Section 23: Muar River

Muar River

As early as the 1st century AD, during the Greek civilization, the Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy named the Malay Peninsula as the "Golden Peninsula" when creating world maps. The map depicted a north-to-south river on the Malay Peninsula, and several historians believe that the east-to-west branch of this river is the present-day Muar River.

According to historical records, there was once an ancient trade route that traversed the Malay Peninsula。It consisted of two rivers but was not directly connected between the two. There was a small stretch of land, approximately 500 meters, known as the "Jalan Penarikan" or "Portage Road" that linked them. These two rivers are the Muar River and the Serting River, and the meeting point of the portage road on the ancient trade route is in the present-day areas of Kg. Jempol Lapan and Taman Puan Chik in Bahau. This trade route is known as the "Pahang-Muar Ancient Trade Route."

Tracing back thousands of years in the history of the Malay Peninsula, it is situated between two ancient civilizations, China and India. Therefore, as early as 2,000 years ago, the Malay Peninsula began engaging in commercial and trade activities, involving the exchange of goods. Hence, it is not surprising that this ancient trade route was conducted through waterways. An exhibit at the National Museum of Malaysia showcases the Dong Son bronze drum from the Dong Son culture in Vietnam, which was found in the town of Pancor, near the Muar River. The presence of historical artifacts from Vietnamese culture near the Muar River significantly reinforces the notion of the Pahang-Muar Ancient Trade Route.

The Muar River originates in Negeri Sembilan and flows through Kuala Pilah, Jempol, Tampin, and enters Johor, passing through Segamat and Tangkak, before reaching the mouth of the river in Muar, flowing into the Strait of Malacca. It spans six districts across Negeri Sembilan and Johor, encompassing over 30 Chinese villages and more than 90 Malay villages, with a total length of approximately 250 kilometers. The ancient trade route had the Muar River to the west, leading to the Strait of Malacca, and the Pahang River to the east, flowing towards the South China Sea. However, there was no direct connection between the upper reaches of the two rivers, with a distance of about 500 meters of land in between. It is said that in ancient times, traders had to disembark from their boats at this point, transport their small boats via the portage road, and then launch them into the other river channel to continue their journey.

This portage road is located near present-day Muar, not far from the Bahau Dato Mansor Secondary School, and there are some Malay residential areas nearby, known as Desa Penarikan. The significance of this ancient route allowed traders to avoid the strong winds and waves generated by the northeast monsoon along the east coast, making it a safer passage through the peninsula's interior.

Over the years, as land transportation has become more developed, this road was gradually abandoned and forgotten in the passage of time. Although memories have faded, some historical records have documented the existence of this ancient route.

Therefore, many years ago, the state government of Negeri Sembilan cleared a small section of land along the banks of the Muar River, constructed some recreational facilities, and erected a monument to mark the convergence of the Muar and Serting river.

However, this location is hidden behind Malay villages and is difficult to find without local knowledge. As a result, few people visit the area, and due to negligence, these facilities have slowly deteriorated and fallen into disrepair.

Teo Kok Seong, the Chairman of Urban Harmony, Housing, Local Government, and New Village Action Council of Negeri Sembilan, led various government departments on January 1, 2022, to conduct a major cleaning operation in front of the monument, in collaboration with local village community management committees. They have plans to revive this historically significant tourist attraction and bring the history of the Pahang-Muar Ancient Route back to life.

He informed the community newspaper, "Hua Cheng,"(花城) that the local village committee has indicated that although the cleared area has been used for parking purposes, during the rainy season, when the water level of the Muar River rises, the entire parking lot gets submerged. Therefore, if repairs are to be carried out, they will face certain challenges.

However, Teo Kok Seong has already communicated with Dato' Sri Aminuddin, the Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister responsible for the Tourism Action Council, to highlight the historical value of this attraction and suggest finding a long-term solution for its revitalization.

In the short term, the state government plans to arrange for the State Museum Department to engage in dialogues with local community residents, aiming to gain a more detailed understanding of the various aspects of the Muar "Haulage Road" in the past and raise awareness of this historical route among a wider audience.