Laluan Penarikan

TheLaluan Penarikan(Malay:portage route) were a series ofportageroutes across theMalay Peninsula.The most famous of these routes connected theMuar Riverwith thePahang River.The Penarikan shortened the journey ofwater vesselssailing between theStrait of Malaccaand theSouth China Sea.

History

In ancient times, theMuarandPahangrivers were nearly connected at a place calledJempolspecifically at the town ofBahau,in present-dayNegeri Sembilan,where the Muar meets the Jempol River. The Serting River, not far from theconfluenceof the former two, flows into the Bera River, a tributary of the Pahang. The Penarikan allowed trading boats between ports and harbours from both sides of theMalay Peninsula,such as traders fromMalaccaorMuarwho could continue their journey along the Muar until they reached Kuala Pahang inPekan,orKuala Lipisto continue intoTerengganu,KelantanorPerak.

At the Penarikan, locals help was required to pull the boats about 300 metres overland.

The economically importantSilk Road(red) and spicetrade routes(blue) were blocked by theSeljuk Empirec. 1090, triggering theCrusades,and by theOttoman Empirec. 1453,which spurred theAge of DiscoveryandEuropean Colonialism.

Theconfluencebetween theMuar(left) and Jempol Rivers at Kampung Jambu Lapan,Bahau,Jempol District,Negeri Sembilan,is the midpoint of thePenarikan.

The Penarikan may have been discoveredc.14th century.Arabmerchantswere activelytradingas well asspreadingIslam. When Malacca was discovered, they came to Malacca for trade and at the same time; thePasaicame to Malacca too to acquire their daily sundries. The Arabs learned of the Laluan Penarikan from the Pasai.

The Penarikan played a vital role in the military operations between Siam and Malacca. Using this route, the Siamese launched many attacks against Malacca. A troop was sent to make anambush.Half of the troop stayed near the Penarikan as backup and the other half attacked Malacca. However, the backup group has another mission, they had to dig a bigcanalmeasuring 30 feet by 20 feet in depth, so they could connect the Jempol and Serting Rivers.

A leader of the Siamese army was later buried near the Penarikan. The tombstone was believed to have been transported all the way from Siam. The Siamese leader's grave could still be found near the route, which dates back to 1265.

The Penarikan has also witnessed many significant events in history. The famous Malaccan warriorHang Tuah,while on the run with Tun Teja, used the Penarikan to flee to Pahang. The last Sultan of Malacca,Mahmud Shah,after the conquest of Malacca by thePortuguese Empirehad also used the Penarikan to escape to Pahang.

In 1613, a Portuguese officer wrote that he took a boat ride from Muar to Pekan, and the journey took him six days. A map produced in 1598 showed that the Muar River and the Pahang River is connected at a place which is now calledSertinginNegeri Sembilan.

The Muar River–Pahang River Penarikan route is a safer route to the South China Sea or to the Strait of Malacca, because there were no disturbances and threats ofpiracy.

Apart from that there were also signs of trading activities, whereby goods changed hands at this point. That meant that boats from Pahang with produce stopped here, transacted and picked up goods that were eastward bound and returned to Pahang. Similarly, boats from Muar, bringing goods from Malacca andSingaporewere brought to the Penarikan, wherebarteroccurred.

See also

• Spice trade
• Silk Road

Successor cross-peninsular routes nearby

• Malaysia Federal Route 9
• Malaysia Federal Route 10
• Malaysia Federal Route 12
• KTM IntercityfromGemastoMentakab

Further reading

• N. Rajendra, "Retracing the Penarikan Route",Malaysia in History12(2), March 1969.
• P. Borschberg,The Singapore and Melaka Straits. Violence, Security and Diplomacy in the 17th Century,Singapore: NUS Press, 2010.