The Laluan Penarikan (Malay 'portage route') were a series of
portage routes across the
Malay Peninsula. The most famous of these routes connected the
Muar River
The Muar River ( ms, Sungai Muar) is a river which flows through the states of Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang in Malaysia. The river also flows through Muar town.
History
The Muar River formed part of the '' Penarikan'', an ancient overlan ...
with the
Pahang River
The Pahang River ( ms, Sungai Pahang) is a river that flows through the state of Pahang, Malaysia. At 459 km in length, it is the longest river on the Malay Peninsula. The river begins at the confluence of Jelai and Tembeling rivers on the ...
. The Penarikan shortened the journey of
water vessels sailing between the
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
and the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
.
History
In the ancient times, the rivers
Muar and
Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
were nearly connected at a place called
Jempol
The Jempol District is the largest district in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The district borders Jelebu District to the northwest, Kuala Pilah District to the west, Tampin District to the south, Bera District, Pahang to the northeas ...
specifically in town of
Bahau
Bahau ( Jawi: بهااو, ) is the principal town of Jempol District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The town's name is believed to have been derived from a Chinese phrase. Bahau's literal translation is "horse's mouth" while the nearby town, Mahsan ...
, in present day
Negeri Sembilan, where the Muar meets the Jempol River. The Serting River, not far from the
confluence of the former two, flows into the Bera River, a tributary of the Pahang. The ''Penarikan'' allowed trading boats between ports and harbours or places from both sides of the
Malay peninsula, like traders from
Malacca or
Muar could continue their journey along the Muar until they reach Kuala Pahang in
Pekan, or
Kuala Lipis
Kuala Lipis ( ms, كوالا ليڤيس, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is a mukim and capital of Lipis District, Pahang, Malaysia with a population of 20,000.
History
Kuala Lipis was a gold-mining centre before the British arrived in ...
to continue into
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
,
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
or
Perak.
At the ''Penarikan'', the locals help will be required to pull the boats overland. The distance is about 300 meters and because of the action of pulling of boats overland, the route is named ''Penarikan'', which is the Malay word for pulling.
![Silk route](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Silk_route.jpg)
The ''Penarikan'' could have been discovered circa
14th century, way before the days of the
Malacca Sultanate
The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parames ...
. The
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
merchants
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry ...
were actively
trading
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
as well as
spreading Islam. When Malacca was discovered, they came to Malacca for trade and at the same time; the
Pasai
The Samudera Pasai Sultanate (), also known as Samudera or Pasai or Samudera Darussalam or Pacem, was a Muslim harbour kingdom on the north coast of Sumatra from the 13th to the 16th centuries CE. The kingdom was believed to have been founded ...
came to Malacca too to acquire their daily sundries. Coincidentally, these are the same group of people whom they spread the religion to. The Arabs complained to the Pasai about the trials and tribulations of trading in Siam because of the arduous journey through the
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
, then on the Straits of Terbrau before they can continue the voyage through the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
towards their destination in
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. This voyage which take weeks is extremely lengthy and difficult. After listening to the grouses of the Arab merchants, the Pasai revealed that there was a short cut where they could avoid the arduous voyage.
However, they have to pull their boats off shore for a kilometer or so. Learning of this, the Arabs endeavoured to try out this route. One day, the Pasai show this route to the Arabs. First, they sailed from Malacca along the Muar River to reach Jempol River, from where they have to pull the boats on shore for a short distance to get into the Serting River. They then continue their journey along the Bera River to arrive at Kuala Bera from which they proceeded to the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
via Pahang River — and finally to their destination in Siam. The Arabs discovered that even though they have to go on land for a part of the journey, it was very much shorter. So from that day onwards, they decided to use this route and the ''Penarikan'' became famous ever since.
The ''Penarikan'' played a vital role in the military operations between Siam and Malacca. Using this route, the Siamese have launched many attacks against Malacca. A troop was sent to make an
ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mo ...
. Half of the troop stayed near the ''Penarikan'' as backup and the other half attacked Malacca. However, the backup group has another mission, they have to dig a big
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
measuring 30 feet by 20 feet in depth, so that they could connect the two rivers, Jempol and Serting River.
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 warrior
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah ( Jawi: , /tuah/ or /toh/) is said to have been a warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. There is limited historical evidence for his existence. However, he was supposedly a great laksam ...
, while on the run with Tun Teja, used ''Penarikan'' to flee to Pahang. The last Sultan of Malacca,
Sultan Mahmud Shah, after the conquest of Malacca by the
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...
had also used ''Penarikan'' to escape to Pahang.
Sejarah Malaysia, Barbara Watson Andaya, Leonard Yuzon Andaya, Macmillan, 1983 - Malaysia - 391 pages
/ref>
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 called Serting
Serting is a small town in Jempol District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South ...
in Negeri Sembilan.
The Muar River - Pahang River ''Penarikan'' route is a safer route to the South China Sea or to the Straits of Malacca, because there were no disturbances and threats of piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
that reign the seas.
Apart from that there were also signs of trading activities, whereby goods changed hands at this point. These means the boats from Pahang with the produce they carry stopped here, transact and pick up goods that are east bound and return to Pahang. Similarly, boats from Muar, bringing goods from Malacca and Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
were brought to the ''Penarikan'', where barter trade
In trade, barter (derived from ''baretor'') is a system of exchange in which participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. Economists distingu ...
occurred.
See also
* Spice trade
* Silk Road
;Successor cross-peninsular routes
* Malaysia Federal Route 2
The Federal Route 2 is a major east–west oriented federal highway in Malaysia. The road connects Port Klang in Selangor to Kuantan Port in Pahang. The Federal Route 2 became the backbone of the road system linking the east and west coasts of ...
* Malaysia Federal Route 4
Federal Route 4 is a federal road in the north of Peninsula Malaysia. The road connects Butterworth, Penang to Pasir Puteh in Kelantan. The highway also goes close to the border with Thailand and meets Jalan Kompleks CIQ Bukit Bunga at Bukit Bu ...
* Malaysia Federal Route 185
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
* East Coast Expressway
The East Coast Expressway is an interstate controlled-access highway running parallel to the northeastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The currently operational segment of the expressway runs between Karak, Pahang and Kuala Nerus, Terengganu ...
* MRL East Coast Rail Link
The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) ( Malay: ''Laluan Rel Pantai Timur'') is a standard gauge double-track railway link infrastructure project connecting Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca to Kota Bharu in northeast Peninsular Malaysia, conne ...
References
Further reading
* N. Rajendra,
Retracing the Penarikan Route
, ''Malaysia in History'' 12(2), March 1969.
* P. Borschberg,
The Singapore and Melaka Straits. Violence, Security and Diplomacy in the 17th Century
', Singapore: NUS Press, 2010.
Ancient roads and tracks
Trade routes
Portages
Medieval Asia
History of Malaysia
Water transport in Malaysia
Ports and harbours of Malaysia
History of Muar
History of Imperial China
History of foreign trade in China
History of international relations
Ancient international relations
International road networks
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