The state with a vision By NISSHANTHAN DHANAPALAN NEGRI Sembilan has more to offer industries make up the bulk of the produce such as paddy and catfish than just its rich culture and Negri Sembilan's GDP. Industrial aquaculture as well as its small history. It is an amalgamation of a areas such as the Nilai Industrial condiments and handicraft multicultural society with its Estate, techpark@enstek, Pedas businesses. signature Minangkabau culture Halal Park and Senawang Negri Sembilan offers many that has been the pride of the state Industrial Park are some of the other attractions such as the for decades. many industrial areas set up to Centipede Temple, Gunung Angsi In addition, Negri Sembilan is provide investors with strategic and Gunung Besar Hantu hiking known for its culinary signature locations for business. spots, Pedas hot springs and ostrich cuisine such as gulai masak cili api, Industrial estates within Negri farms in Port Dickson and Jelebu. beef noodles and siew pau as well Sembilan are close to amenities These attractions are slowly as its beaches and resorts in Port and services such as the Kuala changing the landscape of Negri Dickson ­ a favourite getaway Lumpur International Airport Sembilan's tourism sector. destination for many city dwellers (KLIA), Port Klang, Cyberjaya, Residential haven in the Klang Valley. Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, The announcement of the giving business owners the benefit Negri Sembilan shares much of Malaysia Vision Valley has placed of not only cheaper overheads but the same development as the the magnifying glass over the state also effective transportation Klang Valley thanks to access to infrastructure such as the and its potential in contributing to means. the further development of the The state benefits from both North­South Expressway and the country. business traffic and opportunities recently developed Lekas Highway. More importantly, the state is in the Klang Valley, the southern The east coast railway line has looking to boost tourism, region and even Singapore. also played a role in the residential construction and agriculture as In March, Mohammad Hasan development of Negri Sembilan, part of its main sectors as well as stated that the state needs to especially with the recently improve its transportation reduce its dependency on extended commuter service and infrastructure such as the High manufacturing and the service the upcoming High­Speed Rail Speed Rail service. service to Singapore. Negri Sembilan is gearing up to industry while striking a balance in tourism and agriculture This has opened up the become on par with the most opportunity for various suburban developed states in the country yet development. Tourism in Negri Sembilan has developments to spring up along strives to keep its identity and these transportation connections. maintain much if its suburbia always been a significant sector in As the state capital, Seremban districts that prove to not only the state, especially with the create excellent residential areas development of Port Dickson. has experienced much property development that has turned this but also education hubs and Starting off as a small sectors that are of economic value. charcoal­producing town that sleepy town into a bustling city. developed into a small port by Over time, newer developments Multi­sector economy the British during the Straits have sprawled out of the Seremban town centre and peripheral areas For many years, Negri Sembilan Settlement period, Port Dickson has boomed into a seaside tourism such as Rasah, Rahang, Mambau, has been known for supplying Senawang and Kepayang. These workforce to the Klang Valley and hot spot since 1990. In 2014, more than 5.5 million developments include Seremban 2, this is especially true for towns tourists visited Port Dickson ­ Seremban 3 and Bandar Ainsdale. such as Seremban and Nilai. 4.2 million visitors were local and Many of these newer The "Work in Kuala Lumpur, live developments were former in Seremban" slogan has been 1.4 million were foreign. Port Dickson continues to rubber or oil palm plantation often quoted by the Negri Sembilan attract many visitors every year, estates that have been turned into Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Utama well­equipped and luxurious Mohammad Hasan to further especially with the annual Festival Pantai Port Dickson that happens residential areas. attract people to move to in May. These developments are also Seremban even though they work Homestay programmes, close to highways for easy in the city. accessibility to the Klang Valley More and more businesses are especially those that leverage on the Minangkabau culture, cuisine and the southern region. positioning themselves in the state and hospitality, are also becoming The development of KLIA, because of lower costs and Cyberjaya and Putrajaya has attractive infrastructure that will increasingly popular in the state. What makes homestays even further enhanced the growth of attract workforce from within and Nilai, Bandar Enstek and Bandar outside the state. This will more interesting is their integration with agriculture and Sri Sendayan as residential hot contribute to the state's expanding spots. labour force and its already small and medium enterprises. One such example is Kampung These townships are also growing gross domestic product Lonek in Batu Kikir, Bahau. Not relatively close to the nation's (GDP). only does it attract visitors for its capital and major cities in the The manufacturing and service homestay experience, it also Klang Valley, thus providing generates income via agricultural residents a suburban lifestyle while living close to cities*. Developments in Nilai, education. Linton University College and Seremban and Port Dickson are These schools are also equipped branch universities for Open poised to appreciate in value with top­notch facilities to provide University and Universiti approaching the initiation of the the best educational experience Teknologi Mara. Malaysia Vision Valley project and for their students. Negri Sembilan will continue to this trend is expected to escalate as Among the private and grow as an extension of the Klang the project continues to develop international schools in Negri Valley and strive to become one of over a span of 30 years. Sembilan are Epsom College in the leading states of the nation Malaysia and Cempaka through its own developments Education ground zero International Ladies' College in such as Malaysia Vision Valley. The growth of residential Bandar Enstek, UCSI International However, much of this School Bandar Springhill, Matrix development is concentrated in property and the increasing International School in Bandar Sri number of residents in Negri the state capital and high­ Sendayan, Zefiith International Sembilan have opened doors for populated districts. Rural districts a new sector ­ education. School in Seremban, Kolej Tuanku such as Kuala Pilah, Jelebu, Bahau Ja'afar in Mantin and Nilai and Gemas are still locked in time The growth of the education International School. sector has been exponential and with minimal development. Tertiary institutions are also Infrastructural growth is rapid, with the opening of new abundant in Negri Sembilan, with townships giving rise to various important for rural communities bigger campuses concentrated in while preserving the quaint private and international schools Nilai, hence garnering its moniker that offer programmes from atmosphere of the countryside so as an education hub. that they too can enjoy the same preschool to pre­university levels. However, the higher education quality of life as those closer to the The curricula offered include the ecosystem in the state is now state capital. International General Certificate of more spread out and offers As a whole, Negri Sembilan is a Secondary Education, International students both private and public promising state as it continues to Baccalaureate and Cambridge higher learning institutions. advance its homegrown sectors to A­Levels. These include University Sains further boost the state's economy Therefore, parents are spoilt for Islam Malaysia, INTI International and contribute to the country's choice when it comes to choosing University, Nilai University, development. the best institution for their child's Manipal International University, Source: Deportment of Statistics Malaysia. Contributing sectors to Negri Sembilan's GDP for 2013­2014 3.i8% # Construction m Agriculture # Manufacturing # Services Negri Sembilan strives to retain much of its culture and history while working to become a high­income state..