Bahau
Bahau is the principal town of Jempol District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Etymology
The town's name is believed to have been derived from a Chinese phrase. Bahau's literal translation is "horse's mouth" while the nearby town, Mahsan means "horse's body" in Cantonese. Also, there's a linkage town called Tampin near the border with Malacca, locals nickname as Mahmei, means "horse's tail" in Cantonese.History
The earliest recorded role of the area around Bahau is as a town along the "Denai Penarikan", a water-land route through the interior of Peninsular Malaysia, linking Muar, Johor in the west coast, to Pekan, Pahang in the east coast. The "Denai Penarikan" or the "Pulling Portage" is a land route where merchants would pull their boats across the land from Sungai Muar which flows westwards to Sungai Serting which flows eastwards.The town did not flourish until the arrival of Chinese settlers moving inland in search of tin ore. The Chinese settlers established the town of Bahau and nearby Mahsan, and the town grew as the rubber, palm oil and timber trade began to dominate the town's economy.
During the Second World War, preparations were made to evacuate people from Singapore to Johor and Negeri Sembilan. Singapore was then overcrowded and the food situation critical. Eurasian emigrants were brought to Bahau after the success in bringing the Chinese to Endau. However, malaria proved to a constant scourge, and the emigrants discovered that the area had not been adequately prepared for their arrival. The Syonan-to government could not extend to Bahau the same assistance given to Endau because the former became the Negeri Sembilan authorities' responsibility. The residents here also enjoyed less freedom than their counterparts in Endau.
Three hundred Eurasian families and 400 Chinese catholic families left Syonan for Bahau. Many could not adjust to the hard life as pioneers in an agricultural colony. Catholic nuns and the orphans in their care were reduced to eating a stew made from snail and grass. A high death rate claimed many, including the leader of the project, Bishop Devals.
The project at Bahau came to an end when the Allied Southeast Asia Command dropped supplies of food and medicine. Bahau was classified as a "displaced person's camp", and the majority of its inmates were temporarily transferred to Sime Road Camp in Singapore by the British.
Image:Pusat Membeli Belah Bahau.jpg|thumb|right|Pusat Membeli Belah Bahau used to be a cinema
Demographics
As of 2020, the population of Bahau stands at 32,018. Bahau comprises mainly Chinese, Malays and Indians, who live in town and the estates on the outskirts.The following is based on Department of Statistics Malaysia 2020 census.
Image:Gerai majalah Bahau.jpg|thumb|right|Magazines shop in Bahau
Transportation
Road
Two main federal routes - and intersect in Bahau. links Bahau to Bandar Seri Jempol, the district capital, and Temerloh, Pahang in the north and Gemas in the south. Route Federal Route 13 links Bahau to [Juasseh and Batu Kikir, near Kuala Pilah. There is also the Route 246 Federal Route 246 which gives a more direct route to Batu Kikir via small inland villages.Train
Bahau is accessible by train, being one of the major stations on the East Coast Jungle Railway, which stretches from Gemas in the south to Tumpat in the north. The railway station is located near Taman Kwang Hup. Bahau is the only town in Negeri Sembilan that is only served by the East Coast main line instead of the West Coast main line. There used to be a branch from Bahau to Kuala Pilah but closed in the 1930s during the Great Depression.Town Areas
Mahsan, Jelai and Rompin, in the town's outskirts, are a comfortable short distance drive from Bahau.Modern Housing Areas
- Taman Bahau
- Taman Rasa Sayang
- Taman Cempaka
- Taman Angkasa
- Taman Khaya
- Taman Kwang Hup 2
- Taman Margosa
- Taman ACBE
- Taman Seri Jempol
- Taman Satelite 2
- Taman Serting Jaya
- Taman Kepayang
- Taman Putra
- Taman Meranti
- Taman Bidara
- Rumah Rakyat Jambu Lapan
- Taman Desa Puteri
- Taman Kasih Putra
- Taman Satelite
- Taman Desa Penarikan
- Taman Sornam
- Taman Tunku Puan Chik
- Bandar IOI Bahau
- Taman Juara
Villages
- Kampung Pak Ka Choon
- Kampung Batu Bakar
- Kampung Cina, Bahau
- Kampung Indah
- Kampung Bukit Laka
- Kampung Kuala Jempol
- Kampung Padang Lalang
- Kampung Bukit Kelulut
- Kampung Lonek
Nearby Towns
- Mahsan
- Juasseh
- Rompin
- Dangi
- Batu Kikir
Economy
Besides, industries in the town are also currently growing. Bahau's industrial area is located near Taman Kwang Hup. Car workshops, mechanics, spare parts and accessories shops dominate the business in town because of the flourishing timber trade around the area. Hence, trailers and lorries usually frequent the town for repairs.
Education
There are 7 schools in the vicinity of Bahau, namely.1. SJK Bahau
2. SJK Chi Wen
3. SK St. Aidan
4. SJK St. Helier
5. SMK Datuk Mansor
6. SMK Bahau
7. SMJK Chi Wen Bahau