Sights and sounds of Negri

Anytime is a good time to discover what this southern state has to offer.

WORLDWIDE disruption to transportation and logistics will have already affected both Visit Malaysia 2026 and Visit Negri Sembilan 2026. The logo of the latter features the words in state colours and a bunga lado motif next to Istana Lama Seri Menanti atop a curly wave of water, which I hope does not portend climate change as it highlights famous offerings of the state.

Visitors to the royal town often verify two claims about the tallest wooden palace in South-East Asia (as recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records).

Yes, it was really built with no nails, using tebuk pasak, an old mortise and tenon technique. But it’s not correct to say that it is Minangkabau architecture: by 1902 (the year construction began), a distinct Negri Sembilan style had already emerged.

“But that’s not very ‘lama’!” Well, the British burned down the palace of Yamtuan Antah (the last Malay Ruler to personally lead troops into battle) during the 1875 War of Bukit Putus (a conflict that merited the award of the first Victoria Cross for action in Malaya), and his son Tuanku Muhammad determined to build its replacement in the same style.

The palace was the ceremonial heart and residence of the Ruler, until a concrete building was built nearby thereafter.

It saw use as a religious school during the reign of Tuanku Munawir, and shortly after the wedding celebrations of Tuanku Muhriz and Tuanku Aishah Rohani (the present Yang di-Pertuan Besar and Tunku Ampuan Besar), it was converted into a museum.

Recent special events there include an exhibition with the Spanish Embassy that highlighted an even more iconic palace of the Islamic world: ‘The Alhambra: Paradise on Earth’ in November 2023, featuring an unprecedented cello recital of Spanish music beautifully warmed by the cengal wood walls, while last August saw the first Nine Arts Festival, featu­ring poetry, music and wayang kulit.

Riding with your bow from the stables of Ladang Alam Warisan to the padi fields of the Terachi Cultural Village where the ngoca festival is held, you’ll appreciate why Kuala Pilah has more homestays than anywhere else in Malaysia.

The Seri Menanti River used to hold more water, but the waves in the campaign logo refer more likely to the beaches of Port Dickson.

On a recent visit to show inte­rested parties possible filming locations, I was reminded what a gem the town really is. Yes, one might get better sand on the east coast, but the water here is clean, warm and free of jellyfish.

And only in PD do you get a unique military heritage, it becoming the home in 1933, at the behest of Tuanku Muhammad, of the Royal Malay Regiment.

The Army Museum provides a digestible narrative of the army’s history, showcasing weapons and vehicles such as aircraft, armoured personnel carriers and a train carriage that, in 1951, was derailed by communists and saw a deadly gunfight; among the passengers was the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Abdul Rahman (later the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong).

A replica of tunnels used by the bandits, while not as famous as Vietnam’s, is still enlightening.

All along the coast are hotels and restaurants that accommodate different price points and cuisines, and numerous opportunities to see local flora and fauna. Past Telok Kemang, you will find one of South-East Asia’s most powerful telescopes at the Negri Sembilan Observatory.

At this earliest Malaysian site of verifying the moon for the purposes of determining Ramadan, Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji is now a comprehensive visitor centre, and the opportunity to view astronomical phenomena in programmes organised by the hardworking staff.

The lighthouse at Tanjung Tuan, an exclave of Melaka, provides a decent hike (and plenty of raptor watching), but Gunung Datuk and Gunung Angsi are more famous for serious nature trails.

But for hills of a more leisurely kind, don’t forget Pantai Hill near Seremban, where numerous resorts and restaurants provide quick and charming getaways from Kuala Lumpur, with waterfalls and scenic lush walls of greenery of the main range.

All this before even perusing the calendar of events released by the state tourism board.

In London last week, a small fundraising concert was held for the next edition of the Nine Arts Festival, curated by Seremban-born pianist Foo Mei Yi (pre­viously Artist-in-Residence at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orches­tra and winner of the 2013 BBC Music Magazine’s Best Newcomer Award), providing a small glimpse of the festival in August that will bring together nine art forms, including music, dance, poetry, theatre and comics together, providing a most unique cultural experience.

But don’t wait for that to expe­rience the often overlooked beauty of our special abode!

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is patron of the Nine Arts Festival. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.