Seremban

Seremban is one of four state capitals that has not achieved city status (Bandar raya); the other three being Kota Bharu (Kelantan), Kuantan (Pahang) and Kangar (Perlis). However, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government has already approved Seremban's application to be declared a city on the 9th of September 2009. To achieve city status, the state government has agreed that Majlis Perbandaran Nilai and Majlis Perbandaran Seremban will be merged, with that decision likewise being approved by the federal government in 2012.[7]

Then Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said during Tuanku Mukhriz's birthday

The state government wants to ensure all the necessary infrastructure, public transport and amenities and services which include garbage collection and safer neighbourhoods, were in place before it did so.[8]

On 13 December 2017, then Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Mohamad Hasan stated that Seremban will get city status in 2018.[9] In order to get city status, both Seremban and Nilai Municipal Council will be merged to form a new local authority, Seremban City Council.[10] The merger of two local authorities are now in the last stage. However, he said, the merging of the two entities would not involve the reduction of staff or higher assessment rates in the Seremban area, as increasing rates was not a prerequisite for attaining city status.

So, I hereby announce that the assessment rates in Negeri Sembilan for 2018 will not be raised[11]

In February 2018, a further announcement was made regarding the formation of Seremban City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya Seremban), which was poised to be completed in April. However, the official declaration of Seremban as a city will only occur in January 2019, in conjunction with the birthday of the state's ruler Tuanku Muhriz (January 14).[12] After the change in the ruling coalition after the 14th General Election ushered in a new state government, the new Mentri Besar Aminuddin Harun announced his decision to push back the official promotion towards the end of the year, citing the inability of contractors to complete refurbishment works at the new City Hall in time. However, the postponement will allow the authorities time to iron out any flaws in Seremban's infrastructure and amenities.[13]

Two municipal administrators, Seremban City Council (Majlis Perbandaran Seremban) and Nilai City Council (Majlis Perbandaran Nilai) officially merged into a new administrator, Seremban City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Seremban) on 1 January 2020. On 20 January, Seremban's status as a city was officialised in a declaration ceremony.[1]

The climate of Seremban, like most parts of West Malaysia, is generally hot and humid (tropical) with a mean temperature of about 26–30 degrees Celsius. Most of the rainfall is experienced during the inter-monsoon periods of April and October. The weather remains generally dry for the rest of the year with occasional showers.

The rail connection was first constructed in the late 1890s as a stop on the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore main line, and until today, the Seremban railway station (code:  KB13 ) still serves as one of the major stops along the line. The station also serves as the southern terminal of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu electrified commuter network, KTM Komuter, which links the town to Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley on Seremban Line.[14] Since October 2015, the Komuter service has been extended to Gemas, though passengers are required to alight at Seremban and switch trains to the Gemas extension line (much akin to the Tanjung Malim–Rawang stretch).

Negeri Sembilan is one of the two states in Malaysia that are not accessible via air transportation (Perlis being the other state). However the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is less than a 30 minutes drive from Seremban, essentially making the airport closer to Seremban rather than Kuala Lumpur.

Federal Route , the oldest major roadway that connects the major towns and cities of the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia runs through Seremban. It connects Seremban with neighbouring towns such as Rembau and Tampin to the south and Kajang, Selangor to the north. Seremban also provides access to the towns of Kuala Klawang (through highway ), Kuala Pilah to the east (through highway ) and the well-known coastal town of Port Dickson (through highway or SPDH ) to the west.

For a faster alternative, the North–South Expressway serves Seremban through exit 218. The Kajang–Seremban Highway links Kajang in Selangor to Paroi, on the eastern end of Seremban.

Seremban currently serves as the home ground of Negeri Sembilan football team. The team is the state representative of Negeri Sembilan in the second tier Malaysia Premier League. They play their home games in the 45,000 capacity Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium which is located in Paroi on the outskirt of the city.

Masak lemak cili api

Seremban beef noodles

Seremban is famous for its special delicacies comprising Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine. Among the local cuisine is Seremban Siew Pau (Chinese: 芙蓉烧包) that is well known throughout the country. It is a flaky pastry bun filled with meat fillings which has been traditionally pork or the halal chicken filling.[16]

Seremban is also well known for its Nasi Padang or Minangkabau dishes. It is basically a meal of rice eaten with dishes of recipe which originated from Padang, Sumatra. One of the local dishes is Gulai Masak Lemak Cili Api which is fish or meat cooked in coconut gravy mixed with turmeric and cili padi (bird's eye chili).

Seremban is famous for baked crabs with many establishments situated along Jalan Tuanku Munawir (Chinese: 芙蓉烧蟹)[17] and beef noodles (Chinese: 牛腩粉),[18] especially the beef noodles food stalls here which have survived for more than a generation. Nowadays, these beef noodles attract a tourists from outside the state to Seremban with its thick, slick gravy and peppery, sticky sauce sprinkled with peanuts, salted vegetables, spring onions and sesame seeds.

Local desserts include ABC or air batu campur meaning shaved ice with brown sugar syrup and rose flavouring, corn, beans, and cendol. To date ,The cendol in seremban town is better than teochew cendol in Penang.

Seremban Square

Fish pond, the name given to an area of open land in the Seremban town area which has long been the synonym and subject of complaints of the city community has recently been given a new look. No more is there a barren, neglected view which was claimed to be the breeding ground for mosquitoes in the heart of Seremban Town Centre.

Recently, the Seremban Square which decorates the main entrance to the Seremban town began to attract attention and has since turned into a tourist spot. In the Seremban Square area there are also Malaysian flagpoles that reach up to a length of a 100 feet.

The Seremban Municipal Councils hoped that the Seremban Square, which began its operation in May 2008, would be appreciated and used properly by the public. It was hoped that it would continue to be used by all walks of life, not just for the present but would continue to be a valuable heritage for the future generation.

Ostrich Farm

Renowned as a family recreational centre, the Jelita Ostrich Show Farm in Jalan Jelebu not only focuses on breeding activities in particular, but also capitalises on all speciality of the bird species.

State Museum

The Negeri Sembilan Museum was established in 1953 when the 8th Yamtuan or Ruler of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Abdul Rahman gave his consent for the relocation of the Ampang Tinggi Palace from Kuala Pilah to the Taman Bunga at Jalan Dato' Hamzah, Seremban and was turned into the State Museum.

Seremban Lake Garden

Seremban Lake Garden is the most popular recreational and leisure centre in Seremban which has attracted the attention of many visitors especially during public holidays and weekends. This Lake Garden is one of the oldest natural lake gardens in Malaysia.

Seremban 2 Recreational Park

Seremban residents and also town folks in search of a recreational destination with the family, come and visit the S2 City Park, during weekends or school holidays. Arriving at this six-acre area, visitors will be greeted with the breath-taking landscapes as well as a variety of colourful kite decorations flying freely in the sky.

Malaysia Park

Malaysia Park is in line with the noble intention of the government in ensuring that each town is not only modernised but also parallel towards town greenery. the Seremban Municipal Council has identified Malaysia Park as one of the Public Parks which may be developed to accommodate the recreational and leisure as well as tourism needs for Seremban town.[19]

The Church of The Visitation

It is the oldest parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur since 1848. The church is located in the centre of Seremban town with a sprawling 2 acres that includes the historical Parochial House and the Visitation Hall and Formation Centres and the Wisma Visitation. Its neo-Gothic architecture is truly a central landmark of the town and has been described as “one of the most beautiful in the mission.”

Centipede Temple

Perched on top of a hill in Ulu Temiang, Seremban lies the Centipede Temple (or Then Sze Temple). Centipedes roamed freely in and out of the temple grounds and it is believed that if one spots a centipede they can expect some good fortune.

• Seremban
• Rasah
• Rasah Jaya
• Rahang
• Mambau
• Senawang
• Temiang
• Lobak
• Paroi
• Bukit Chedang
• Bukit Blossom
• Seremban 2
• Ampangan
• Oakland
• Bukit Kepayang
• Kemayan
• Sikamat
• Seremban 3
• Taman Permai

• Nilai
• Bandar Baru Nilai
• Rantau
• Mantin
• Sungai Gadut
• Labu
• Lenggeng
• Taman Seremban Jaya
• Bandar Seremban Selatan
• Taman Tuanku Jaafar
• Rasah Kemayan
• Seremban 2 Heights
• Bandar Sri Sendayan
• Bandar Ainsdale
• Gadong Jaya
• Bandar Enstek
• Pantai
• Ulu Beranang
• Pajam

Seremban 2 City Park

Seremban 2 is a new satellite township about 4 kilometres south-east of the existing old Seremban town centre. Located on the western side of the North–South Expressway, Seremban 2 is a planned township built on former oil palm estate land with the aim of relocating the administrative and business district from the crowded old town centre to a more organised area.

Spanning over 2,000 acres (8 km²) of land, Seremban 2 will be the site of the new

• Seremban District administrative offices
• Seremban Court Complex.
• District Police headquarters
• State Fire Brigade headquarters

The RM2 billion township will also sustain a large portion of the population of Seremban through various housing estate projects in and around Seremban 2 such as

• Green Street Homes
• Sri Carcosa
• Central Park
• Emerald Park
• Garden Homes
• Garden Avenue
• Garden City Homes
• Vision Homes
• S2 Heights
• Park Avenue
• Pearl 132

The residents here enjoy many facilities with ÆON Seremban 2 Shopping Centre, City Park, Seremban 2's very own Lake Gardens and comparably less traffic than the town centre.[20]

AEON Seremban 2

Seremban is the business and commercial centre for most towns and villages in Negeri Sembilan. During the weekends, residents from outlying areas come to Seremban by commuter train or buses to shop in Seremban. Amway opened their first concept shop in Seremban in August 2008 as an ongoing expansion strategy to give its distributors and customers a new shopping experience.[22]

Terminal One Shopping Centre ("T1", previously known as Terminal One Mall) is located at the heart of Seremban. It was built in 1996.[23][24]

AEON Seremban 2, one of the premier shopping destinations in the town, was the only ÆON outlet operated in the state till February 2010, when ÆON launched their grand opening of ÆON Big at Seremban Forest Heights that replaced the old Carrefour.

Besides T1 and AEON, many shopping outlets are concentrated in the town centre; Wisma Punca Emas, KM Plaza, The Store, Palm Mall, Era Square and Parkson Seremban Prima which replaced Seremban Parade. As the population increased over time, it attracted five major hypermarket chains in Malaysia to set up store in Seremban, namely Giant Hypermarket, Tesco Extra, Econsave and Mydin (2 outlets).

Apart from shopping complexes, Seremban contains a number of neighbouring commercial districts including Taman AST, Era Square, Permai Avenue, Oakland and Kemayan Square amongst other areas.

Seremban also has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as antiques, textiles, fabrics and handicrafts. The local municipal council has gazetted Jalan Utam Singh as a morning flea market during the weekend.[25] In 2009, Sungai Ujong Walk located in Jalan Dr. Murugesu was opened by the local council president. The walk follows the example of the well known Jonker Street in Malacca, providing 72 business sites with 30 lots selling foodstuffs and beverages. The rest of the space serves as a stage for performances and cultural shows. It is envisioned as a future location that will revive the atmosphere at night besides enlivening the surrounding areas.[26]

Seremban has a number of hospitals and medical centres, which include a government hospital and private owned hospitals.

Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital, formerly known as Seremban General Hospital is the state and referral hospital for the state of Negeri Sembilan. Established in 1930 with total capacity 800 beds and 20 clinical specialities and various supportive services. Situated at Bukit Rasah, Seremban, the hospital occupying an area of 212 acres (0.86 km²) of land.

The other hospitals include Columbia Asia Medical Center, which opened in 1999 and now has 80 beds and offers outpatient and inpatient specialist services, a 24-hour clinic and emergency services.

In 2004 a new hospital was established, Seremban Specialist Hospital which has total capacity of 109 beds. The hospital located at the outskirt of Seremban which is just behind State Museum.

Negeri Sembilan Chinese Maternity Hospital is also a private hospital that has 75 beds. It located along Jalan Tun Ismail.

There is also a hospital in Senawang, the 101 beds Senawang Specialist Hospital (SSH) which opened in 2008.

Seremban currently has one sister city: