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Port Dickson (
Negeri Sembilan Malay Negeri Sembilan Malay ( or ; ; Jawi: بهاس ملايو نڬري سمبيلن) is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, including parts of Hulu Langat District in southeastern Selangor, Alor Gajah ...
: ), colloquially referred to as PD, is a
beach resort A seaside resort is a city, town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements such as in t ...
in
Port Dickson District Port Dickson District () is a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the only coastal district in Negeri Sembilan. The district borders Sepang District, Selangor to the north, the Strait of Malacca to the west, Seremban District to the nor ...
, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in the state after
Seremban Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Somban'') is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council, Seremban City Council. ...
, the state capital. The town's administration is run by the Port Dickson Municipal Council (; MPPD), formerly known as the Port Dickson Sanitary Board () from 29 March 1928 until 28 February 1950, Port Dickson Town Board () from 1 March 1950 until 30 November 1979, and Port Dickson District Council () from 1 December 1979 until 1 February 2002.


History

Port Dickson used to produce
charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...
and was therefore called Arang (Malay: "charcoal"). It was later developed as a small port by the British during the
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...
period. Historically, what is today Port Dickson and nearby
Lukut Lukut is a suburb located to the northeast of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It was once part of Selangor, serving as a thriving tin mining town in the early 19th-century before being ceded to Sungai Ujong domain in 1880 to wh ...
were part of the ''luak'' (chiefdom) of Kelang, one of the original nine that formed the first iteration of
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
in 1773. By the early 1800s, it had become part of
Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
. On 30 July 1880, a meeting was held in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
between
Abdul Samad of Selangor Sultan Sir Abdul Samad ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Raja Abdullah ( Jawi: سلطان عبد الصمد ابن المرحوم راج عبد الله; born Raja Abdul Samad bin Raja Abdullah, 1804 ''–'' 6 February 1898) was the fourth Sultan ...
(then sultan of Selangor), Raja Bot (the ruler of Lukut district), Dato' Kelana of
Sungai Ujong Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Somban'') is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council, Seremban City Council. ...
, 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 Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite was the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains t ...
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 Sir John Frederick Dickson (17 September 1835 – 21 December 1891) was a British colonial administrator in Singapore. He was also President of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1886 to 1891. He translated and edited th''U ...
, 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 The Malaysian Army (; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysi ...
camps, such as the Army Basic Training Centre, Sebatang Karah, Segenting, Si Rusa, and Sunggala.


Economy

A
resort town A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...
, Port Dickson thrives primarily on tourism. Nevertheless, there are other sectors that contribute to its economic growth. Along with
Seremban Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Somban'') is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council, Seremban City Council. ...
, Port Dickson is part of the
Malaysia Vision Valley The Malaysia Vision Valley (MVV; Malay language, Malay: ) is a development corridor that encompasses the districts of Seremban District, Seremban and Port Dickson District, Port Dickson in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The corridor wa ...
, 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 Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
and the
Greater Kuala Lumpur Greater Kuala Lumpur (Malay language, Malay: ''Kuala Lumpur Raya'') is the geographical term that determines the boundaries of metropolitan Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Though similar to the term "Klang Valley", there remains a variation between th ...
area as a whole.


Oil and gas production

Port Dickson has two refineries, which make significant contributions to the local economy.
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
Refining Company (SRC) has been operating since 1962, while
Petron Petron Corporation is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines, supplying more than a third of the country's oil requirements. It operates a refinery in Limay, Bataan with a rated capacity of . From the refinery, Petron ...
(formerly
ExxonMobil Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational List of oil exploration and production companies, oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the Successors of Standard Oil, largest direct s ...
Malaysia) has been operating an 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 long beach from Tanjung Gemuk to Tanjung Tuan is a holiday destination for local visitors, especially those from the Klang Valley. Additionally, many
Singaporeans Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
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 The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
, 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 The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
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 A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or Towing, towed by a Watercraft, larger vessel for use as a Ship's tender, tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they diffe ...
sailing courses and runs
regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...
s. 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 Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (), is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) located some 30 km off the coast of northwe ...
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.


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 The Dewan Rakyat (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament which is the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitu ...
of the Malaysian Parliament as the Port Dickson federal constituency. As of , it is represented by
Aminuddin Harun Aminuddin bin Harun ( Jawi: أمين الدين بن هارون; born 2 January 1967) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 11th Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan since May 2018, Member of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembl ...
of the PKR. In turn, Port Dickson contributes five seats to the
Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly The Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly () is the state legislature of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. It consists of 36 members who represent single-member constituencies throughout the state. Elections are held no more than five ...
: *
Lukut Lukut is a suburb located to the northeast of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It was once part of Selangor, serving as a thriving tin mining town in the early 19th-century before being ceded to Sungai Ujong domain in 1880 to wh ...
* Chuah * Sri Tanjung * Bagan Pinang * Linggi


Transportation


Car

Port Dickson is easily accessible from most major towns in
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
. 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 Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...
and then
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
due south, or Kuala Langat, Klang, and
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
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 Lukut is a suburb located to the northeast of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It was once part of Selangor, serving as a thriving tin mining town in the early 19th-century before being ceded to Sungai Ujong domain in 1880 to wh ...
. The sign translates to "Welcome to Port Dickson". Muzium Tentera Darat PD 6.jpg, Army Museum


See also

*
Operation Zipper During World War II, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya, as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore in Operation Mailfist. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it ...


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Port Dickson District Towns in Negeri Sembilan