What is Melaka?

States and Territories of Malaysia
Melaka Malacca
Flag of Malacca Coat of arms of Malacca Flag'' Coat of arms''
State motto: Bersatu Teguh
State anthem: Melaka Maju Jaya
Location of Malacca
Capital	Malacca
Ruling party	Barisan Nasional
- Yang di-Pertua Negeri	Mohd Khalil Yaakob
- Ketua Menteri	Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam
History
- Malacca Sultanate	13th century
- Portuguese control	24 August 1511
- Dutch control	14 January 1641
- British control	17 March 1824
- Japanese occupation	1942-1946
- Accession into Federation of Malaya	1948
Area
- Total	1,650 km
Population
- 2005 estimate	713,000
- Density	432.1/km
National calling code	06
National postal code	75xxx to 78xxx
License plate prefix	M
Website:	[1]

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

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

Main article: Malacca Sultanate

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.^[1] 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

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.^[3]

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.



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

• 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 Barbarahttp://www.english.ucsb.edu/people-detail.asp?PersonID=24http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2734http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/lim_shirley_geoklin.html
• 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

External links

• Official Malacca government website
• Melaka in pictures
• 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.

	Malacca
Districts: Alor Gajah | Central Melaka | Jasin
City: Malacca Town
Towns: Alor Gajah | Ayer Keroh | Batu Berendam | Bukit Katil | Durian Tunggal | Jasin | Klebang | Kuala Sungai Baru | Lendu | Lubuk China | Masjid Tanah | Merlimau | Nyalas | Ramuan China | Selandar | Serkam | Sungai Rambai | Sungai Udang | Tanjung Bidara | Tanjung Kling | Tanjung Tuan | Umbai
Islands: Pulau Besar | Pulau Melaka

•  • [ e] States and Federal Territories of Malaysia
States	Johor Kedah Kelantan Malacca Negeri Sembilan Pahang Perak Perlis Penang Sabah Sarawak Selangor Terengganu
Federal Territories	Kuala Lumpur Labuan Putrajaya

•  • [ e] Portuguese Empire

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•  • [ e] Dutch Empire
Former colonies
Africa	Arguin Island Cape Colony Delagoa Bay (Maputo Bay) Dutch Gold Coast Gore Mauritius
Americas	Berbice Dutch Brazil (including New Holland) Dutch Guiana Demerara Essequibo (annexing Pomeroon) New Netherland (including New Amsterdam • New Sweden) Tobago Virgin Islands
Asia Oceania	Ceylon Dutch India (Dutch Bengal • Coromandel Coast • Malabar Coast) Deshima (Dejima) Dutch East Indies Malacca Netherlands New Guinea Taiwan
Arctic	Smeerenburg (Amsterdam Island)
''See also Dutch East India Company Dutch West India Company
Present dependencies
Kingdom of the Netherlands	Netherlands Antilles Aruba

Coordinates: