazetted Jalan Utam Singh as morning flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...

 during weekend. In 2009, Sungai Ujong Walk located in Jalan Dr. Murugesu was opened by local council president. The walk is using the Malacca well known Jonker Street and was provided 72 business site where 30 sites will sell food and beverage while the rest is general requirement in the area besides providing stage to enable any show or cultural shows held. It is perceived as a future location that will revive night atmosphere apart from enliven the area around.

Health

Seremban has a small number of hospitals and medical centers, which include a government hospital and three private owned hospitals.

Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital, formerly known as Seremban General Hospital is the state and referral hospital for the state of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....

. Established in 1930 with total capacity 800 beds and 20 clinical specialities and various supportive services. Situated at Bukit Rasah, Seremban, the hospital occupying an area of 212 acre (0.85793432 km²) of land.

The other hospitals include Columbia Asia Medical Center
Columbia Asia
Columbia Asia is a chain of hospitals in Asia, with 16 medical facilities across India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. The company is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was founded in 1994....

, which opened in 1999 and now has 80 beds and offers outpatient and inpatient specialist services, a 24-hour clinic and emergency services.

In 2004 a new hospital was established, Seremban Specialist Hospital which has total capacity of 109 beds. The hospital located at the outskirt of Seremban which is just behind State Museum.

External links

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