On a bright Sunday morning on Feb 8, a group of 13 participants did something unusual at the end of a three-hour heritage walk in Seremban — they broke into song.
Standing at Lorong Seni Seremban, beneath a mural honouring the Blues Gang, they sang Apo Nak Di Kato, a Negeri Sembilan classic that speaks of kampung life, rubber tapping and small-town aspirations.
It was not a performance. It was participation. It was connection.
The moment neatly captured what the Seremban Heritage Walk, led by licensed tour guide Jasmine Leow, is all about — making heritage interactive, personal and memorable.
The Feb 8 walk marked the third edition this year, following two earlier sessions on Jan 18 and Jan 31 - with the support of the Negeri Sembilan Tourism Board (NSTB). In all three walks, Apo Nak Di Kato was sung towards the end of Lorong Seni.
Jasmine, a City and Nature Tour Guide licensed under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) and a certified HRD Corp Accredited Trainer, had earlier conducted a two-day Seremban Heritage Trail Walking Workshop at Bangunan White House last October. Twenty-five participants, including many tourist guides, attended the workshop.
Rather than letting the workshop end as theory, she followed up by organising actual heritage walks — leading by example.
On Feb 8, the participants included volunteer guides from Muzium Negara, comprising present and retired tourist guides well-versed in Malaysian history, culture and architecture.
With Jasmine — a graduate of MAS Academy and a two-time Discova Top Guide Award recipient (January and July 2025) — the three-hour walk was never going to be just a standard recitation of dates and buildings.
Her approach is immersive; others would term it interpretative. But it’s the way she weaves the narratives of places, the storytelling, that makes her walks interesting.
During a visit to Sarawak in 2017, she performed the traditional Hornbill Dance (Datun Julud), complete with traditional attire and hand fans inspired by hornbill feathers. For her, culture is meant to be experienced.
As with previous editions, the Seremban Heritage Walk began at the stately Bangunan White House. Perched on a hill overlooking the Seremban Lake Gardens, Istana Hinggap and Wisma Negeri, the building evokes the colonial era under British administration. It once served as the State Secretariat and later as the state public library. Today, it houses the NSTB office.
From there, participants moved on foot to the Church of the Visitation, passed through parts of Little India, and stopped at landmarks including Lieh Sheng Gong Temple, the Old Seremban Police Station, Masjid Jamek Seremban, Sungei Ujong Walk — a route that reflects the town’s multi-cultural layers.
For the walk climax, Leow adds her twist and introduces her own style.
“At Lorong Seni, we try to make things interactive and participative,” she quipped.
“We want people to connect with local places, culture and heritage, not just take them there.”
A few participants tried a refreshing “three-in-one” drink — freshly squeezed sugar cane juice mixed with coconut water and scoops of coconut flesh.
“We jokingly say it’s newly invented. Many participants, including locals, had not tried three-in-one before,” she added.
“After walking three hours around Seremban, it just tastes refreshing.”
More importantly, the heritage walk participants are also invited to sing.
Apo Nak Di Kato — translated as “What Is There Left to Say” — mentions the local towns of Kuala Pilah, Tampin, Seremban and Port Dickson. Sung in the Negeri Sembilan loghat dialect, a Malay variant with Minang roots, the song narrates everyday life in a light, rhythmic kampung style.
Originally popularised by Blues Gang — recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as Malaysia’s oldest blues band — the song resonates strongly with locals and Malaysians of the older generation.
“We make it a point to sing Apo Nak Di Kato right at the site of the Blues Gang mural,” Leow smiled with pride.
“It helps people connect with the Negeri Sembilan way of life and dialect. It’s one of the ways they remember the walk.”
For many participants, the experience reframes their perception of Seremban.
Muruka Nathan, who joined the Jan 31 walk with friends from Kuala Lumpur, said: “I must really tell you that this is the Seremban many of us never knew. Every explanation was fantastic — interesting and systematic; especially by Jasmine. The best part was we ended up at Lorong Seni and singing Apo Nak Di Kato.”
Zac Cheong, who attended the walks on Jan 18 and Jan 31, noted: “I learned more about Seremban on this walk than in all my previous visits. It wasn’t just historical facts. It was the storytelling and local insights. If I had come on my own, I would never have gone to Lorong Seni to drink sugar cane or coconut water — and certainly wouldn’t have ended up singing.”
For Lorna Marie Haizelden, a Muzium Negara volunteer who joined the Feb 8 walk, the architectural diversity stood out. “I come from Liverpool. It’s amazing to see neo-classical architecture you would normally associate with England preserved here. Seremban has such a variety — very multicultural. Lorong Seni celebrates all aspects of Malaysian culture. I think I will come back here with my husband next time.”
Kulwant, a Muzium Negara volunteer who joined the Feb 8 walk, admitted she previously bypassed Seremban enroute to Melaka for historical attractions. “Now you’ve shown us another version of Seremban beyond the industries and factories. We get to see the other side of Seremban, the life and people here. I can now feel the heartbeat of the town. We will definitely recommend this heritage walk to our friends. The walk exceeded my expectation. Thank you, Jasmine. Not only did I learn so much but I can now feel the heartbeat of Seremban. I will definitely come back to Seremban.”
That heartbeat, perhaps, lies not only in its buildings but in its people, in its art, culture and heritage that had been brought out — and finally, in a song sung together at the end of a walk.
At the Seremban Heritage Walk, heritage is not merely observed.
It is experienced.
NOTE: The Seremban Heritage Walk shall be held every Tuesday at 9.00am, starting from March 2026. For other dates or groups, terms and conditions apply. To register for this event, guests can access or enquire via this form: https://forms.gle/644sLB6qti2B91CY8
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