:''This article is about a state in
Malaysia. For the homonymous woody plant from which
canes are made, see
rattan. For the historical city in Malacca, see
Malacca Town. For an early sultanate based in the area, see
Malacca Sultanate.KL is the capital of melaca
:''Malacca is also another name for
Car Nicobar.
:''Malaca is also the
Phoenician name of
Guelma,
Algeria.
'Malacca' (
Malay: 'Melaka'), dubbed as ''The Historical State'' (Malay: Negeri Bersejarah) or ''The
Hang Tuah State'' (Malay: Negeri Hang Tuah) is the third smallest
state of
Malaysia, after
Perlis and
Penang. It is located in the southern region of the
Malay Peninsula, on the
Straits of Malacca. It borders
Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of
Johor to the east. The state's capital is
Malacca Town.
Although Malacca was once one of the oldest Malay sultanates, the state has no
Sultan today. Instead, the head of state is the ''
Yang di-Pertua Negeri'' or Governor.
Geography
The state of Malacca covers an area of 1,650-sq. km. or 1.3 percent of the whole area of
Malaysia. The state is divided into 3 districts, that is
Central Melaka (''Melaka Tengah'') (314 km²),
Alor Gajah (660 km²), and
Jasin (676 km²).
Malacca is located on the southwestern coast of
Malay Peninsula opposite
Sumatra, with the state of
Negeri Sembilan to the north and
Johor to the east. Malacca is also situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the West coast, 148 km south of
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and 245 km north of
Singapore and commanding a central position on the
Straits of Malacca. The state capital
Malacca Town is strategically located between the two national capitals (of Malaysia and Singapore respectively) and is linked with excellent roads and highways. Malacca is yet to have its own train station, though the terminal at Tampin,
Negeri Sembilan is easily accessible. It has a domestic airport terminal located in
Batu Berendam.
The offshore
Pulau Besar (Malacca) is also part of Malacca.
Demographics
Canals in Malacca
Malacca has a population of 759,000 as of
2007, being composed of:
★
Malays: 57%;
★
Chinese: 32%, including the
Peranakan community;
★
Indians, including the
Chitty people: a sizeable minority;
★
Kristang, people with partial
Portuguese ancestry: a small community.
The major towns of Malacca are
Malacca Town,
Alor Gajah,
Masjid Tanah,
Jasin,
Merlimau,
Pulau Sebang and
Ayer Keroh.
History
Sultanate of Malacca
The precise origins of Malacca are disputed. It appears that Malacca was founded by
Parameswara, a
Srivijayan prince of
Palembang who fled
Sumatra following a
Majapahit attack in 1377. He found his way to Malacca ''c.'' 1400 where he found a good port accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the
Malacca Straits.
[1]
According to a popular legend, Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river while hunting, when one of his dogs cornered a
mouse deer. In self-defence, the mouse deer pushed the dog into the river. Impressed by the courage of the deer, and taking it as a propitious omen of the weak overcoming the powerful, Parameswara decided on the spot to found an empire on the very place that he was sitting. He named it 'Melaka' after the tree under which he had taken shelter. Another version of the story says that Parameswara chose the name 'Malacca' from the Tamil word 'mallakka' which means upside down or on ones back. Old illustrations of the scene where the mousedeer kicks the dog shows the dog falling on its back into the river, hence the inspiration. Parameswara converted to
Islam in
1414 and changed his name to 'Raja Iskandar Shah'.
In collaboration with allies from the sea-people (''orang laut'') the wandering
proto-Malay privateers of the Straits, he established Malacca as major international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade.
Mass settlement of Chinese, mostly from the
imperial and
merchant fleet occurred during the reign of Parameswara, occurred in the vicinity of the ''Bukit China'' ("Chinese Hill") area, which had among the best
Feng Shui (
geomancy) in Malacca then. Sultan Iskandar Shah died in
1424, and was succeeded by his son, Sri Maharaja also called Sultan Muhammad Shah.
The prosperity of Malacca attracted the invasion of the
Siamese. Attempts in
1446 and
1456, however, were warded off by
Tun Perak, the then
Bendahara (a position similar to Prime Minister). The development of relations between Malacca and
China was at that time a strategic decision to ward off further Siamese attacks.
Because of its strategic location, Malacca was an important
outpost for
Zheng He's spectacular exploration fleet. To enhance relations,
Hang Li Po, allegedly a princess of the
Ming Emperor of China, arrived in Malacca, accompanied by 500 attendants, to marry Sultan
Manshur Shah who reigned from
1456 until
1477. Her attendants married the locals and settled mostly in ''Bukit China'' (
Bukit Cina).(See
Zheng He in Malacca).
A cultural result of the vibrant trade was the expansion of the
Peranakan people, who spread to other major settlements in the region.
During its heyday Malacca was a powerful Sultanate which extended its rule over the southern
Malay Peninsula and much of Sumatra. Its rise helped to hold off the Thai's southwards encroachment and arguably hasten the decline of the rival
Majapahit Empire of
Java which was in decline as Malacca was rising. Malacca was also central in the spread of Islam in the
Malay Archipelago.
European colonization
Malacca harbor in 1831.
In April 1511,
Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from
Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships.
[2] It became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the
East Indies.
Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca took refuge in the hinterland, and made intermittent raids both by land and sea, causing considerable hardship for the Portuguese. Finally in
1526, a large force of Portuguese ships, under the command of Pedro Mascarenhas, was sent to destroy
Bintan, where Sultan Mahmud was based. Sultan Mahmud fled with his family across the
Straits to
Kampar in
Sumatra, where he died two years later.
It soon became clear that Portuguese control of Malacca did not mean they now controlled Asian trade that centred around it. Their Malaccan rule was severely hampered by administrative and economic difficulties.
[3] Rather than achieving their ambition of dominating Asian trade, the Portuguese had fundamentally disrupted the organisation of the network. The centralised port of exchange of Asian wealth exchange had now gone, as was a Malay state to police the
Straits of Malacca that made it safe for commercial traffic. Trade was now scattered over a number of ports amongst bitter warfare in the Straits.
The
Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier spent several months in Malacca in
1545,
1546 and
1549. In
1641 the
Dutch defeated the Portuguese to capture Malacca with the help of the Sultan of
Johore. The Dutch ruled Malacca from
1641 to
1795 but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance to
Batavia (
Jakarta) in
Indonesia as their administrative centre.
Malacca was ceded to the
British in the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for
Bencoolen on Sumatra. From
1826 to
1946 Malacca was governed, first by the
British East India Company and then as a
Crown Colony. It formed part of the
Straits Settlements, together with
Singapore and
Penang. After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and Penang became part of the
Malayan Union, which later became Malaysia.
State government
Malacca is administered by its
State Assembly and Executive Committee (EXCO). The State Assembly represents the highest authority in the state and decides on policy matters. The EXCO is responsible to the State Assembly and comprises members who are appointed every five years by the political party in power. It is headed by the Governor (Yang Di-Pertuan Negeri) who is appointed by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
The
Chief Minister's Department is the administrative pillar of the State Government, and is responsible for the overall administration of the State, as well as its political interest. The administrative complex houses the Chief Minister's office, as well as the office of the
State Secretariat. For administrative purposes, Malacca is divided into three districts under separate jurisdiction:
★ Malacca Central District & Land Office
★ Alor Gajah District & Land Office
★ Jasin District & Land Office
These offices render various services and facilities to the people in their daily lives.
Economy
The
tourism and
manufacturing sectors are the two most important sectors in the state
economy. Malacca has adopted as its slogan, "Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia" ("''Melawat Melaka Bererti Melawati Malaysia''"). It is rich in cultural heritage and bears several places of historical interest.
Apart from tourism, Malacca is also a manufacturing centre for products ranging from food and consumer products, through
high-tech weaponry and
automotive components to
electronic and
computer parts. There are at least 23
industrial estates that houses some 500 factories from the
United States,
Germany,
Japan,
Taiwan, and
Singapore.
Education
Malacca has given birth to numerous successful Malaysians who have achieved immense success in Malaysia and abroad.
The state is much sought after for medical education with the setting up of the
Melaka Manipal Medical College. It has produced many doctors who are serving the country or working abroad since its inception in 1997.
The state also has a branch campus of
Multimedia University. The campus currently attracts many foreign students, especially those from the
Middle East and
Africa, through its computer and engineering programmes. The university also features degree programmes in fields like robotics, bio-instrumentation and law. Most of the student population of Multimedia University is drawn from its foundation programmes, also known as the Alpha Programmes.
Malacca also has several public universities and colleges such as, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, UTeM (previously known as Kolej Universiti Teknikal Kebangsaan Malaysia, KUTKM) and Kolej Yayasan Melaka.
Medicine
Malacca boasts of the most up to date medical infrastructure, comparable to developed countries. There are numerous hospitals, both government and private, spread throughout the state. They are listed below:
★ Government hospitals
★
★ Melaka General Hospital
★
★ Jasin District Hospital
Currently, both these government hospitals serve as teaching hospitals for
Melaka Manipal Medical College.
★ Private Hospitals
★
★ Putra Hospital (formerly known as Southern Hospital, owned by the state government)
★
★ Pantai Ayer Keroh
★
★ Mahkota Hospital (opposite Mahkota Parade)
Malacca's private healthcare services are becoming increasingly sought after by patients from as far away as Indonesia and Singapore.
Culture
Malacca is well-known for its food. Most notable of all is the
Nyonya-Baba cuisine which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay cooking with most dishes being spicy in nature. Interesting dishes of the Peranakan include Itek Tim (a soup containing duck and salted vegetables), Ayam Pong Teh (chicken casserole with salted brown-bean sauce) as well as the famous Nyonya
Laksa.
Baba-Nyonya house in Melaka
The Portuguese colonization of the early 16th century also contributed dishes like Devil's Curry and Portuguese tart to the town's already rich cuisine. The interesting Chinese cuisine in Malacca includes the popular
Chicken Rice Ball as well as
dodol, a sort of solidified pudding generally made with durian or coconut. Ikan Bakar restaurants are also popular in Malacca with places like Umbai, Serkam and Alai being the choice of the populace.
The average tourist can find most popular Malaccan cuisine at the foodcourts or ''medan selera'' as they are referred to in the local
Malay language.
Malacca's ethnic Portuguese population is a unique cultural and historical legacy of Portuguese colonization in the 16th and 17th century. Even to this day, many of the ancient traditions passed down since the Portuguese occupation are still practised, i.e. "Intrudu" (a water festival that marks the beginning of the
Catholic fasting season, the season of Lent), "branyu" (traditional dance), "santa cruz" (a yearly
fiesta of street celebrations).
Transport
Tampin, a town 30 km north of Malacca town, is the nearest
train station that serves Malacca. There were
railway tracks from Tampin to Malacca before
World War II but was dismantled by the
Japanese during the war for the construction of the infamous
Burmese Death Railway. It was never rebuilt after the war though traces of the line remain.
Malacca has a
bus station, Melaka Central which has air-conditioned waiting areas and separate areas for buses plying the town routes and for buses plying the intertown routes with regular
bus services to
Singapore,
Kuala Lumpur,
Johor Bahru, and other places in Malaysia.
Batu Berendam Airport in Batu Berendam mainly serves
chartered flights from around the region. It also serves as a flight school for Malaysia Flying Academy.
The Ayer Keroh exit at the
North-South highway is the main entry to Malacca. There are two additional exits along the North-South highway, namely the Alor Gajah and Jasin exits.
Popular historical attractions
Stadhuys building, Melaka.
Example of gravestone from St Francis Xavier Church.
★
Fort A Famosa: Constructed by the Portuguese in 1511, it suffered severe structural damage during the Dutch invasion. The plan by the British to destroy it was aborted as a result of the intervention of Sir
Stamford Raffles in
1808.
★
St. John's Fort: Reconstructed by the Dutch in the third quarter of the
18th century, the
cannons in this
fort point inwards towards the mainland because at that time, the threat to Malacca was mainly from inland rather than the sea.
★
St. Peter's Church: Constructed in
1710 under the Dutch administration, the church is the oldest
Catholic church in Malaysia. Its
facade and decorative embellishment is a mix of both eastern and western
architecture. Its
bell was delivered from
Goa in
1608.
★
St. Paul's Church: Constructed by the Portuguese
captain, Duarte Coelho, this church was named "Our Lady of The Hill", but was later turned into a burial ground by the Dutch for their noble dead, and renamed "St. Paul's Church". Currently the church is part of the Malaccan Museums Complex. The body of St. Francis Xavier was interred here temporarily before it was taken to Goa, India.
★
Christ Church: Constructed in
1753, the structure reflects original Dutch architecture. The building houses hand-crafted church benches, jointless ceiling
skylights, a
copper replica of the
Bible, a
headstone written in the
Armenian language, and a replica of "
The Last Supper".
★
Francis Xavier Church: This
Gothic church was built by the
French priest, Father Paderi Fabre, in
1849, to commemorate St. Francis Xavier who is also known as the "Apostle of the East". St. Francis Xavier is credited for his Catholic
missionary work in
Southeast Asia during the
16th century.
★
Stadhuys Building: Constructed in
1650 as the residence of the Dutch Governor and his deputy, the structure reflects Dutch architecture. It is today the "Museum of History and
Ethnography". The
museum exhibits traditional wedding clothes and
artifacts of Melaka, dating back to its days of glory.
★
Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat): This street is famous for its
antique goods. It is also famous for its carnival-like atmosphere during weekend nights.
★
Portuguese Square Perhaps the right phrase to infer strong affinity to Portugal would be 'Mini Lisbon'. Located within the Portuguese Settlement, the square is the culmination of Portuguese culture in its full splendour and colours.
In order to attract more tourists to Malacca, the State government has built a number of museums to house its rich cultural heritage.
Key people from Malacca
The following is a list of historically significant as well as well-known contemporary personages who are either born in Malacca, or otherwise, significantly linked to the history of Malacca:
★
Shirley Geok-lin Lim, award winning novelist, writer and Professor of English,
University of California at Santa Barbara[1][2][3]
★ Maria Jane Dyer a.k.a.
Maria Jane Taylor, born in Malacca in 1837, pioneer missionary to
China, daughter of
Samuel Dyer and
Maria (Tarn) Dyer, she became the wife of
James Hudson Taylor, founder of the
China Inland Mission.
See also
★
Zheng He
★
Portuguese Malacca
★
Dutch Malacca
References
Notes
1. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300, 2nd Edition, , M.C., Ricklefs, MacMillan, , ISBN 0-333-57689-6
2. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300, 2nd Edition, , M.C., Ricklefs, MacMillan, , ISBN 0-333-57689-6
3. A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300, 2nd Edition, , M.C., Ricklefs, MacMillan, , ISBN 0-333-57689-6
External links
★
Official Malacca government website
★
Collection of static maps of Malacca
★
Melaka.TV
★
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Strait of Malacca - full access article
★
Portuguese rule in Malacca
★
Dutch rule in Malacca
★
RoyalArk- Malaysia- Malacca-Johor mainly genealogy and (dynastic) history
★
WorldStatesmen Malay states
★
Littoral states move closer for Strait of Malacca security Article about security in Strait of Malacca
★
★
Satellite Images of Malacca at Google Maps
★
Malacca Placemarks for Google Earth
★
WWF-Malaysia's Hawksbill Turtles Satellite Telemetry Website WWF-Malaysia's website featuring the journey of two satellite tracked hawksbill turtles and other information about hawksbill turtles in the region of Malacca, Malaysia.
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