In ancient times, the Muar and Pahang rivers were nearly connected at a place called Jempol specifically in town of Bahau, in present-day Negeri Sembilan, where the Muar meets the Jempol River. The Serting River, not far from the confluence of the former two, flows into the Bera River, a tributary of the Pahang. The Penarikan allowed trading boats between ports and harbours or places from both sides of the Malay Peninsula, such as traders from Malacca or Muar who could continue their journey along the Muar until they reached Kuala Pahang in Pekan, or Kuala Lipis to continue into Terengganu, Kelantan or Perak.

At the Penarikan, the locals help are required, to pull the boats overland. The distance is about 300 meters and because of the action of pulling of boats overland, the route is named Penarikan, which is the Malay word for pulling.

The Penarikan could have been discovered circa 14th century.^[3] Arab merchants were actively trading as well as spreading Islam. When Malacca was discovered, they came to Malacca for trade and at the same time; the Pasai came to Malacca too to acquire their daily sundries. The Arabs learned of the Laluan Penarikan from the Pasai.^{[citation needed]}

The Penarikan played a vital role in the military operations between Siam and Malacca. Using this route, the Siamese have launched many attacks against Malacca. A troop was sent to make an ambush. Half of the troop stayed near the Penarikan as backup and the other half attacked Malacca. However, the backup group has another mission, they have to dig a big canal measuring 30 feet by 20 feet in depth, so that they could connect the two rivers, Jempol and Serting River.

A leader of the Siamese army was later buried near the Penarikan. The tombstone was believed to have been transported all the way from Siam. The Siamese leader's grave could still be found near the route, which dates back to 1265.

The Penarikan has also witnessed many significant events in history. The famous Malaccan warrior Hang Tuah, while on the run with Tun Teja, used Penarikan to flee to Pahang. The last Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mahmud Shah, after the conquest of Malacca by the Portuguese Empire had also used Penarikan to escape to Pahang.^[4]

In 1613, a Portuguese officer wrote that he took a boat ride from Muar to Pekan, and the journey took him six days. A map produced in 1598 showed that the Muar River and the Pahang River is connected at a place which is now called Serting in Negeri Sembilan.

The Muar River - Pahang River Penarikan route is a safer route to the South China Sea or to the Straits of Malacca, because there were no disturbances and threats of piracy that reign the seas.

Apart from that there were also signs of trading activities, whereby goods changed hands at this point. These means the boats from Pahang with the produce they carry stopped here, transact and pick up goods that are east bound and return to Pahang. Similarly, boats from Muar, bringing goods from Malacca and Singapore were brought to the Penarikan, where barter trade occurred.

• Spice trade
• Silk Road

Successor cross-peninsular routes nearby

• Malaysia Federal Route 9
• Malaysia Federal Route 10
• Malaysia Federal Route 12
• KTM Intercity from Gemas to Mentakab

• N. Rajendra, "Retracing the Penarikan Route", Malaysia in History 12(2), March 1969.
• P. Borschberg, The Singapore and Melaka Straits. Violence, Security and Diplomacy in the 17th Century, Singapore: NUS Press, 2010.

2°47′59.1″N 102°22′23.0″E / 2.799750°N 102.373056°E / 2.799750; 102.373056