Gemas
| Gemas 金马士 | ||
|---|---|---|
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Gemas Town | ||
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  Gemas 金马士 Location of Gemas in the Malaysian peninsula | ||
 Gemas Location in Malaysia | ||
| Coordinates: 2°35′N 102°35′E / 2.583°N 102.583°E | ||
| Country | Malaysia | |
| State | Negeri Sembilan | |
| District | Tampin | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 29,777 | |
| • Demonym | Gemasian | |
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed (UTC) | |
| National calling code | 07 | |
Gemas (Chinese: 金马士) is a small town in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is the meeting place of the Malaysian west and east coast rail lines operated by Malayan Railways. For this reason, Gemas is comparatively busy for a town of its size. Gemas railway station was erected in 1922 and is still in operation today.
In addition to the original town centre of Gemas, the Johorean side of Gemas is known as Gemas Baharu which is located about 1 km from Gemas town centre. It means that the Gemas town centre is in Negeri Sembilanese side.
To the southwest stands the famed Gunung Ledang, also known as Mount Ophir, with a height of 1276 m.
Demographics
Malays make up the majority of the population at 83% followed by the Chinese 8%, Indians at 5% and others 4%.[1]
Education
Primary School
- SK Gemas
- SK Tuanku Abdul Rahman
- SRJK(C) Kg. Baru
- SRJK(C) Kuo Min
- SJK(T) Gemas
Secondary School
- SMK Tuanku Abdul Rahman
- SMK Gemas
Transportation
Rail
Gemas is the intersection of the West Coast and East Coast routes of the KTM Intercity rail system. Trains running from KL Sentral to either Tumpat in Kelantan or Johor Bahru will stop at Gemas. This has made Gemas an important transportation hub.
The KTM rail system was electrified up until Gemas in 2013 and as of 2015 has been extended to Segamat in Johor. As a result, KTM Komuter and ETS services were extended to Gemas in October 2015. Commuters are now able to reach Kuala Lumpur with much shorter travelling times.
Car
Besides that, Gemas is also connected to other towns by federal highways 1 and 10. Route 
links Gemas with Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan as well as Tampin, and all the way to Johor Bahru.
Route 
links Gemas to Temerloh in Pahang. This road is built almost parallel to the KTM tracks, passing through Bahau and Triang, two important railway towns in the process.
Besides train and car, bus and taxi options are also available.
Gemencheh Bridge during Battle of Malaya
During the Battle of Malaya in the Second World War, Gemencheh Bridge near Gemas was the site of a fierce battle between the Imperial Japanese Army and the 2/30th Battalion, 8th Division, Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Commanding Officer of the Battalion was Lieutenant Colonel Frederick "Black Jack" Galleghan. Gemencheh Bridge was a bridge over the Kelamah River (Sungai Kelamah in Malay) that connected Gemas with the larger neighbouring town of Tampin. The Japanese had passed through Tampin and needed to cross the bridge to reach Gemas.
On 14 January 1942, "B" Company of the 2/30th Battalion, launched an ambush against the Japanese in the hope of preventing them from advancing further south. As the advancing Japanese soldiers passed by the ambush site, the bridge was blown. The battle following the ambush, and a further battle closer to Gemas, lasted two days. It ended with the Australian withdrawal through Gemas to Fort Rose Estate.
Four days later, another encounter between Japanese and Allied soldiers took place near Parit Sulong during the Battle of Malaya. Allied troops, including the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions, were surrounded and routed there.
A memorial remembering fallen Australians now stands by the site of the destroyed Gemencheh Bridge in Federal route .
Recently, a documentary titled The Battle of Gemas was jointly undertaken by Tahan Rata Filem and AVI to expand on the importance of this battle in the context of the Battle of Malaya and the fall of Singapore.[2]
Politics
Gemas forms its own electoral district in the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly. The seat is currently chaired by Abdul Razak Bin Ab Said of UMNO/BN.[3]
On the national level, Gemas is part of Tampin constituency of the Malaysian Parliament, currently represented by Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor, also from UMNO. [4]
See also
References
- ↑ http://undi.info/negeri-sembilan/n/P133-N34
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PFJe2rRXwM
- ↑ "Abd Razak Bin Ab Said". Barisan Nasional. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Ahli Parlimen". Portal Rasmi Parlimen Malaysia. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
External links
Gemas travel guide from Wikivoyage
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Coordinates: 2°35′N 102°35′E / 2.583°N 102.583°E