Negeriku Sayang-Pencalonan

Sebagai sebuah negeri yang melalui sejarah yang agak panjang. Melaka mempunyai keunikan- keunikan yang tersendiri yang mempunyai nilai warisan yang boleh ditonjolkan di peringkat antarabangsa.

Melaka mempunyai cita-cita yang tinggi dan ingi dilihat setaraf dengan bandar-bandar lain dalam konteks warisan. Oleh yang demikian, inisiatif utnuk menempatkan Melaka dalam senarai World Heritage List kelolaan UNESCO adalam platform terbaik untuk tujuan itu.

Dipetik dan diubahsuai dari http://whc.unesco.org/

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage.

What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

UNESCO Convention concerning
The protection of World Cultural
And Natural Heritage

NOMINATION OF THE

HISTORIC INNER CITY OF MELAKA
FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST




INTRODUCTION

MELAKA (or previously written as Malacca), is one of the thirteen states of modern Malaysia. It is located on about 70 kilometres of the south-west coast of the Malay Peninsula, along the Straits Melaka, 20 N of the equator. It began as a small fishing settlement and grew to become a legendary Malay emporium and capital before it fell into the hands of the Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British, with a short interuption by the Japanese during the World War 2.

At its peak Melaka was so important to Europeans that a map of Asia published in 1552 by the German mapmaker Sebastian Munster stated the name Malacca as the Malay Peninsula. Munster was using information gathered centuries earlier by the Graeco-Egyptian astronomer and geographer Clausius Ptolemy who had referred to the region as the Chersonesus Aurea, or 'golden peninsula', because ancient legends and biblical references suggested that the area around Melaka (Mount Ophir I Gunung Ledang 7) may have been the source of King Solomon's (Raja Sulaiman) wealth. Munster also used newer information from Marco Polo after his thirteenth-century journey through the region.

The origin of Melaka name has been debated by historians and etymologists, but most accept a derivation from the tree commonly called pokok (tree) Melaka in Malay because Malays traditionally named a place for its geographic or botanic features. Emanuel Godinho de Ereddia, a Portugues-Eurasian who married to a Bugis Princess, wrote about Melaka in 1613, and Tun Sri Lanang the author of the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) both agreed that the name Melaka comes from the fruit of a tree native to the area.

Eredia (quoted in Mills) wrote. "Malacca" means myrobalans, the fruit of a tree growing along the banks of a river ….. Which flows down from its source on the hill of 'buquet' China (Chinese Hill) to the sea, on the coast of the mainland. Because the dried fruits of this tree have an asteingent flavour, the association between the fruit and the name becomes clear.

Of the two species of trees that produce this fruit one, the Phullanthus emblica is widely planted for its large, juicy fruits used in cooking, but it was probably the Malayan native Phyllantshus Pectinata that shaded the founder of Melaka, Prince Parameswara.
Melaka location at a narrow point in the Straits, has been its destiny. Historically, the Malay (Malayo) world, a loose term that includes the peoples of the Malay archipelago as well as the peninsula, valued location more than natural resources in determining sites for its kingdoms. Protected harbours and navigable rivers were important, but more critical was Melaka position in relation to seasonal winds, or monsoons. Seafaring traders found Melaka ideally situated on the waterway that connects the Indian Ocean with the South China sea, half-way between India and China, on the peninsula where the two monsoons meet.

For centuries sailors relied on the prevailing seasonal winds, which usually coincided with a rainy season, to push them along, as it was difficult to soil in ancient ships against the wind. Ships from China sailed south in the north-east monsoon, between November and March, and merchants from India sailed with the south-west monsoon toward the Straits during April to October. The harbours of the peninsula, especially those on the west coast, sheltered shipping regulated by the monsoons, so that traders could unload their cargoes at Melaka warehouses, then wait in safety to begin the return voyaye on the next monsoon.

Melaka offered other advantages as well. Unlike much of the coastline in the region, it had beaches, not mangrove swamps. The Straits are navigable all year round and for centuries the harbour at Melaka was deep enough to allow large ocean-going vessels to anchor close to shore because the river made a deep channel on the northen side (at present old residential area) of the estuary. Since the mid-nineteenth century, however, the harbour has silted up so much from overbuilding on the river embankments and the dumping of wastes that modern ships with greater draughts must anchor about 2 kilometres off-shore.

Equally important to sailors was the Melaka River and its tributaries which served as a source of fresh water. Divinded the town into two parts, the river gave access to the safety of the interior, connecting with an inland waterway, and provided the means to bring forest produce - rattans, canes, gums and resins - to market. Moreover, the Melaka Hill (now known as St. Paul's Hill) which overlooks the estuary offered a natural defensive position where the Sultan built a Mahligai (Grand Palace) on top of the hill. The Portuguese built a stone fortress surrounded the hill in the sixteent century.










1.0 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY

FOR THE NOMINATION INTO WORLD HERITAGE LIST



1.1 Country / State / Property

Federation of Malaysia, State of Melaka, Conservation Zone I of the Structure Plan of Historic City of Melaka


1.2 Exact Location on map and indication of geographical co­ordinates

Lies on Iatitute 2º.2' North and Ion gitute 102º East (refer to attached maps)

1.3 Name of Property

The Cultural Property encloses the oldest part (18th century) of the historic inner city of Melaka (Conservation Zone 1) and a number of Essential Listed Monuments, both inside and outside the protected townscape reflecting the character of Old Malacca. The area covers 25 hectars or less than I % of the Municipality of the Historic City of Melaka.

The area comprised of three major protected areas within the conservation zone of the city.
1. St. Paul's Hill Civic Zone

St. Paul's Hill has always been the seat of the governing bodies from the time Melaka was founded to the present day. The establishment of a kingdom at the locality was due to its commanding position facing the river mounth and the Straits of Malacca and protected from the interior by a vast swampy area. Known as Bukit Melaka during the Sultanate era, its was a royal abode as well as the seat of power of the Sultans. The Portuguese simply called the area as 'Oiteiro' or Hill . They built a fortress around this hill which completed in 1548 and stayed within the walls. On top of it, they also built among other things a church. The Dutch, who took over the church, turned it into a protestant church and named St. Paul's Church. The hill was renamed St. Paul's Hill and remained so ever since. The hill also continued to be the seat of power of the British-Melaka government and the state government of independent Melaka . In order to preserve the historical remnants of this area the State Government of Melaka in 1988 prohibits any new development other than those historical related projects and hence the enactment of Preservation and Conservation of Malacca Cultural Heritage Enacment 1988 was established.


2. The residential Area of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock - Jalan Hang Jebat - Jalan Tukang Emas - Jalan Tukang Besi - Jalan Tokong

This was the most important residential area of the bygone era which located on the northern or left bank of Melaka River. The Bendahara or Prime Minister's residence and the famous Melaka Bazaar were both located in the vicinity during the Sultanante period.

The Portuguese then change the racial composition of the settlement by locating those supported them closer to the fortress (Fortaleza de Malacca). By the same token the Dutch did the same when they came to power. In addition, the Dutch also built two residential areas for the Dutch outside the fort, one for the rich and the other for the commoners, and named them as Hereen Street and Jonker Street respectively. Among the locals this area aptly called Kampong Belanda or Dutch Village. When the Dutch left, the Strait-born Chinese took over these residential areas, modified the façade of the buildings slightly and resided therein ever since. Kampong Kling (Indian Village), Kampong Jawa (Javanese Village), Kampong Serani (Eurasian Village) and Kampong China (Chinese Village) establised along racial lines still exist today but no longer reflect the racial composition of the populace. In is also in this area one can find a mosque, Indian Temple, Chinese Temple and Church located next to each other representing the harmony of the multi-racial groups. This Temples Street (Jalan Tukang Emas, Jalan Tukang Besi and Jalan Tokong) is better known as Harmony Street.
3. The Melaka River (which separate the above two areas)

Melaka City like most ancient towns throughout the world was first set up on a river bank as it provides easy trasportation and supply of fresh water.

Melaka River played an important part in making Melaka 'the Emporium of the East'. The Chinese admiral Cheng Ho's assistant, Ma Huan, from the Ming Court, who came to Melaka in 1409 wrote about Melaka river as follow: ' .... to the south east is the ocean, to the northwest the mainland, which is continued as a chain of mountains
.... A sizeable stream flows by the royal palace before entering the sea. Over this, King has built a bridge .... ' The Portuguese recorded the existence of the river and they came-up river using a Chinese junk to capture the bridge that span the river and eventually captured Kingdom of Melaka in 1511. Sea going vessels moored off the river mouth a little distance away but smaller ships sailed into the interior and this was the only mode of transportation as there was no established road. To this day barter trade is still being carried out at the estuary between Melaka and Sumatra, Indonesia.

The attached map (Map 6) drawn in 1613 shows the alignment of the Melaka river and its surroundings. The Dutch even diverted some of its water into the moat they dug around the St. Paul's Hill turning that hill into an island (Map 7).



Due to modern developments, the river has been neglected. However efforts are being made to improve the overall cleanliness of the river.

The Malacca River Enhancement Study was undertaken as part of the joint Malaysian Danish Malacca River Rihabilitation Project. The overall objectives of this particular component are improvement of the quality of the river and of the adjacent environment for the benefit of residents of Melaka town and tourism.

Malacca River Rihabilitation Project, initiated in January 1996 and designed for a duration of 2 ½ years, is a comprehensive project dealing with numerous issues in urban environmental management and minimisation of industrial pollution. The project is executed as a joint exercise between a wide range of Malaysia organisations such as Drainage and Irrigation Department, Department of Environment, Malacca Museums Corporation and Local Authorities.

The purpose of the Malacca River Environmental Enchancement component is to review the town planning issues pertaining to development of the Melaka down town corridor within the Old Malacca (stretching from the first bridge - Tan Kim Seng bridge to the forth bridge - Hang Jebat Bridge). The overall objective is to come up with a practical recommendation on riverbank environmental enchancement. The scope of the study involved an examination of current development plans, an architectural review of the river environment and a sociological perception survey of residents along the river corridor.

The proposed overall plan for river bank / corridor development attempts to integrate the new development zones and the Cultural Heritage Zones of Old Malacca. The plan is prepared taking into account the current development trends in the new Central Business District, policies of the local plan, the long term traffic circulation system and the need to protect the designated conservation zone. The key feature of the plan is the Melaka Trail - a pedestrian walkway system involving a combination of raod side lanes, five­footways and a river board walk. This is to complement the already approved pedestrianisation project of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street) and Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street). Proposed by Malacca Municipal Council and Heritage of Malaysia Trust.

2.0 JURIDICAL DATA

2.1 Owner / Legal / Status


The owners of the designated area are the State Government of Melaka and private individuals.

The proposed designated area comprises land belonging to the State Government and its agencies as well as private persons and organisations. The privately owned land are of 2 types, that is, the open title and the Malacca Customary Land title.

2.2 Responsible agencies

Currently there are three governmental agencies responsible for the safeguarding of cultural heritage and "carrying out" conservation and preservation work in the state of Melaka;

2.2.1. The Museum Department and its regional divisin (Federal Department)

Mainly concern in monuments conservation and archaelogical sites. The museum department has its own committee system to oversee the carrying out of its function under the Antiquity Act, 1976. (Under the Local Government Act 1976, some progressive local authorities like Melaka Municipal Council have their own committees for such purpose)

2.2.2. Local Authorities I Municipalities

Development control within conservation zones designated in the Structural Plan.

2.2.3. Malacca Museums Corporation

Working hand in hand with the authority and municipality

The Preservation and Conservation of Cutlral Heritage Enactment for the State of Melaka (1988) confers the power to administer and manage the cultural heritage in the designated area into the Malacca Museums Corporation. In discharging its responsibilities, the Museum shall be acting on the direction of the State Authority and the advice of the Preservation and Conservation Committee. The Committee is established at the State level by the State Authority and is manned by persons having wide experience and expertise in the field of preservation and conservation.

The Committee consist of

i. i. a Chairman, who shall be the person for the time being holding the office of the Chief Minister, Melaka;

ii. ii. a Deputy Chairman;
iii. iii. the State Secretary;
iv. iv. the State Legal Adviser;
v. v. the Financial officer
vi. vi. a representative of the Director-General of Museums, Malaysia;
vii. vii. a representative of the Director of State Public Works Department;
viii. viii. not more than five other persons who in the opinion of the State Authority have wide experience and expertise in the field of preservation and cultural heritage.

Under the Enactment, the State Authority (Malacca Museums Corporation) is conferred with the authority to declare a certain cultural heritage by notification in the gazette which by virtue of its appearance or significance is to be subjected to preservation and conservation. Once a cultural heritage is declared as such, it becomes a controlled heritage whereby the owner's freedom to deal with the property is somewhat restricted.
3.0 BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The City of Melaka has undergone its third urbanisation. Established as Kingdom of Melaka in 1396 by Prince Parameswara after the fall of Temasik Kingdom (Ancient Singapore). It was gradually establised itself as the metropolitan trading city since then which reach her glorious period by the middle of 15th Century during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah, 1455 - 1477. In the words of Portuguese recorder who travelled to Melaka in 1512, Tome Pires in his famous book 'Suma Oriental, Melaka was stated as 'so famous and prosperous that in my mind there is no other place like it anywhere else in this world' . Melaka was an international market - place, a capital, in Pires' words, 'Made for merchandise'. But what ever existed was virtually destroyed after the Portuguese siege in particular the palaces and the religious buildings which were the most prominent structures. The Portuguese virtually took control of Melaka in 1511. By the year 1588, Melaka became a complete walled city built by the Portuguese similar to that Medieval Europe.

When the Dutch ruled Melaka beginning 1641, most of the Portuguese structures were also destroyed due to the long war and the Dutch then planned Melaka as another Dutch city both within and outside the surviving Potuguese wall (the Dutch was the first colonial master who built residential area outside the fort because the Portuguese only confined themselves within the wall they built). The Dutch after 183 years handed over Melaka to the British in 1824 in exchange of Bengkulu (Bencoolen) in Sumatra under the Treaty Of London.

The prominance of Melaka as entreport faded under British as the British paid more empasis on Penang and Singapore leaving Melaka as'sleepy hollow with ruins. Thus Old Malacca remain as what has been planned by the Dutch. However the most prominent structure, the Kota or Fort from which the name Kota Melaka (Fort City Of Melaka) derived, was edstroyed by the British in 1816 when the Dutch temporarily handed over in 1795 due to Napoleonic War in Europe. Also during the British period, saw a drastic changes to the urban lanscape of the former fort city as in 1921, the British started the first land reclamation to accommodate public square which now known as Padang Pahlawan, or the 'Worrior Field', an historic venue where the Father of Malaysia announced the date of the nation independence in 1956.

Realising the important of the rich legacies of the past, the State government of Melaka has enacted Conservation and Preservation of Cultural heritage Enactment in 1988 with a view to declare the Old Malacca as heritage site. The Malaysian Government in regconising the cultural heritage of Melaka had declared Melaka as Historical City on April 15, 1989. Following to that, the Old Malacca was finally gazzetted as Grade I Conservation Zone in the Structure Plan of the Municipality of Historic City of Melaka. With that, the area was put under a strict development control with set of guidelinens. The Enacment confers the power for the management and admininstration of the area to Municipality of Historic City of Melaka and Malacca Museums Corporation with advice from the Preservation and Conservation Committee headed by the Melaka Chief Minister is testimony of our rich cultural melting pot. With most monuments still well intact and nicely preserve, Melaka deserve a recognition in word heritage mapping.

However, Old Malacca is more than 4408 heritage monuments and well preserved cultures. It is about the glory of the longest - lasting commercial empire in the history of the world.


3.1 The History of Conservation in Melaka

During the British Melaka period, the Melaka State Government then under the name Settlement Secretariat Malacca passed an enactment in the year 1934 to protect historical monuments. Only one monument, Perigi Raja or the King's Well, was gazetted under this enacment. The well is located at the foot of Bukit Chinese Hill. Bukit China which once the largest Chinese Cementary outside Mainland China is now a conservation area covering an area of 98 hectars.

Immediately after idenpendence, the Federal Government enacted the 'Antiquities and Treasure Troves ordinance' in 1957 (refer to Appendix IV). It compliments and enhances the enactments of the various States pertaining to this subject. This Ordinance enabled the Department of Museums and Antiquities to take the necessary steps
to protect monuments in Malaya by initiating maintenance works on dilapidated monuments.

When the Archaelogy Division was established within the Department set-up in 1969, preservation and conservation of the historical monuments was conducted more seriously. In this respect, efforts have been made to acquire the necessary expertise by sending officials from the Museums Department overseas and / or by inviting experts to Malaysia to advise the officials in this field. By 1973, steps have been taken to protect and preserve the neglected monuments including beautification as well as providing the necessary facilities for the convenience of the public visiting the archaeological sites.

3.2 The Present Legislation and Law

i. Antiquities Act ,1976 (Appendix V) (Replaced by Akta Warisan Kebangsaan 2005)
Antiquity Act 1976 is the improvement of Antiquities and Treasure Troves Ordinance 1957. The act inter alia provides for the control and preservation of, and research into ancient and historical monuments. An ancient monuments is defined as any monument which is or reasonably believed to be at least 100 years old, or which is declared as one; a historical site means a site declared as such by the Minister of Culture, Art and Tourism.

The main provisions of the Act can be summarized as follows:

• A requirement to declare specifically any monument or site to be designated for protection in every state.

No building or monument that has been designated can be demolished or altered without permission of the Director General of the Museum Department.

The Act gives powers to carry out arrangements and to make a contribution towards the cost of repair and conservation. It is also to purchase or lease, and to remove buildings for the benefit of such purposes.

The penalties Part VIII, (4), states that any person who contravenes section 16, commits an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding 3 months or fine not exceeding M$500.00.


I. Care of Private Properties

The Direstor General of Museum has statutory powers to undertake the repair, purchase or lease and remove whole or part of ancient monuments and historic sites in the hand of private owners (Part IV sec. 17)

ii. Town and Country Planning Act, 1976

The Town and Country Planning Act of 1976, provides for the proper control and regulation of town and country planning in the local authorities. For the purpose of conservation, it is provided under sec. 58 of the 1976 Town and Country Planning Act, that the State authority may make rules inter alia, for the "protection of ancient monuments. Land and buildings of historic or arch itectural interese.

The manual of development plans (JPBD, 1981) identifies Conservation, Townscape and Landscape as a subject for the Structure Plan. (The Conservation Zones in Historic City Of Malacca are also gazzeted under the Structure Plan of the city).


iii. Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage
Enactment of State of Melaka 1988 (revised 1993) (Appendix VI)

This Act only applies to the State of Melaka. The Enactment stipulates that:

"The State Authorities may on the recommendation of the Local Authorities and the advise of the Committee appointed, declare by notification of gazette any cultural herftage the character or appearance of which is desirable
to preserve, conserve or enchance, to be the subject to preservation or conservation and may designate the area within which such heritage is located as conservation area .

The formulation of this enactment is to compliment the existing Antiquity Act, 1976 and to fill in it's legislative gaps. It also gives greater form of incentives (section 15 & 16) and also a greater consequences of punishment (sec.17; M$10,000.00 or 5 years imprisonment), as a sure deterrent to deafulters. At the same time allowing the setting up of special funds (to date only 1 Million Ringgit or US$400,000.00 being donated by the private agencies) and conservation committee to oversee the running of conservation works. This committee is brought the Local Council, the State and the Federal Government together.


4.0 SURVEY AND ANALYSIS
(Refer to Appendix VII-tidak dilampirkan)


5.0 LISTING AND DESIGNATING OF MONUMENTS AND SITES

(Refer to Appendix -Tidak dilampirkan)