Section 88: Rompin Jempol

Rompin is a town located in Jempol

About the history of Rompin There is a simple town called Rompin about 18 kilometers away from Bahau to Gemas. Many outsiders often confuse it with Kuala Rompin in Pahang. In fact, There is no connection between the two, just some similarities in names.

Like many small towns across the country, Rompin is facing the situation of population migration, so there are only a few hundred residents. It is a typical unpretentious small town. The villagers live a peaceful life where they work when sunrise and rest at sunset.

From Gemas on the Johor & Negeri Sembilan border to the East Coast Railway in the north of Kelantan Road, Rompin used to be the first stop of Gemas going north. Once upon a time, there was a small railway station in Rompin, but with the improvement of the road line , and every household has its own means of travel, such as cars or motorcycles, so the role of railways in transporting people to travel has gradually disappeared with the changes of the times.

In modern times, although there are still trains going north and south along the Kawagoe Alley of the East Coast Railway every day, the Alley Railway Station has been demolished, and the original site has been flooded by weeds, which has become a page of yellowed memories of many old Alleys.

According to Pan Bao dian’s understanding, before the Second World War, there was no complete road from Rompin to Gemas. If people from Rompin decades ago wanted to go south to Johor and Gemas, they had to take the current road. Meridon Road, from Bahau to Tampin Road to the destination.

"People from the older generation told me that at that time there were only roads leading to Bahau and now the cement factory. As far as the south direction of Gemas is, it is basically a jungle, with only some trails or small roads."

He also said that during the Japanese occupation period, the Japanese army sent troops to the south, and built two relatively stable wooden bridges across the river to Gemas . The road leading to Gemas in Rompin is more complete, and now it has become the only way to go south to Johor in the eastern part of Negeri Sembilan State.

During the Japanese occupation period, that is, in early 1945, the Japanese army arrived twice with live ammunition and ordered all the residents to gather together, obviously preparing for a massacre. However, at an emergency, a Japanese officer arrived and after a round of negotiations in Japanese only then did the Japanese army withdraw their guns and left, scaring all the villagers so that their hands and feet went numb.

The villagers only found out later that the Japanese army had mistaken the name of the place at that time, which almost caused the massacre of the local residents.

It is known that the Japanese army had arrived at Rompin twice, and the residents were in fear every time. However, the Japanese army had emptied the rice grains of the residents when they arrived twice, and after the second evacuation of the rice grains, Even with a big fire, the shops from No. 2 to No. 12 of Rompin Street were burned down, which also made the living pressure of the residents worse.

Today, more than 70 years have passed since the Japanese colonial era, and most of the old residents who experienced this painful memory are no longer alive, and the painful experience of the past is gradually forgotten by future generations.

Tanah Panjis New Village

Prior to our country's independence, Rompin Tanah Panjis New Village belonged to a large land slope spanning approximately 2,000 acres. After our country gained independence in 1957, the British sold the land slope to a wealthy Indian-Chinese businessman named Jeddi.

Upon acquiring the land, Jeddi divided it and sold it as separate units. Besides the local residents of Rompin many people from the Ladang Geddes, Seremban and Jementah areas came to purchase land, and even some non-local individuals occupied around sixty to seventy units.

The workers who resided in the Tanah Panjis land slope were relocated to other areas, while the successful land buyers, including many Chinese, moved to Tanah Panjis to establish their homes, thus forming the present-day Tanah Panjis New Village.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Tanah Panjis New Village flourished and had over 100 houses, experiencing a phase of high demand. As a result, many newcomers were compelled to reside in the vicinity of the current Rompin Old Street.

In 1985, Tanah Panjis New Village officially obtained government recognition, with Zhao Hai serving as its inaugural village chief.

After many years, the present-day Tanah Panjis New Village is also facing the issue of youth emigration, with numerous houses now vacant and some even in a state of disrepair. Currently, the estimated population of the entire village is less than 100 individuals.

Rompin

Rompin is a town located in Jempol district, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Located between Gemas and Bahau, Rompin developed as a town for the nearby local community. The villages around Rompin are Kampung Baru Rompin, Kampung Sri Rompin, Kampung Balai Cina and Kampung Tanah Panjis. The town of Rompin is located on the road between Gemas and Bahau. It is a small town that provides food and daily necessities for the nearby village community. In addition to traditional Malay villages, Pekan Rompin is also the focus of the settlement of nearby farms such as Bukit Pilah Estate and New Rompin Estate. Public facilities in Rompin town include a post office, mosque, police station, primary school (Rompin National School), Tamil school and Chinese school.

Rompin is inhabited by all residents of various nationalities in accordance with the 1Malaysia concept.

(Source of Information: https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rompin,_Negeri_Sembilan) Provide photos : Lee Choon Soon

History of Bukit Pilah New Village

Bukit Pilah New Village was established in 1951 in a region of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. At that time, the area was under the jurisdiction of the Kuala Pilah District Land Office. The local magistrate(District Officer) issued a letter of consent allowing workers from Bukit Pilah Estate to settle here.

The initial residents of the new village were predominantly rubber tappers who worked in the rubber estates and relied on the rubber industry for their livelihood. However, due to relatively low income levels, the economic conditions in the new village were challenging.

During the early stages of its establishment, there were around forty to fifty households residing in the new village. However, over time, this number gradually decreased, and currently, there are only 28 households remaining. Some financially capable residents have moved elsewhere, while those with poorer economic conditions have stayed in the new village.

Summary of Bukit Pilah New Village Area: Approximately 3 acres Number of households: 28 Established: 1951 Housing: 90% of the houses are still wooden structures.

The residents of Bukit Pilah New Village began discussing the application for land titles and the formation of the new village in 2004. Upon learning of the residents' intentions, Chaw Kam Tho(赵金土), took up the matter and submitted the application to the government in 2006.

For several decades, Bukit Pilah New Village did not have its own village committee and was managed by the committee of Tanah Panjis new Village nearby. These two villages were separated by a railway line, and they differed in terms of appearance and development. Most of the houses in Bukit Pilah New Village were wooden structures, with some roofs deteriorated and leaking. Nonetheless, some residents have stayed on this land for decades.

In comparison to Chinese new villages that have kept up with modern development and undergone comprehensive infrastructure improvements, the overall development of Bukit Pilah New Village has been relatively lagging behind, maintaining the appearance of a wooden village from the 1970s.

After nearly 58 years of effort and waiting, in early 2009, with the assistance of State Assemblyman YB Morgan, Bukit Pilah New Village finally obtained government approval for a 99-year land title. This meant that this Chinese new village, which had a history spanning decades but had never officially been given a name, finally received legal recognition and status.

Morgan stated that the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan, would personally distribute the land lease contracts to the residents by the end of March or early April 2009. According to the development plan, approximately 40% of the land in Bukit Pilah New Village falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, which added difficulty to the application process, but they successfully overcame these challenges.

The MCA representatives, Wong Tat Keng （王达钦）and Chung Siew Kiong（锺秀瑾）, also did not neglect the smallest Chinese new village in the state. Currently, the new village has access to water and electricity, and the roads and drainage systems are relatively well-maintained.

Previously, the basic development of the village was managed by the committee of Tanah Panjis. (丹那班积村) Now, within the boundaries of Bukit Pilah New Village, there is a multipurpose hall, a police booth, and a post office, making it fairly well-equipped. This will bring new opportunities and hope for the development of the new village.

Rompin Railway Station - Long House

The historical testimony of the Rompin Railway Station, there is a long house in Rompin.

The Railway Station of Malaya (KTM) had built a long house as quarters for its staff. It had become a historic building. There are long houses in Sarawak, but then there is one here in Rompin.

Two families of KTM dwell here There are two families namely Ludiana (38 years) and Indian family of Suba (31 years). Among the two families, Ludiana had stayed almost 8 years, whereas Suba family for 5 years. Their husbands are staff of KTM, therefore allocated to stay in quarters.

According to Ludiana, she is a planter of the government land project, living in Palong II. After marriage, her husband is appointed to

stay in the quarters and has lived there for 8 years. They have 5 children, all of them stay in the long house.

And Suba’s case is the same as Ludiana, she said. Her original home is in Taman Bahau, after marriage she moved to the long house of Rompin. Time passed for 5 years, now that she had 3 children and the whole family of 5 stay here.

Monthly fees RM80 ringgit to settle the stay problem.

About the rental of the house, she said the company gave a small sum of RM8 including water and electricity fees up to RM60. Their monthly expenditure is around RM80, the burden not heavy, but she commented that she would has got a house of her own.

A warm reminder: Historical buildings According to the old resident, there was a railway station before, so that they built the hostel, later on as the railway station stopped operations, but the long house still exists. After numerous years the long house still remain as a historical landmark.

The disappearance of the railway station, he said, near to the quarters around 200 feet was the railway track. In the early days, there were still remnants of the station. But later through many years of changes, there is only the lamp posts standing aloof, and the surroundings were covered with bushes.

He said around 1KM away was the railway station, in the 50, 60 years the railway station still operated. He said he had taken the train to Gua Musang because of work.

In the fourth national election in 1974, the “cowboy MP” Hu Xuebang flew across the river to Rompin and clashed with the late Yu Guozhen of MCA. This battle was Hu’s first election campaign, and he created the most intense one in Rompin’s history.

Yu Guozhen sought to defend his seat with his momentum of being elected as a Rompin state assemblyman in 1969, facing the challenge of newcomer Hu Xuebang. He did not expect to almost lose the battle.

In the 1974 general election, Hu Xuebang’s fierce fight with Yu Guozhen triggered a three-way battle. Cai Youhe of the People’s Socialist Party joined the fray. On the night of August 24, when counting the votes at Gemencheh, he made the voters go through a heart-pounding night.

When counting the votes, because the two candidate’s votes were too close, the counting centre once spread the news that Hu Xuebang won, making the supporters outside once cheered “Hu Xuebang won”!

After the election results came out, Yu Guozhen got 2304 votes, Hu Xuebang got 2185 votes, Cai Youhe only got 114 votes, majority votes 119, DAP requested a recount, and it was not until midnight that the results were confirmed and Yu Guozhen defended his seat.

During the election in the Rompin constituency, there were 4,420 Chinese voters, 1,125 Malay voters, and 853 Indian voters. This was the first election after the racial riots of May 13th, 1969, and with the majority of the voters being Chinese, the

situation was not favorable for the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). Although the incumbent state assemblyman, Yu Heng, had a strong following, the new face of Hu Xuebang was attacking the city. As a result, the election history of Rompin was almost rewritten by Hu.

At the time, the voters thought that Yu Heng, with the support of the state assemblyman, should have had enough advantage to deal with the new Democratic Action Party recruit, Hu Xuebang. However, when the two faced off, they realized that Hu Xuebang was a powerful force, and on the night of the vote count, many MCA members were nervous.

After the election, Hu Xuebang's fame skyrocketed, and it became the cornerstone of his future success in the political arena.

Chong Cheng Kong: Requesting Recount, Unforgettable Vote Counting Scene Chong Cheng Kong, the Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) National Elders Club, pointed out that Hu Xuebang, shortly after returning from studying in Australia in 1970, became the political secretary of state chairman Chan Min Sin. Two years later, he joined the DAP and his first election battle was in 1974, where he confronted Yu Heng in Rompin.

When talking about Hu Xuebang's hard-fought battle against Yu Heng, Chong cannot forget the tense scene when he and party members were counting the votes at the Gemencheh vote counting center. During the process, the vote counter

mistakenly placed eight DAP votes into the ballot box for the National Front, which Chong promptly objected to and had the votes transferred to the DAP ballot box.

At that time, an election official even asked him if Hu Xuebang was his brother.

A month before the polling day, Hu Xuebang started campaigning in the Rompin constituency. As he was unfamiliar with the area, Dato' Chong Cheng Kuang and the veteran member of the Bahau branch of the DAP, Lim Ming Jie, mobilized more than ten cars to assist him in visiting each household. At the time, most of the roads in the constituency were dirt roads, and the party members' uniforms were white, so after one round of visits, everyone became known as the "yellow-shirt army."

Chong Cheng Kuang recalled that the DAP did not have a campaign center at that time, and they chose the Teochew stall behind the Chan Hing Kee Tea House in Bahau as their gathering place.

After visiting the voters, they went there to eat and discuss the next steps. After a month of visiting voters, on the polling day, Hu Xuebang, Chong Cheng Kuang, Lim Ming Jie, and others were present at the Gemencheh vote counting center, filled with confidence. When it was announced that the BN won by only 119 votes, the DAP demanded a recount. Some people say that if the DAP had taken on MCA alone that year, the result might have been different, but history does not entertain "what ifs."

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) has participated in four electoral battles in the history of Rompin. The first battle took place in 1969, with Fong Lick Kuan fiercely contesting against Yu Kok Chan of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and independent candidate Tan Kean Seng. The second battle in 1974 featured Ho Sek Ban challenging the defending champion Yu Kok Chan and Tiong Ho Social Party's （人社党） Chai You Han. The third battle in 1978 saw Ho Tong battling against defending champion Yu Kok Chan and the Islamic Party of Malaysia's (PAS) Nafi. The fourth battle involved Lee Yin Fong challenging defending champion Yu Kok Chan and PAS' Nafi.

According to historical records, the Rompin constituency was a part of Negeri Sembilan's political landscape from the first national elections in 1959 until 1982, spanning six general elections. After the constituency was redefined, it was renamed as the Palong constituency. The MCA constituency was transformed into a United Malays National Organization (UMNO) constituency. From then on, the Rompin state seat entered history.

However, following the constituency's redefinition, a new state constituency belonging to MCA called Repah was created. It compensated for the disappearance of the Rompin constituency.

Although the Rompin constituency only experienced six general elections before entering history, it possesses several distinctive features. It went through the first national elections after independence, and

notably, the now-historical Labor Party, Socialist Front, and Tiong Ho Social Party all added historical value by competing in this constituency, . Coupled with the historical trauma of the May 13 Incident (referring to the racial riots that occurred in Malaysia on May 13, 1969), the vanished constituency gained an atmosphere of nostalgia and remembrance.

According to historical records, during the 1959 national elections, nominations and voting for the 104 parliamentary seats and 282 state assembly seats were conducted separately. The parliamentary nominations took place on July 15, followed by voting on August 19. State assembly nominations varied from April 15 to May 20, and each state had its own specific voting day. In Negeri Sembilan, the voting day fell on June 2.

Lim Chi Sai appointed as the first state assemblyman During the inaugural general elections in Malaya, the Rompin electorate had only 4,120 voters, with the Chinese community accounting for 70% of the votes. The Alliance Party's candidate, Ho Hong You of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), was challenged by Lim Chi Sai from the Labor Party, while independent candidate Lee Kim Heng also entered the race. In the voting results, Lim Chi Sai emerged victorious, marking the first battle in Rompin's electoral history under the banner of the Labor Party.

Lim Chi Sai hailed from Yongchun, Fujian, and was only 28 years old when he was elected as the Rompin state assemblyman. He had previously served as the chairman of Gemas Primary School. Lim Chi Sai passed away on November 26, 2013, at the age of 82.

Yu Kok Chan serves as the state assemblyman for four terms In the 1964 general elections, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) fielded Tan Kean Seng to contest the Rompin constituency, facing off against Lee Wei Chai of the Socialist Front. Out of the 4,500 voters, Tan received 2,177 votes while Lee garnered 1,517 votes. Tan Kean Seng won with a majority of 660 votes, turning the tables in Rompin's political landscape.

By the time the third national elections of 1969 arrived, the situation in the Rompin constituency had drastically changed. Former incumbent state assemblyman Tan Kean Seng departed from MCA and attempted to defend his seat as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful. Yu Kok Chan from MCA emerged victorious amidst the challenges and became the elected representative. Subsequently, Yu Kok Chan served three consecutive terms and became a four-term state assemblyman, and was appointed as an executive council member after the 1978 elections. (Source: www.chinapress.com.my/20200721/)

After the redistricting in 1986, the Rompin state constituency disappeared from the political landscape and became a historical term. It was renamed as Palong State Constituency, and the MCA constituency was changed to UMNO constituency.

Before the division, the Jempol parliamentary constituency had not yet been established, and the Rompin constituency was part of the Tampin parliamentary constituency. Therefore, the election ballots from Rompin were counted in Gemencheh. The results were unknown to the voters in Rompin and were usually only revealed the next day.

Due to the chaotic state of the elections at that time, the distribution of Rompin voters was also quite disorganized. Apart from Rompin, areas such as Batu Bakar, Kampung Cina, Ladang Geddis, Bahau Estate, SungaiSepalin、Malay Rompin belonged to this constituency. The terrain was fragmented like a patched garment, with different parts in the east and west. During the attack on the Rompin area by Hu Xue Bang胡雪邦, it would have been even more difficult without the guidance of individuals like Zhong Zhengguang (钟政光).

Chaotic Distribution of Constituencies Due to these reasons, it also resulted in Tan Kean Seng, who was elected as the Rompin State Assemblyman in 1964, breaking away from MCA in 1967 due to the Ladang Geddis’s segmentation and sale incident. In 1969, he challenged MCA as an independent candidate.

At that time, Tan Kean Seng chose to uphold the interests of the workers and stood with them, opposing the segmentation and sale, while MCA insisted on supporting it, giving the workers and ethnic Chinese the

opportunity to have their own rubber estates and become small estate owners. The two sides had conflicting positions, and ultimately Tan left MCA and engaged in a battle against Yu Kok Chen as an independent candidate in the Rompin area in 1969.

This battle triggered a three-party contest. In addition to Yu Kok Chen and Tan Kean Seng, DAP sent Fong Lye Keong as a contestant. At that time, the Rompin constituency had over 5,000 voters, with 3,242 Chinese votes, 1,272 Malay votes, and 942 Indian votes. The election result saw Yu Kok Chen receiving 1,409 votes, Tan Kean Seng receiving 1,134 votes, and Fong Lye Keong receiving 908 votes. Yu Kok Chen narrowly won by 275 votes, flying low.

4 Fierce Battles between DAP and MCA Yu Kok Chen's Most Spectacular Encounter against Hu Xuebang

Tan Kean Seng, as an independent candidate, came close to toppling Yu Kok Chen with a difference of just over a hundred votes. According to post-analysis, the Ladang Geddis segmentation and sale incident was one of the reasons thatgarnered support for Tan Kean Seng from the workers. Some say that if Tan had directly confronted Yu in a one-on-one battle back then, the electoral history of Rompin might have been rewritten.

After repelling Tan Kean Seng, Yu Kok Chen faced another thrilling battle under the leadership of Hu Xuebang in 1974. He managed to secure victory by a slim margin of just 119 votes. Building on the momentum from these two battles, Yu Kok Chen contested against DAP's Hu Tang and

Gerakan's Pang Fei (那菲)in the 1978 general election. Yu Kok Chen emerged victorious with a majority of 1,733 votes, ensuring his position as the State Assemblyman. Subsequently, he was appointed as the State Executive Councillor. In the 1978 general election, Yu Kok Chen received 4,377 votes, Hu Tang received 2,644 votes, and Pang Fei (那菲)obtained 495 votes. Yu Kok Chen achieved a significant lead over his challengers, distancing himself from the narrow victories in the previous two battles.

From 1959 to 1982, Rompin witnessed six general elections, in which besides the Labor Party, People's Socialist Party, and Socialist Front, there were four intense battles between the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). Among them, the most remarkable was the duel between Hu Xuebang and Yu Kok Chen.

Yu Kok Chen, at the age of 30, was elected as the Rompin State Assemblyman in 1969. He continued to serve in that position until the final challenge in Rompin against DAP's Lee Yin Fong in 1982. Due to the redistricting of constituencies, Rompin was renamed Palong, and Yu Kok Chen did not run for elections there anymore. He later moved to Seremban and engaged in the tourism industry. He enjoyed a leisurely life, occasionally meeting up with former colleagues in Bahau for tea while indulging in work and recreational activities.

On June 23, 2016, Yu Kok Chen passed away at the age of 77. His achievements and controversies during his political career with Hu Xuebang were left for future generations to comment on.

Yu Kok Chen emerged victorious in all four battles for the Rompin constituency. Although his clash with Hu Xuebang was thrilling, it was just a momentary surprise. The opponent who truly shared a historical connection with him was Tan Jian Sheng.

Tan Jian Sheng, now in his eighties and residing in Seremban, openly admitted that his battle against Yu Kok Chen was intertwined with the dilemma of Ladang Geddis's segmented rubber land sales. It involved the livelihoods of 2,750 workers. When he found himself at odds with the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) due to their conflicting positions, he made the bold decision to leave the party. In 1969, he confronted Yu Kok Chen as an independent candidate.

Voters regarded this election campaign as the highlight of Rompin's political landscape and a major issue for the opposition parties to criticize the ruling coalition. Interestingly, the independent candidate received more votes than the Democratic Action Party (DAP).

The segmented sale of Ladang Geddis was the first instance of British conglomerates divesting their assets and returning to their home country after Malaysia's independence. It was a significant historical event. The general election of 1969 coincidentally took place two years after this

event, adding a historical touch to the Rompin constituency in that election.

Strongly opposing the segmented sale of Ladang Geddis, he stated that anyone aspiring to be a Member of Parliament should have the intention to do what is right. As a parliamentarian, their foremost duty is to alleviate the people's difficulties. When the segmented sale of Ladang Geddis was being contemplated in 1967, he recognized that if the rubber plantation was sold, over 2,000 rubber workers would lose their livelihoods and job security. Therefore, driven by a sense of mission, he naturally stepped forward to advocate for the rubber workers.

Apart from repeating the same message in public settings, he consistently maintained his stance in the state assembly. He proposed multiple times during meetings that even if the Dunlop Group intended to sell Ladang Geddis, the government should prioritize the interests of the rubber workers. Efforts should be made to acquire Ladang Geddis first and then sell it to the rubber workers.

Tan Chien Sheng's unwavering perseverance and opposition to the sale posed significant resistance to his opponents. He revealed that at the time, someone offered him "30 acres of rubber plantation and a mansion" as a condition to step aside. However, he remaine steadfast and stood with the rubber .

workers, fighting until the end.

He always believed that opposition members have difficulty exerting their influence. Even when in power, without an official position, their impact is limited. As an example, he cited how Yee Kok Choon, in 1978, was appointed as the Negeri Sembilan State Executive Councillor and Chairman of the Negeri Sembilan State Water and Power Action Committee. He successfully brought piped water and electricity supply to Ladang Geddis, relieving the villagers from the hardship of living without these essential utilities.

No regrets about rejecting the proposal After the events of May 13, Tan had worked as a correspondent for a local Chinese newspaper and also ventured into the construction industry. He was involved in developing shop houses in Bandar Tenggara (文丁武来岸) and Ayer Hitam in Bahau. Two years ago, he served as the president of the Bahau Song kong Association and often spent his free time in Bahau, gathering with fellow countrymen and friends, enjoying a pleasant life.

He often says that when Ladang Geddis was being sold, he refused the offer from the other party, which some people ridiculed as foolish. However, he has no regrets and believes that his good health today and the ability to travel are rewards in themselves.