Kuala Pilah MP Datuk Hasan Malek (left) and the writer

Then there was his speech at the Umno General Assembly that touched many. Veteran Umno supporters were seen dabbing their watery eyes as the speech was most inspiring and emotional, one that definitely did not put anyone to sleep. Even his Budget was accepted by Opposition members as a fair and sincere statement to make this country great for everyone.

Wait, there’s more! Two other things that have made me a much happier camper: Firstly, I am getting back my new, “real” Minangkabau ruler with the installation of Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir as Negri Sembilan’s 11th ruler. Secondly, the opening of the new highway that bypasses the legendary Bukit Putus (Broken Pass).

As for my ancestors, they gallantly fought the British on that very pass and won but betrayal (mostly by Malays from Rembau who sided with the British, thus the subtle animosity between the people of Rembau and Seri Menanti) and bigger British guns had them defeated again, and many were exiled.

My good friend and famous blogger Ahiruddin Atan aka Rocky aka Rockybru also comes from the  escendants of another illustrious Minangkabau warrior, Datuk Lerap. Datuk Lerap fought the British to defend the land at Bukit Putus in 1875, and later the British exiled Datuk Lerap to Lubuk China.

So Rockybru, who hails from Lubuk China, is actually a Minangkabau practising Adat Perpatih . His ancestors were originally from Seri Menanti and he is still sore with the British for what they did to his ancestor, Datuk Lerap, and never really considers himself a Malaccan! Well, that is another story!

Bukit Putus was a last line of defence for Seri Menanti in those days. To get to Seri Menanti from this side, the invaders had to puncture the heavily protected pass to Seri Menanti.

Many stories have been generated from this infamous pass. One story is that one of the powerful warriors defending against the advancing British troops had to employ the help of hornets to ward off British advances. By flinging hornet  nests at them (don’t ask me how they did it), the British had to retreat long enough for the followers of Datuk Putih and Datuk Lerap to regroup or nurse the hornet stings.

My many trips through Bukit Putus on the way back to Seri Menanti every school holiday saw me having to endure many episodes of throwing up. It was like a rite of passage. You have to “suffer” before you enter “shangri-la,” for Seri Menanti was then just that, and still is today to some extent.

Today, thanks to my good friend Datuk Hasan Malek, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kuala Pilah, a new stretch of road has been built to by-pass Bukit Putus on the way to Kuala Pilah. Now you do not have to endure motion sickness anymore.

“I had to really work hard to push for this new highway and I am glad this happened during my tenure as MP. It is also timely for the installation of our new ruler, thank God for that,” he said.

So prepare your picnic lunch boxes and just head for Kuala Pilah or Seri Menanti via the new highway. But deep inside I will never disown Bukit Putus, in spite of the new highway, for the Pass and I, we have a very special emotional bond and relationship!

This is a piece of trivia that I must mention. My grandfather was the first Datuk Bangau of the Istana under Yamtuan Tuanku Muhammad. His name was Jaman and he was born in Seri Menanti. His clan was the Suku Seri Lemak Minangkabau. He was a direct descendant of Datuk Putih who gave Seri Menanti its name.

Way before the first Yamtuan did, Datuk Putih came to Seri Menanti. Datuk Putih, as I was told, was a warrior sent ahead to make way for Negri Sembilan to have its first ruler from Sumatra.

Contrary to a belief that the first ruler “kayak-ed” or sailed across the Strait of Malacca into Sungai Linggi from the east coast of Sumatra, the first ruler came through the same way as my ancestor did, via the Pahang River, to Tasik Chini and Tasek Bera, then went on from Sungai Serting to Sungai Muar before trekking all the way to what is today Seri Menanti. (This is why the Istana Serting is still situated beside what was once a majestic river, the Sungai Serting)

Raja Melewar did not sail across the strait, but rather took sail from West Sumatra, like my ancestors did, probably near Padang and then all the way to Pulau Bangka, Pulau Batam, Temasik and possibly passed by what is today Pedra Branca. From there they travelled into the South China Sea via Mersing, and then to the mouth of the Pahang River in Pekan, Pahang.

The Pahang River, centuries  ago, was probably a superhighway for shipping. That stretch of the Pahang River cuts across to Sungai Bera, to Sungai Serting with portaging near Bahau, then to Sungai Muar.

This was the country’s secret passageway that took Hang Tuah from Malacca to Pahang. Legend has it that  he stopped to buy buah berangan and then stole Tun Teja from Pahang, as was depicted in a song by P.  Ramlee.

It has been suggested that our ancestors came from the east coast of West Sumatra and then across the Strait of Malacca on their way to Seri Menanti. In the 1700s or the 1800s, there was no road or highway for my ancestors or those of Tuanku Muhriz to walk across the mountains of Sumatra from Pagar Ruyung to Pekan Baru, and then take a boat to sail across the Strait of Malacca into Sungai Linggi.

The ancestors of Tuanku Muhriz, or mine, did not come via Sungai Linggi and then trek over the pass at Bukit Putus where many battles had been fought. You see history also has to make sense and one cannot just write history as we go along.

Now back to Happy Days!

For the new Yamtuan, we say: Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! May you be respected and have the respect of the rakyat!