Beca Muar

Terdapat pelbagai jenis pengangkutan yang digunakan penduduk di Daerah Muar suatu ketika dahulu. Antara yang paling popular ialah beca.

Beca merupakan salah satu pengangkutan yang paling popular sejak sebelum merdeka lagi sehingga dikenali sebagai Raja Jalan Raya.

Pernah dilaporkan di dalam akhbar sekitar tahun 1960-an bahawa pihak Majlis Daerah Muar telah meluluskan 11 tempat parkir untuk beca di kawasan bandar Muar.

Tiga dekad lalu dilaporkan terdapat berpuluh-puluh malah beratus-ratus beca di Muar ketika zaman kegemilangannya, tetapi pada hari ini (2012) mungkin tidak sampai 10 beca yang masih kelihatan di jalan-jalan raya sekitar Muar.

Kemajuan Muar menyebabkan Beca hanya sebagai pusaka peninggalan sejarah yang masih tinggal pada hari ini. Kebanyakan yang mengayuh beca juga hanya terdiri daripada warga emas yang telah menjadikan beca sebagai sumber pendapatan mereka ketika mereka masih muda.

Di Muzium Negara, terdapat sebuah beca yang digelar sebagai Beca Parit Jawa dipamerkan di sana. Keunikan beca Muar ini diabadikan dalam penerangan tentang beca Muar seperti berikut :

Beca roda tiga ini berasal dari Parit Jawa, Muar, Johor. Warna hijau, merah, hitam dan kuning menjadi warna kegemaran zaman itu. Kusyennya diperbuat daripada sabut kelapa dan dilengkapkan dengan penyandar. Beca digunakan untuk membawa dua penumpang dewasa dan seorang atau dua orang kanak-kanak. Bumbungnya diperbuat daripada kanvas yang boleh dibuka atau ditutup mengikut keperluan. Pada masa kini, ia tidak lagi digunakan dan tidak menyerupai beca-beca yang terdapat di Pulau Pinang dan Melaka.

Selain itu, untuk mengabadikan keunikan beca Muar sebagai satu tarikan pelancongan, sebuah binaan gergasi Beca Muar telah dibina oleh Majlis Perbandaran Muar pada tahun 1999 dengan kos RM50,000.00.

Replika Beca Muar ini setinggi 7 meter dibina di Taman Rekreasi Kesang, di sempadan Kesang, Muar (sekarang Ledang) - Sungai Rambai,Melaka tidak jauh dari bandar Maharani Muar. Ia kini menjadi tarikan utama pengunjung.

Diharapkan agar pada masa hadapan, ada pihak-pihak yang berminat mempopularkan kembali perkhidmatan beca bukan sekadar menjadi tarikan pelancongan di Daerah Muar tetapi juga mengekalkan warisan unik yang pernah wujud di Daerah Muar khususnya dan di negeri Johor amnya.

Bandar Maharani, a right royal town

By Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli  (Secretary, Council of the Royal Court)
NST, 28th February 2012
  

AS a Muarian, I felt very proud when HRH Sultan Ibrahim of Johor on Feb 6, 2012 proclaimed Bandar Maharani a royal town. 

The 128-year-old town looks rather tired, is too laid-back, and in dire need of a facelift.

Sultan Ibrahim is passionate in preserving history and maintaining a clean and healthy environment in Johor.

Prior to 1877, the territory of Muar north of the river was known as Muar Kesang, and its south as Muar Padang.

Sultan Ali ceded the government and territory of Johor except Kesang to Temenggong Ibrahim on March 10, 1855.

After Sultan Ali's demise in 1872 and following internal conflicts and for political expediency the British chose Maharaja Abu Bakar to take guardianship of the territory.

In 1877, the chieftains of Muar unanimously agreed to the appointment. Abu Bakar was proclaimed Ruler of Kesang in 1879. This was met with fierce resistance from Tengku Alam the heir.

A 30-day civil war known as "The Jementah War" ensued but was quelled by Abu Bakar's forces led by Mohammad Salleh bin Perang, more famously known as Dato' Bentara Luar.

In 1884, Abu Bakar declared Muar the capital of the expanded district.

Salleh, a qualified surveyor, was asked by Abu Bakar to plan for the development of Muar. Abu Bakar was wary of British forward movement. He was desirous of making Muar a showpiece to the British of his effective governance and management of his State.

He was so proud of Muar he named it Bandar Maharani (literally, a queen's town) in honour of his Consort Maharani Fatimah at a simple ceremony on Aug 5, 1887 at Tangga Batu, where he buried an amulet.

 

 Sultan Abu Bakar spearheaded the development of Johor through the Kangchu system.

 

Maharaja Abu Bakar encouraged migration to increase the population of Muar.

In 1880, the Javanese settled in Padang (now known as Mukim Parit Bakar) where they were engaged in agricultural activities. Evidence show the Chinese had settled in Muar in 1870. They were engaged in commercial fishing and cultivation of pepper and gambier.

In 1886, Indian immigrants settled in Muar to work in the public works department as well as in small trades. The close relationship and harmony of the town dwellers is evident to this day.

Development began as early as 1884, when additional police stations known as rumah pasong were built to upkeep law and order.

In 1890, a detachment of the JMF was stationed at Fort Tanjong to assist the police. In 1886, a courthouse was built.   

Salleh constructed a wooden building to house the government's administrative offices including the office of the State Commissioner, the treasury, the education and religious departments, agriculture, land survey, and public works.

In 1915, a concrete building based on the then-popular neo-classical design was constructed on its site and is now known as Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar. Another building based on similar design is the courthouse.

Abu Bakar commissioned a light railway connecting Padang to the port of Muar to facilitate trade. A customs department and a harbourmaster's office were set up. The transformation of economic and socio-political development saw other departments being established by 1901 including a hospital, a post office, a railway department, and water works. A galvanised iron market with a circular roof designed by R. Bidewell was constructed.

In 1911, a Town Board was established for urban planning, infrastructure and welfare.

Education played an important part in the development of Muar. Abu Bakar was regarded as the promoter and encourager of education.

 In 1890, Muar had three Malay schools. In 1897, a government English school with 40 pupils was set up at Fort Tanjong. The school moved to various temporary sites including in 1899 to "Balai Kuning", a tented building used during Abu Bakar's visit and now the site of the court house.

In 1903, the school was housed in the residence of J.C. Campbell the superintendent of the Muar State Railway. It finally moved to its present site in 1915. It is now known as Muar High School, an alma mater for many leading lights of the nation.

Maharaja Abu Bakar was proud to show the town to his guests including the Duke of Sutherland in 1889. His love for the town which he described as more of an English village than an Oriental town is evident in his five visits between 1887 and 1895 and stayed a total of 65 days there. He held his last Ascension Day (Hari Kerajaan) in Muar on Jan 31, 1895, the first time such an auspicious ceremony was held outside Istana Besar in Johor Baru.

HRH Sultan Ibrahim's love for Muar is seen as an extension of Abu Bakar's pride. It is now up to the town fathers and its dwellers to be committed and realise the Sultan's expectations. Quality of life of its citizens must be improved. Cleanliness is a priority, followed by a more efficient traffic dispersal system, providing more recreational facilities, establishing a museum to house its history, and exploiting the culinary food items Muar is famous for.

A monument should be erected at Tangga Batu the original nucleus used by Salleh to plan the town.

 

Flag of the State Commissioner of Muar that was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar.

And keep the flag of the State Commissioner of Muar designed by Abu Bakar flying proudly over the royal town.

Bird’s eye view of Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani.

Loceng Dong Son

Selain pelbagai kisah sejarah yang berkaitan dengan Daerah Muar, terdapat juga beberapa penemuan artifak yang menjadi bukti bahawa wujud penempatan awal dan hubungan perdagangan di Daerah Muar.

Antara yang terpenting ialah penemuan Loceng Dong Son.

Loceng gangsa ini ditemui di Kampung Penchu, Muar, Johor.  Ia dipercayai berasal dari Dong Son, Utara Vietnam berdasarkan reka bentuk dan coraknya yang sama dengan loceng Dong Son yang lain. Loceng ini dianggar dihasilkan sekitar 150 Tahun Masihi, iaitu bersamaan dengan perluasaan kuasa kerajaan Funan.

Ramai yang mungkin tidak menyedari bahawa hanya 4 buah loceng gangsa purba ditemui di Malaysia. 3 buah daripadanya dijumpai di Klang Selangor dan sebuah lagi di Kampung Penchu, Muar ini. Loceng gangsa ini amat jarang dijumpai dan setakat ini hanya ada 10 buah loceng gangsa purba ditemui di seluruh dunia. 6 daripadanya dijumpai di Kemboja dan 4 di Malaysia termasuk satu di Muar, Johor.

Loceng gangsa Muar ini ditemui di Kampung Penchu, Kundang Ulu, Mukim Grisek pada tahun 1963. Ianya dijumpai secara tidak sengaja oleh penduduk kampung itu ketika sedang menjalankan kerja meratakan tanah. Antara fakta tentang penemuan loceng ini ialah :

• loceng ini ditemui kira-kira 500 meter dari tebing Sungai Penchu iaitu anak Sungai Muar.
• dijumpai pada kedalaman 1 meter.
• tanah tempat loceng dijumpai dari jenis berpasir putih daripada tanah lumpur yang halus putih.
• berukuran 58 cm tinggi, diameter 32 cm.
• dihasilkan sekitar tahun 150 Masihi.

Loceng ini telah diwartakan sebagai Objek Warisan Ketara pada 16 April 2009 dengan nombor warta P.U (B) 117 dan diisytiharkan sebagai Warisan Kebangsaan kategori Objek Ketara pada 12 November 2009 dengan nombor warta P.U (A) 399 mengikut Akta Warisan Kebangsaan 2005 (Akta 645).

Loceng ini kini dipamarkan di Muzium Negara di bahagian Galeri A iaitu Sejarah Awal dan dikategorikan sebagai Koleksi Etnologi.

Sumber maklumat :
1. http://www.muziumnegara.gov.my/gallery/items/Loceng_Dong_Son_34
2. Loceng Gangsa Purba Di Malaysia:Sumbangannya dalam Penyelidikan Peradaban Masyarakat Peribumi Purba, Adnan Jusoh, Jurnal Melayu (5) 2010, UKM.