Sungai Muntoh is a semi-agricultural small town in the district of Jelebu in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia with less than 3,500 in total population. The town is located about 30 miles southeast of Kuala Lumpur and is situated near the border between Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
Sungai Muntoh is the warmest place in Malaysia. However, it also experiences heavy thunderstorms. That is mainly because it is at the higher tip of the end of Titiwangsa Mountains as compared to the rest of Jelebu.
In early February 2005, Malaysia’s temperature rose to almost 39 degrees Celsius—the worst in 30 years and in Southeast Asia, second only to Myanmar. Being the warmest and the driest place in Malaysia, Sungai Muntoh bares shortage of water supply and possible drought.
Sungai Muntoh is believed to be founded by Chinese immigrants in early 19th century. The town’s booming mining business and rubber plantation drew foreign indentured labors from China and India, who were paid low wages.
Sungai Muntoh has itself placed in the history of mining and rubber plantation in Negeri Sembilan. Sungai Muntoh was the earliest and most reputable mining site in Jelebu back in the late 19th century. A lot of valuable centuries-old artifacts were found there and are now displayed in the state’s museum.
During World War II, when Jelebu was invaded by the Japanese, cruel acts performed on the locals included massacre and genocide. There were about 1,500 people killed during the Japanese invasion, and about 3,500 more in the rest of the state, making Negeri Sembilan one of the states having the highest death toll.