Site A: Istana Lama Seri Menanti The Istana Seri Menanti also known as the Istana Lama Seri Menanti is one of the famous landmarks in Negeri Sembilan. It is situated in the Royal Town of Seri Menanti, about 50 km from the capital, Seremban. It is a timber palace constructed between 1902 to 1908. Yang Dipertuan Muhammad Ibni Almarhum Yamtuan Antah officially opened the palace. The palace was his royal residence until 1931 before moving into the new palace that was built not far from the old palace. Two local carpenters, Tukang Kahar and Tukang Taib designed the palace and Mr. M.Woodford who was the head draughtsman at the Public Works Department provided the detailed drawings. This four-storey building is special because it was built without using any nails or screws. They used wooden pegs called pasak to hold the structures together and to ensure that the palace would be able to withstand the times. It also uses 99 solid timber pillars to denote the 99 warriors of the various clans, soaring 2 meter above the ground.
Site B: Lukut Fort
Lukut Fort was built by Raja Jumaat bin Raja Jaafar circa 1847 during the reign of the 3rd Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Muhammad Shah. It was situated on Bukit Gajah Mati or Bukit Raja. This fortress is very strategic becaused it faced Sungai Lukut and the Straits of Malacca. Raja Jumaat built this fortress to prevent attacks from his enemies and to be protected from any disturbance or rebellion as happened to Raja Busu in 1834. It was also to ward off attacks from Raja Sulaiman in Sungai Raya who had refused to be governed by Lukut.
Raja Jumaat built a large palace in the centre of the fortress for his daughter, Raja Wok. Facing the palace, there is a sepak raga court. There were water containers at the four corners of the fort. At the back, there was water well surrounded by a brick wall - it was called the "Poisonous Well". It was believed that hard-core criminals were punished here. And there was water well in the centre of the Lukut fortress, which was for the exclusive use of the King and Queen, this was always fenced up guarded. The rectangular-shaped fortress was 200 meters long and 170 meters wide and was surrounded by a moat measuring 3 to 5 meters to deter any enemy attacks. The moat was not just filled with water, but with sharpened bamboo sticks sticking from the soil to prevent intruders from swimming across. The earth dug out was made into stockades for cannons, which were bought from the Dutch in Malacca.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE
Site A: Istana Lama Seri Menanti
The history of Negeri Sembilan is inextricably tied to the Minangkabau people of Sumatera and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty. Many Minangkabau eventually left Pagar Ruyung to settle on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. This constant settlement eventually resulted in a collection of 9 districts organized into Nagari, which are called Negeri Sembilan. These "Negeri Sembilan" initially looked to the neighbouring Sultanate of Melaka for protection, but after that powerful sultanate fell to the Portuguese and the Dutch, their allegiance shifted to the Sultanate of Johor. When that Sultanate became embroiled in its own problems, the nine districts decided to look to their ancestral homeland of Pagar Ruyung for a new leader, thus paving the way for an independent Negeri Sembilan. The Ruler of Pagar Ruyung sent his relative Raja Melewar, to Negeri Sembilan to become their new ruler. With the consent of the Sultan of Johor, Raja Melewar became Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan.
Raja Melewar eventually made his palace in Seri Menanti, which remains the royal town to this day. Seri Menanti was a verdant valley surrounded by encircling hills. Legend has it that three stalks of rice were found waiting to grow in the valley, hence the name of Seri Menanti, "Seri" being the Javanese term for rice paddy, and "Menanti" meaning waiting. At this site, Raja Melewar built his palace. The present Istana Lama Seri Menanti is a newer structure which was erected in 1902 and completed in 1908 to replace the older palace, Istana Pulih that has been burnt by the British soldier when chasing Yamtuan Antah during the Bukit Putus War. The roof of this palace represents a buffalo's horns. The buffalo horns are widely regarded as the protective symbol of the palace. Black in colour, the palace also has intricate flower motifs beautifying the regal palace. The upper roof structure employed a technique called "Lipatan Gunting" (folded scissors). The first floor of the palace was used as the "Balairong Seri" (audience hall), while the second was used as chambers for the royal family and the third reserved for the Yang Dipertuan Besar. The central tower called the "Tingkat Gunung" was used as treasury.
Site B: Lukut Fort
Raja Busu bin Raja Nala had come to Lukut together with his folowers from Kuala Selangor, Kedah and other states during the reign of the second Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Ibrahim. He was from the Selangor Royal family. However, he never surrendered any of the tin mining revenue to the Sultan of Selangor. Instead, he invited the Chinese, particularly from Malacca, to come to Lukut to open and work the tin mines around 1824 so that tin production could be increased.
According to history, the inhabitants of Lukut in 1818 numbered approximately 1000, of which one fifth was made up of the Chinese. The increasing number of external settlers created a cluster of traders and farmers who supplied foodstuff to the miners on the nearby states. Lukut was at that time a district of Selangor that recorded approximately 3600 carriage of tin production a year. This was the basis of raja Busu's desicion to raise the tax to as much as 10 percent. This action was not well received by the miners or the financiers from Malacca and subsequently triggered off a rebellion.
The height of the rebellion in Lukut was in September 1834. As many as 300 to 400 miners marched in procession to Raja Busu's residence. The rebels surrounded his home and ordered him to come out so that they could hold a discussion with him. However, Raja Busu refused, claiming that he did not fear death. The rebels lost their patience and burnt down Raja Busu's residence as well as that of his followers. Raja Busu was killed in the fire together with his wife, children, as well as a handful of followers. After the incident, those who remained loyal to Raja Busu executed their revenge on the rebel miners until they eventually absconded to Malacca. This incident resulted in Lukut losing a powerful leader and caused a temporary halt on tin mining activities.
This situation changed with the arrival of Raja Jaafar, a Malay Bugis, and his sons, Raja Jumaat and Raja Abdullah. Within a short span of time, Lukut's glory days returned due to his Highness' industriousness and intelligence as well as the support given by the Chinese miners who were satisfied with his administration. Then, Raja Jumaat inherited his rule. At the height of his success (1840s and 1850s), Raja Jumaat built a sturdy fort complete with cannon as a defense against enemy attack on a hill. He derived his wealth from the encouraging gains made from the mining trade. His income at that time was estimated to be between $10,000 to $15,000 per month.
During the reign of Raja Jumaat's son, Raja Bot, Lukut Fort was further fortified with an additional 30 Arab soldiers to face any possible assault from enemies. It was told that many women and children sought shelter here in times of war. The constant political crisis and disturbance that took place at the end of 1865 finally weakened Lukut's finances and eroded the prosperity created by the previous administration. Kota Lukut was eventually abandoned.
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT
Site A: Istana Lama Seri Menanti
The Istana Lama Seri menanti was used by the Negeri Sembilan Ruler to meet dignitaries. The British High Commissioner to the Federation of Malay States, Sir Lawrence Gullmard, attended one such function in 1926. Then, The Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council turned the old palace into a religious high school from 1959 until 1964. After that, the palace was left vacant until 1992, when the Yam Tuan Besar Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman decreed that the palace was made a Royal Museum.
Today the Istana Lama is no longer in use as a palace, but instead houses a museum managed by the Museum Board of Negeri Sembilan. Inside the museum, exhibits portraying the life of the current Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Yang Dipertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz ibni AlMarhum Tuanku Munawir. The museum recreates the rooms of the Palace with the use of period furniture, as well as housing some of the royals’ memorabilia and boards telling the story of the Minangkabau and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty. The Istana Lama Seri Menanti is open to visitors 7 days a week except for Fridays when it is closed for Friday prayers. Admission is free.
Site B: Lukut Fort
Today, at Kota Lukut, almost nothing remains of the structure and its surroundings, except for a few ruined walls and foundation stones. The fortress grounds have been transformed into a recreational park area, with gazebos and watchtowers spread across a small field for activities such as kite flying. A well that used to supply the fortress with water, now nothing more than a dried ditch.
At the bottom of the hill, The Lukut Museum was built by the Department of Museums Malaysia in collaboration with the Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus government with the intention of spreading information and historical proof related to Lukut. The museum was built in the shape of a traditional Minangkabau house which is an important element of Negeri Sembilan's culture and heritage. Inside the museum are various galleries depicting the history and culture of Lukut, including tin mining equipment, clothing, weapons, musical instruments and other relics of the past. The museum is Open daily from 9am to 5pm, entry is free.
DISCUSSION
Site A: Istana Lama Seri Menanti
The authorities of the Museum Board of Negeri Sembilan has done a great job preserving and conserving the Istana Lama Seri Menanti as the building itself is very well-maintained. Although the castle was erected more than 100 years, the building and its architecture are still well kept. The lawn surrounded the palace is also under a good maintenance as it give the palace a very elegant and classical looks. Plus, the delightful scenery also attracts the tourists both local and international especially those who are interested in photography. The palace is important for its historical and heritage values. There are signboards explaining the history of the area & legends, etc. It's also nice to have a glimpse of how royalty lived in previous times.
However, there is no use, if only the government take the actions in order to maintain the state of the buildings without the cooperation from the citizen. Hence, public awareness should be launched to promote the heritage conservation by various organisations. Through this effort, vandalism action especially made by teenagers could be emitted. Various actions that could be made by proposed suitable policies and strategies for conservation activities as well as raised the funds to implement the conservation plans among the people.
In term of tourism, this national historical heritage is lacking in many ways. With the difficult route access to Sri Menanti, there are few visitors who came to visit this palace. This is probably because this attraction is not well publicised. Without doubt, historical tourism is an important component of the Malaysian economy as well as a significant source of its foreign exchange revenues. Few years ago, historical tourism does not seem like an important asset toward the development of tourism industry but yet, we cannot deny that historical tourism is a contributing part to the industry and also toward the economy now. Historical sites can be used to attract tourist and to increase number of visitors. It is a potential asset to improve Malaysia’s tourism development.
Site B: Lukut Fort
As for Kota Lukut, the internal conflicts and gradual depletion of tin deposits at the district's tin mines made it increasingly difficult for the Ruler to manage Lukut. By 1877, Lukut's economy had deteriorated so much that the Ruler could no longer afford to maintain the fort and was later abandoned and today, what remain of it has become an historical source for those researching the system of defense during the era of Malay rule. As of today, although Kota Lukut has been regarded as a recreational park, with beautiful gazebos and green small field, there were few people come to visit the place either to have a tour around the historical site or to stop by at the recreational park. It is not impossible that there are numerous of Malaysian let alone those who live in Negeri Sembilan that has not set their foot at Kota Lukut. This is why we need to gain awareness from people all around the age regarding the importance of our national heritage and history. We should realize that our historical sites are extremely beneficial not only for the country in which it is located, but also for the local population and the tourists. Some of the benefits include international recognition for the designated site that brings great national pride. As a result, there will be greater tourist inflow from all over the world as well the increase in employment opportunities for the local communities. All we have to do is improve the promotional activities and not to mention the planning and infrastructural facilities in the area particularly Kota Lukut.
CONCLUSION
Our historical heritages are a legacy from our past. It is something we live with today and, hopefully, something that we can pass on to future generations. Our historical heritages, like our DNA, determine who we are, giving us both identity and the values that will guide our lives in a changing world. Yet despite its importance, there is never any guarantee that historical heritages will survive and be passed on to the next generation. For this reason, and in recent years, an increasing number of countries have launched initiatives designed to protect and preserve their own historical heritages. These initiatives are designed not only to protect famous monuments, buildings, and the natural landscape, but also the fine arts and crafts, and the more ordinary buildings and objects that reflect the history and ways of life in each country. There are common sets of problems that can erode or destroy history. Industrialisation and economic growth go hand in hand with dramatic population growth and social change. These alter life styles and create new pressures on land use and resources. Climate change and pollution can also destroy landscapes, buildings, and treasures from the past. Wars, conflict, unrest can all add to the destruction. But perhaps the biggest problem of all is simply human neglect, the failure to act when the historical heritage from the past is in danger. Regulations alone cannot preserve culture. People need to recognize, value, and retain their heritage for it to survive.
