Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan Malay: Podeksen), colloquially referred to as PD, is a beach resort in Port Dickson District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in the state after Seremban, the state capital. The town's administration is run by the Port Dickson Municipal Council (; MPPD), formerly known as the Port Dickson Sanitary Board () from 29 March 1928 until 28 February 1950, Port Dickson Town Board () from 1 March 1950 until 30 November 1979, and Port Dickson District Council () from 1 December 1979 until 1 February 2002.
History
Port Dickson used to produce
charcoal and was therefore called Arang (Malay: "charcoal"). It was later developed as a small port by the British during the Straits Settlements period. Historically, what is today Port Dickson and nearby
Lukut were part of the
luak (chiefdom) of Kelang, one of the original nine that formed the first iteration of
Negeri Sembilan in 1773.
By the early 1800s, it had become part of
Selangor. On 30 July 1880, a meeting was held in
Singapore between Abdul Samad of Selangor (then sultan of Selangor), Raja Bot (the ruler of Lukut district), Dato' Kelana of
Sungai Ujong, as well as the British, in which Selangor ceded the district of Lukut to Sungai Ujong (which later became the modern-day Negeri Sembilan).
Tin ore was plentiful in Lukut during the 1820s, and it attracted Chinese migrant miners. The British considered the area to have great potential as a harbour, and it was intended to supersede the port in Pengkalan Kempas. The name of the officer in charge was Dickson, and the town was thereafter named after him. Others claim that John Frederick Dickson, colonial secretary,
Since 1933, Port Dickson has been home to a number of Malaysian Army camps, such as the Army Basic Training Centre, Sebatang Karah, Segenting, Si Rusa, and Sunggala.
Economy
A
resort town, Port Dickson thrives primarily on tourism. Nevertheless, there are other sectors that contribute to its economic growth. Along with
Seremban, Port Dickson is part of the Malaysia Vision Valley, a growth corridor jointly initiated by both the federal and state governments that aims to develop the western half of Negeri Sembilan to complement existing development in the neighbouring
Klang Valley and the Greater Kuala Lumpur area as a whole.
Oil and gas production
Port Dickson has two refineries, which make significant contributions to the local economy.
Shell plc Refining Company (SRC) has been operating since 1962,
while Petron (formerly
ExxonMobil Malaysia) has been operating a refinery since 1963.
In 2016, SRC underwent a transition of its major shareholder to Malaysia Hengyuan International Limited, which holds an equity stake of 51.02 percent, and SRC was renamed Hengyuan Refining Company.
Tourism
The long beach from
Tanjung Gemuk to
Tanjung Tuan is a holiday destination for local visitors, especially those from the Klang Valley. Additionally, many
Singaporeans have invested in holiday homes in and around Port Dickson. Over the years, many hotels and resorts were opened to capitalize on the tourist draw. In the 1990s, Port Dickson boomed, with new hotels and resorts being planned and constructed. Due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, however, many of these projects stalled, leaving many unfinished buildings scattered along the Port Dickson coastline.
Sailing-related
Linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Straits of Malacca is the shortest sea route between three of the world's most populous countries—India, China, and Indonesia. Inspired by the sea trade, expats founded the Royal Port Dickson Yacht Club (RPDYC) in 1927, which still offers
dinghy sailing courses and runs
.
The newer, five-star Admiral Marina & Leisure Club has dock facilities for yacht travellers, sailboats, and luxury cruisers. It is a transit point for racing sailboats joining the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, Royal Langkawi International Regatta, and Thailand's Phuket King's Cup Regatta. Admiral Marina also hosted the disabled sailing events of the 2009 ASEAN ParaGames and the 2006 FESPIC Games.
Commerce
One of the largest companies originating from Port Dickson is
Alpro Pharmacy. It was founded in 2001, with its first outlet set up at Oceanic Mall (currently Regina Mall).
The company has numerous branches across Malaysia.
Politics
The town is represented in the
Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament as the Port Dickson federal constituency. As of 2025, it is represented by
Aminuddin Harun of the PKR.
In turn, Port Dickson contributes five seats to the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly:
Transportation
Car
Port Dickson is easily accessible from most major towns in Peninsular Malaysia. The Seremban–Port Dickson Highway (operated by
PLUS Expressways) or the Federal Route 53 connect the town to Seremban, the state capital.
Federal Route 5 runs through downtown Port Dickson and links it to Malacca and then Johor Bahru due south, or Kuala Langat, Klang, and Ipoh due north.
Public transportation
In the past, a 39 km-long branch line of the KTMB network linked Port Dickson to , but operations ceased in 2008. There were plans to reopen the line for freight and passenger services,
but no activity had taken place by 2020. Starting in July 2022, the line was dismantled.
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