Port Dickson

History

Port Dickson used to produce charcoal and was therefore called Arang (Malay: "charcoal"). It was later developed as a small port by the British during the Straits Settlements period. Historically, what is today Port Dickson and nearby Lukut were part of the luak (chiefdom) of Kelang, one of the original nine that formed the first iteration of Negeri Sembilan in 1773. By the early 1800s, it had become part of Selangor. On 30 July 1880, a meeting was held in Singapore between Abdul Samad of Selangor (then sultan of Selangor), Raja Bot (the ruler of Lukut district), Dato' Kelana of Sungai Ujong, as well as the British, in which Selangor ceded the district of Lukut to Sungai Ujong (which later became the modern-day Negeri Sembilan).

Tin ore was plentiful in Lukut during the 1820s, and it attracted Chinese migrant miners. The British considered the area to have great potential as a harbour, and it was intended to supersede the port in Pengkalan Kempas. The name of the officer in charge was Dickson, and the town was thereafter named after him. Others claim that John Frederick Dickson, colonial secretary, a senior official of the Straits Settlements, founded Port Dickson and Pulau Arang in 1889.

Since 1933, Port Dickson has been home to a number of Malaysian Army camps, such as the Army Basic Training Centre, Sebatang Karah, Segenting, Si Rusa, and Sunggala.

Economy

A resort town, Port Dickson thrives primarily on tourism. Nevertheless, there are other sectors that contribute to its economic growth. Along with Seremban, Port Dickson is part of the Malaysia Vision Valley, a growth corridor jointly initiated by both the federal and state governments that aims to develop the western half of Negeri Sembilan to complement existing development in the neighbouring Klang Valley and the Greater Kuala Lumpur area as a whole.

Oil and gas production

Port Dickson has two refineries, which make significant contributions to the local economy. Shell Refining Company (SRC) has been operating since 1962, while Petron (formerly ExxonMobil Malaysia) has been operating a refinery since 1963.

In 2016, SRC underwent a transition of its major shareholder to Malaysia Hengyuan International Limited, which holds an equity stake of 51.02 percent, and SRC was renamed Hengyuan Refining Company.

Tourism

The 18 km long beach from Tanjung Gemuk to Tanjung Tuan is a holiday destination for local visitors, especially those from the Klang Valley. Additionally, many Singaporeans have invested in holiday homes in and around Port Dickson. Over the years, many hotels and resorts were opened to capitalize on the tourist draw. In the 1990s, Port Dickson boomed, with new hotels and resorts being planned and constructed. Due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, many of these projects stalled, leaving many unfinished buildings scattered along the Port Dickson coastline.

Sailing-related

Linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Straits of Malacca is the shortest sea route between three of the world's most populous countries—India, China, and Indonesia. Inspired by the sea trade, expats founded the Royal Port Dickson Yacht Club (RPDYC) in 1927, which still offers dinghy sailing courses and runs regattas.

The newer, five-star Admiral Marina & Leisure Club has dock facilities for yacht travellers, sailboats, and luxury cruisers. It is a transit point for racing sailboats joining the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, Royal Langkawi International Regatta, and Thailand's Phuket King's Cup Regatta. Admiral Marina also hosted the disabled sailing events of the 2009 ASEAN ParaGames and the 2006 FESPIC Games.{{Cite web

Commerce

One of the largest companies originating from Port Dickson is Alpro Pharmacy. It was founded in 2001, with its first outlet set up at Oceanic Mall (currently Regina Mall). The company has numerous branches across Malaysia.

Politics

The town is represented in the Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament as the Port Dickson federal constituency. As of , it is represented by Aminuddin Harun of the PKR.

In turn, Port Dickson contributes five seats to the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly:

• Lukut
• Chuah
• Sri Tanjung
• Bagan Pinang
• Linggi

Transportation

Car

Port Dickson is easily accessible from most major towns in Peninsular Malaysia. The Seremban–Port Dickson Highway (operated by PLUS) or the Federal Route 53 connect the town to Seremban, the state capital.

Federal Route 5 runs through downtown Port Dickson and links it to Malacca and then Johor Bahru due south, or Kuala Langat, Klang, and Ipoh due north.

Public transportation

In the past, a 39 km-long branch line of the KTMB network linked Port Dickson to , but operations ceased in 2008. There were plans to reopen the line for freight and passenger services, but no activity had taken place by 2020. Starting in July 2022, the line was dismantled.

Gallery

Pulau Arang, Port Dickson (220709).jpg|The uninhabitated islet of Arang Island, as seen from downtown Port Dickson Avillion Port Dickson (6913400233).jpg|Water villas in Port Dickson Saujana Beach, Port Dickson.jpg|Saujana beach Blue Lagoon, Port Dickson, Malaysia.jpeg|Tanjung Biru beach (Blue Lagoon) Bridge-port-dickson-2.jpg|Cahaya Negeri beach Seremban Port Dickson 5.jpg|Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (eastbound towards Seremban) PD sailboat landmark.jpg|A landmark at the intersection of Federal Route 53 and the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, near Lukut. The sign translates to "Welcome to Port Dickson". Muzium Tentera Darat PD 6.jpg|Army Museum

References

References

1. Nurul Ain binti Majid. (13 June 2016). "Data Sosioekonomi Negeri Sembilan Tahun 2015 – MAKLUMAT ASAS".
2. (1 February 2018). "Pengisytiharan Majlis Perbandaran Port Dickson".
3. (8 January 2021). "Jangan Berani Nak Mengaku Kau Anak Nogori, Kalau Sejarah Nismilan Pun Kau Tak Tahu. Jom Baca Keunikan Sejarah Pembentukan Negeri Sembilan".
4. (5 September 2013). "Tersurat segala yang tersirat: Asas Pembentukan Negeri Sembilan".
5. (16 November 2013). "Lukut asalnya adalah kawasan Selangor".
6. (13 June 2010). "Perjanjian Sempadan Negeri Selangor dan Sungai Ujung 1880".
7. Shaw, W.A.. (1970). "The Knights of England: A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of All the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of Knights Bachelors. Incorporating a Complete List of Knights Bachelors Dubbed in Ireland". Genealogical Publishing Company.
8. "John Frederick Dickson wiki - Google Search".
9. (16 June 2012). "Malaysia's own Fort Knox". New Straits Times.
10. "Shell Refinery Celebrates 50 Years With the Community – Shell Refining Company". Shell.com.
11. "Petron Malaysia". Petron.com.my.
12. "Fueling Sustainable Future".
13. (30 September 2009). "Port Dickson a glaring failure".
14. (3 October 2019). "Should You Visit Port Dickson, Malaysia? An Honest Review".
15. (3 February 2024). "Revitalise Seremban and Port Dickson".
16. "Low Swee Siong, CEO of Alpro Pharmacy".
17. "Alpro Pharmacy Malaysia | Community Pharmacy Near You".
18. (14 September 2015). "Seremban-Port Dickson railway line to be rebuilt".