Negeri Sembilan: See You Soon !!!

I just realise that my quest to visit all the states in Malaysia has almost come to its end.

The opportunity to further my studies in Peninsular Malaysia has been ‘a door’ for me to explore my own country.

So far I have visited these states:

1. Sabah (visited on 2005)
~ A wonderful state with beautiful beaches. I went there to visit an old friend in Lahad Datu.

2. Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan (also visited in 2005)
~ The place where I was supposed to continue my studies. (I was offered to study in Labuan Matriculation College but end up leaving it for a better offer.) Planning to teach there one day.

3. Kuala Lumpur (my first time there was in 2005)
~ Our country capital city. I was damn excited when I first reached KL. Planning to explore all the interesting places in KL in years to come.

4. Selangor (first time was in 2005)
~ I was there many times in a year. Actually, I’m quite confused which is the area of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Klang Valley belongs to the state of Selangor or what?

5. Penang (was there from 2005-2008)
~ An island with lots of fun and memories. The place where I have been studying for 4 years. Will be back in Penang next year. I can’t wait for that moment to happen.

6. Putrajaya (in 2007)
~ I managed to visit this place because of my sister who came all the way from Sarawak to see me on Chinese New Year. I was amazed by the futuristic and modern structures in Putrajaya. It is said that Putrajaya is the next “Buckingham Palace”.

7. Terengganu (in 2007)
~ Terengganu is quite okay but I didn’t get the chance to go around because I was there for only two days. However, I’m looking forward to visiting Terengganu in the future.

8. Kelantan (in 2007)
~ To be honest with you guys, I fell in love when I first saw Kota Bharu. I’ve heard a lot about Kelantan. In fact, I felt that I’m very much impressed with what the opposition can achieve if they are given a chance to rule. I was there to visit my uncle lives in Machang after visiting Kota Bharu.

9. Johor (been there in 2008)
~ A well-developed state in Malaysia. Located near to Singapore. I love Johor so much because there are a lot of places to visit. Thanks to Sham and Zul for their never-ending invitation.

10. Perlis (in 2008)
~ The smallest state in Malaysia. Like Johor, it is located near to our neighbouring country, Thailand. If you guys happen to visit Perlis, don’t forget to go to Padang Besar (to shop) and Kuala Perlis (to eat).

11. Perak (in 2008)
~ I call it ‘Looi’s State’ since she is originally from there. I managed to visit a few places there. Thanks to Looi for bringing me around.

12. Melaka (in 2009)
~ The historical state in Malaysia. I was there for my uncle’s wedding. Planning to visit Melaka again because I didn’t get the chance to see A Famosa. Huhuhu…

13. Pahang (in 2009)
~ Erkk!!! I would only visit Pahang in many years to come. I had ‘hard-to-be-explained experience’ when I was in Pahang. So, nothing memorable in Pahang.

14. Kedah (from 2008- until now)
– Well, I’m not sure what to say about Kedah. The place is okay but I would have preferred to settle somewhere rather than Kedah. Maybe the experience of staying in UUM has been a good lesson to me. Huhuhu…

The reason why I came up with this entry was not to boast that I have visited almost all the states in Malaysia.

It’s just that I want to encourage you guys to go around Malaysia and explore all the beautiful places we have here in our country.

And honestly speaking, it feels good to learn and experience new culture.

I have only one state left and that is Negeri Sembilan.



Negeri Sembilan (also Negri Sembilan, Jawi: نڬري سمبيلن), meaning "state of nine" in Malay, is one of the 13 states that consitute the Federation of Malaysia. It is located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and is bordered in the north by Selangor, in the east by Pahang and in the south by Malacca and Johor.

The name is believed to derive from the nine districts or nagari (now known as luak) settled by the Minangkabau, a people originally from West Sumatra (present-day Indonesia). 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 Besar instead of Sultan. The election of the Ruler is also unique whereby he is selected by the council of Undangs who lead the four biggest districts of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau, making it one of the more democratic monarchy.

The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban. The royal capital is Seri Menanti in Kuala Pilah district. Other important towns are Port Dickson and Nilai. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Khusus ("the Special Abode").

The ethnic composition in 2005 was: Minangkabau Malay (497,896 or 54.96%), Chinese (220,141 or 24.3%), Indian (137,588 or 15.18%), Other (50,267 or 5.54%).

-taken from www.wikipedia.com. (click here for more info)

So Negeri Sembilan, see you soon.

Oh, before I forget, special thanks to these websites for all the wonderful pictures:

www.kltowerjump.com/2006sabah.html

www.telokbakong.com/?p=192

www.pbase.com/boon3887/image/47664728

manjuzri.wordpress.com/

tourmalaysia.com

(p/s: Sape nak bawak aku jalan-jalan kat Negeri Sembilan? Angkat tangan!!!)