Malacca

Melaka
Malacca Melaka Negeri Bersejarah

	File:Lambang Melaka.png
State Flag	Coat of Arms

State motto: Bersatu Teguh (Malay, "United We Stand")

Capital

Malacca Town

Yang di-Pertua Negeri

Tun Datuk Seri Utama Mohd Khalil Yaakob

Chief Minister

Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam

Area

1,650 km²

Population
- Estimated

648,500

State anthem

Melaka Maju Jaya

This article is about a state in Malaysia. For the homonymous woody plant from which canes are made, see rattan. Malacca is also another name for Car Nicobar

Malacca (Jawi: ملاك; Malay: Melaka), dubbed as Negeri Bersejarah (Malay: historical state) or Negeri Hang Tuah (Hang Tuah state) is the second smallest state in Malaysia. It is located in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. The state's capital is Malacca Town.

Although Malacca was the original Malay sultanate, the state has no Sultan today. Instead, the head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor.

Geography

Malacca is on the southwest coast of the Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the states of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the east.

The offshore Pulau Besar (Malacca) is also part of Melaka.

Demographics

Malacca has a population of 648,000 as of 2001, being composed of:

Malays: 50%;
Chinese: 40%, 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

Malacca was founded by Parameswara, a Srivijayan prince who left Sumatra in 1396 in order to further his enmity with the Majapahit Empire. 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". What started as a fishing village then grew into the most important port in the region, attracting traders from Java, India, Arabia and China, and served as a stopping point for China-India trade during the two monsoon periods. 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.

Unfortunately, the prosperity of Malacca attracted the invasion of the Siamese. Attempts in 1446 and 1456, however, were warded off by Tun Perak, the then Chief 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 Mansur Shah who reigned from 1456 until 1477. Her attendants married the locals and settled mostly in Bukit China (Bukit Cina).

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 help to hold off the Thai's southwards encroachment and arguably hasten the decline of the rival Majapahit Empire of Java. Malacca was also central in the spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago.

Colonization

Malacca was conquered on August 24, 1511 by the Portuguese viceroy of India, Afonso de Albuquerque and 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 Bentan, where Sultan Mahmud was based. Sultan Mahmud fled with his family across the Straits to Kampar in Sumatra, where he died two years later.

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. Among them is Sim Wong Hoo who help founded the global sound technology company, Creative Technology.

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 Middle East and Africa, for its computer and engineering courses. 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 host a few public university college such as, Kolej Universiti Teknikal Kebangsaan Malaysia 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.

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 Melaka 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 Melaka 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.

Melaka'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 airconditioned 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. It also has an airport at Batu Berendam which today 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

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 Xaxier 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.