The architecture of Istana Ampang Tinggi, Seremban

This is after all Visit Malaysia Year, right?

So, to divert some attention from the current hotspot in Ijok, I want to talk a bit more about good ol' Seremban.

Desi likens it to Peyton Place but he probably did not notice that Christmas has come a good 8 months early over here. If you are travelling from KL and exit into Seremban town via Jalan Sg. Ujong, you will not miss the very festive lightings dangling from the trees lining the streets all the way to the Terminal One bus-station.

That's how I feel these days as I drive along this road whenever the lights are on. Our MB sure knows how to generate some "feel-good" mood to match those propaganda churned out daily by our news editors.

Anyway, I digress.

If you frequently bypass Seremban whenever you travel along the North-South highway, perhaps I might interest you to drop by my little hometown and have a cuppa before you journey on.

The state museum is located just 100m from the toll booth and the few buildings that make up the whole place have some pretty interesting Minangkabau architectural details. One that fascinates me is the Istana Ampang Tinggi.

This particular building has an ageless charm and beauty which is hard to describe in words but hopefully the pictures I am sharing with you here will impress you just as much.










Part of the Istana Ampang Tinggi viewed from the left hand corner. There is a full-view picture in my earlier post titled "Postcards from Seremban".










The official sign greeting visitors next to the main entrance to the Istana.










A front view of the wooden panels on the left hand side of the building.










A beautiful row of delicately carved floral motives found beneath the windows to the left of the main staircase.










Another view of carved floral motives, this time to the right hand side of the main staircase.










Even the handrails on the staircase is an impressive display of fine craftsmanship.










This thatched roof was not part of the original building but perhaps a close replica.










The narrow left-hand side interior of Istana Ampang Tinggi, viewed from the entrance.

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A BACKGROUND HISTORY OF ISTANA AMPANG TINGGI, NEGERI SEMBILAN

The timber palace contains an unusual number of finely carbed panels and a pair of heavy sliding doors, which cannot now be found anywhere else in Peninsular Malaysia.

The palace was built by the fifth Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, named Yam Tuan Ulin', who ruled from 1861 to 1869, on a ridge overlooking a wide expanse of ricefields, and when it was completed the Yam Tuan gave it to his daughter, Tunku Chindai when she married Tengku Muda Chik, the son of the forth Yam Tuan, Yam Tuan Radin.

The palace stood about six miles from Sri Menanti. Tengku Muda Chik added some more carved panels and he and his wife lived there. The palace was later given to their daughter Tunku Halijah, who married Yam Tuan Muhammed, the seventh Yam Tuan, as his second wife. When Tunku Halijah died in 1921, it was occupied from time to time by other members of the family. But from about 1930 it ceased to be in regular use and fell in disrepair.

In 1953 the eighth Yam Tuan, Tunku Abdul Rahman, gave permission for the old building, which by then had no roof, to be dismantled and transported to Seremban. This could be done because no nail had been used when the palace was first constructed. The central portion of the building was re-erected on a site close to the State Secretariat and was converted into a Mini Museum containing weapons, and other historic artifacts made or used in Negeri Sembilan. The building has since been moved to a new site about three miles from the town centre of Seremban.

(Source: Information board displayed on the site of Istana Ampang Tinggi, Museum Negeri Sembilan.)

A pleasant museum makeover

Since my last picture post on Seremban more than a year ago, I was pleasantly surprised upon my recent re-visit to the local Muzium Negeri that some positive changes have taken place there.

From the outside, the museum grounds looks exactly the same. But the interior of Teratak Perpatih where the state museum is located has been given a refreshing makeover.

Gone were the musty smell emanating from the old and weary looking displays. The whole ground floor looks impressively modern with very good lighting and even some interactive LCD displays showing video clips on the background history of Negeri Sembilan. During my visit, there was an exhibition of traditional games of old as well as a philatelic display by Pos Malaysia.

And yes. I missed the controversial "Hantu & Jin ...?" exhibition.

The doors on the first floor of Teratak Perpatih where the exhibits were displayed were closed following an edict by the National Fatwa Council that it was haram. Prior to the council’s ruling on Wednesday, the exhibition on ghouls and the supernatural at the state museum had attracted both the crowds and criticism since it opened on March 10. Council chairman Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Hussin had said that the council considered such exhibitions detrimental to the Islamic faith. (NST, 14 April 2007)

I guess some controversy is good if it could generate publicity and attract more people to visit the state museum.

Coming from Seremban, I am rather proud of the local museum because it is really a beautiful place. But strangely, many Seremban folks barely noticed the existence of the museum, let alone drop by for a visit. I think it is a real shame.

I hope the Negri Sembilan Museum Board can come up with some exciting ideas to continually update the museum into a real crowd-puller, making it more than just a popular venue for wedding photographs.































Some of the displays during my recent visit to the refurbished Negri Sembilan State Museum in Seremban.











The philatelic display section on the ground floor of Teratak Perpatih.











I wonder what happened to the old exhibits such as the traditional costumes, pottery, weapons etc that used to occupy the main display area. Perhaps more space can be created to expand the exhibition area to follow through on the good work that has been carried out thus far, making the Muzium Negeri a real living museum and a showcase of the fine history of Negeri Sembilan.

You can smell the haze in Seremban

The haze right at this moment in Seremban is really awful.

You can actually smell it! It makes my throat feel scratchy. It also gets indoors through window openings.

My poor Buddyboy got nowhere to hide, he has resorted to parking himself between the back of his kennel and the hedge and lying low with his brown nose wedged underneath. Maybe he is smarter than most of us, the air at the lowest point is probably the freshest you can get right now.

And I hope the situation tomorrow will not get any worse than today.

Because the kids are celebrating children's day at school and there'll be some outdoor activities plus lots of moving about due to the parties, mini-concert and a magician making a guest appearance to entertain them.

Of course it doesn't bother them - the haze, I mean. They'll be too excited with a day off normal classwork to notice it. I sure hope they don't come down with a case of conjunctivities this time around - the last great haze saw an outbreak of red eyes among the kids at school and mine were not spared either.

And also late last month, I've seen a resurgence of chickenpox infections among schoolkids here. And this haze no doubt will cause respiratory problems to those susceptible.

Strangely - our government is somewhat nonchalant about this hazy problem this year. Even the major newspapers are not giving it much prominence unlike years past. I wonder why?

Outrageous 50% rise in Seremban parking fees!

I can't believe it!

That parking ticket stuck on my windscreen today cost me RM0.60 per hour this morning. Up a blardy 50% from RM0.40 only 2 weeks ago!

The Makcik sitting in the pondok was annoyed when I queried her on the increase.

"Sudah naik sejak 1 haribulan Jun la!" she barked back at me, probably irritated at having to repeat the same line thousands of time since the increase.

Eh, MB Mohamad Hasan of Negri Sembilan. This is Seremban la. How come parking our car in this sleepy town cost more than in Selangor Negeri Maju?

Is this another effort to raise some funds to join in the BODEKFEST? Or is this another manifestation of the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration? B(arang) N(aik) semua OK!

I'm truly p***ed off.

Postcards from Seremban

Seremban was once known as Sungai Ujung, one of the founding territories of Negeri Sembilan. It is now the state capital located about 30-mins drive from KLIA and 45-mins drive south from Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway.

These pictures you see here were taken last weekend, so it's probably the most up-to-date view you can get of Seremban on the Net!

I hope you enjoy them as well as the short commentary that follows. This is really for all you guys and gals out there who need a break from all the depressing news we have been getting in the local front lately.



This building above is the first you will see upon entering the Taman Seni Budaya or State Cultural Complex, located near the main exit from the North-South Expressway to Seremban town centre. I think it is the administrative building.

Not to confuse newcomers to Seremban, the angle for this shot was taken from inside looking out onto the road leading into the complex.


The buildings within this state cultural complex stand out for the Minangkabau architectural styles, brought centuries ago by migrants from Sumatra across the Straits of Malacca. Minangkabau influence in Negeri Sembilan is reflected in the upswept roofs shaped like Buffalo horns found on traditional houses and modern state buildings, the hot and spicy traditional food and the thick Minang dialect.

The above building is the handicraft centre located opposite the Teratak Perpatih.


This main building is called the Teratak Perpatih. It stands next to the administrative building. It was initially built for a Quran Recital Competition and is now the State Museum displaying the historical roots and matrilineal traditions of Negeri Sembilan including artifacts, ancient tools, craft collections as well as traditional costumes and jewellery.

Descendents of the Minangkabau still practise Adat Perpatih, a unique matrilineal social system in which females head the household and inherit property, unlike the patrilineal Adat Temenggong in other states.

The picture below is an inside view of the Teratak Perpatih taken from the bottom of the staircase leading to the upper floor of the building.


Next is the Istana Ampang Tinggi, a royal palace originally built in 1865 in Kampung Ampang Tinggi. Made entirely out of wood, with fine wall carvings and a pair of heavy sliding doors, the palace was rebuilt here and remains sturdy to this day.

It houses historical artifacts such as weapons, brassware and silverware and a fableau portraying a grand royal wedding.



This picture below is a replica of an actual Minangkabau traditional house, called the Rumah Minang or Rumah Negeri Sembilan.

Stone megaliths from Port Kempas.

A view of Seremban Lake Gardens, above and below.

This park is located in the heart of Seremban town. It is ringed by the Istana Hinggap, the city palace of the State's Ruler, the State Mosque, the State Library and the State Assembly Building.

There used to be a Bird Park here but somehow, it was torn down during the massive rebuilding and landscaping exercise that was carried out a few years ago. I wonder why ... even the ducks that used to glide in the lake are gone. (Bird flu??)




This is the main street (Jalan Dato' Bandar Tunggal) in Seremban town. As you can see, there is nothing much to see here.

This is how sleepy it looks on a Sunday late afternoon.


Quote of the day:-

"Do you know that you would have to apply for at least 36 types of licences to build a single hotel (in Negeri Sembilan) ? Have less red tape, less bureaucracy... and they (investors in the tourism industry) will come."

This revelation came courtesy of Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who is set to welcome tourists to Negeri Sembilan in an effort to boost revenue as a measure against the recent decline in foreign direct investment (FDI).

It will be interesting to see how the Yang Berhormat MB plan to shake Seremban out of its giant slumber.


Related websites on tourism in Negeri Sembilan:

http://www.tourismnegerisembilan.com here
http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/map/negerisembilan.cfm here
http://www.tripadvisor.com here on Negeri Sembilan hotels and traveler's forum
http://www.2malaysia.com/negeri_sembilan here