Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 1253

SELANGOR-NEGRI SEMBILAN

Registered Office: Harrisons, Barker & Co., Ltd., Kuala Lumpur, F.M.S. Directors-J., B. Leask (chairman), G. D. A. Fletcher, H. A. Coates and B. Wilkinson (managing director)

Manager-G. B. Walker

Assistant-J. B. Sidebottom

C159

WONG KEE & Co., Wholesale and Retail, Wine, Spirit and Provision Merchants→→ 199-203, High Street, Kuala Lumpur; Teleph. 2493; Cable Ad: Wongkee

Tay Koong Ooi, manager

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION-

(See Associations and Societies)

NEGRI SEMBILAN

(The value of the dollar is 2s. 4d.)

(A pikul is 133 pounds av.)

GEOGRAPHY, INCLUDING CLIMATE AND HISTORY

The State of Negri Sembilan, the smallest of the four Federated Malay States, lies on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula to the south of the States of Selangor and Pahang. It is in fact a federation of "Nine States" consisting of the four major States of Sungei Ujong, Jelebu, Johol and Rembau, and the five minor States of Ulu Muar, Jempol, Terachi, Gunong Pasir and Inas. Sungei Ujong is mentioned in a Javanese poem in 1365 A.D.as being subject to the Javanese Empire of Majapahit. In the 15th century it was ruled by Chiefs of the old kingdom of Malacca. Most of the Malay inhabitants of the State are descended from immigrants from Menangkabau in Sumatra and have an interesting exogamous, tribal and matriarchal social organisation.

This immigration appears to have begun in the 16th century. The original Malay federation seems to have consisted of Sungei Ujong, Klang (now in Selangor), Jelebu, Rembau, Naning (now in Malacca), Segamat (now in Johore), Pasir Besar (now in Johore, its place having been taken by Johol), Jelai, (now Inas) and Ulu Pahang (now partly in the Temerloh District of Pahang). After the capture of Malacca from the Portuguese by the Dutch and Johore Malays in 1641 A.D. Johore took a leading part in Negri Sembilan politics until 1773 A.D., when the Undang or Chiefs of the present four major States invited a Sumatran prince, Raja Melewar, ancestor of the present Yang Di-pertuan Besar, to preside over the federation.

The territorial chief of Sungei Ujong is the Dato Klana Putera. He ranks as the first chief of Negri Sembilan. He possesses a modern title and an ancient chieftaincy.

As early as A.D. 1460 or 1470 there were rulers of Sungei Ujong who had the title Penghulu Menteri and acknowledged the Sultan of Malacca as their overlord. About the middle of the 18th century a son of the Penghulu Menteri obtained the semi-royal Bugis title of Dato Klana Putera, by which his successors have ever since been known.

The present Dato Klana, Ma'amur bin Kassim, is the eighth Chief to hold this title. His predecessors have been Badur, Leha, Bahi, Kawal, Sanding, Saiyid Abdur Rahman (or Aman) and Lela Setia.

The days of Dato Klana Kawal were troubled by petty wars. The first was a war against the Dato of Ulu Muar, who favoured the cause of Raja Radin as Yamtuan Besar, while the Dato Klana favoured Yamtuan Sati. Raja Radin was driven out. The second was a war against Yamtuan Sati, who had offended the Dato Klana; Yamtuan Sati was driven out. The third war was against Raja Ali in the interests of Raja Radin; Raja Ali was expelled and Raja Radin placed on the throne by the Dato Klana and the Dato of Rembau. The Dato Klana next quarrelled with the Dato Bandar and plunged the country into civil war. Eventually in 1849 Yamtuan Radin was invited to arbitrate. He seems to have sett'ed the dispute by appointing the Dato Klana and the Dato Bandar joint rulers of Sungei Ujong. This compromise created an impossible position and the rivalry of the joint rulers gave the people no

peace