The Heritage Cradle Of Malaysia

Executive summary by Darmansjah

Treasure Trove Of Knowledge

You’ll also hear stroies about things that happened in everday life as well. Pointing out a prominent building on Heeren Street, Goh relates how it used to be the home of a good friend who was murdered in her own home. Passing by another building, he eplains how it used to be called The Black House because it was occupied by a coal trader.

Stories like these are what make Goh and Chua so unique. They may not be historians or tour guides by profession, but they conduct private tours on a voluntary basis, usually for special occasions or selected guests, ecause they are driven by their passsion for the city they grew up in, as well as the wealth of history and stories within its walls and along its streets.

Goh and Chua are tresure toves of knowledge on malacca’s history, dispensing historical facts with stories from their childhood, as well as insights into how Malacca has changed.

“The first time I took somebody on a tour of Malacca was in 1965. I found myself getting more and more interested in Malaccas’s history. So I started to pick up more books and articles and kept them for reference,” says Goh.

It’s not all warm and fuzzy memories though.

 Goh and Chua are equally adept at pointing out the less savoury over-commercialsation and over development of the heritage area, inadequates in the presenvation of heritage buildings and even blatant disrespect of the city’s proud heritage and buildings.

As we walk along Jonker Street (not known as Jalan Hang Jebat) amid the cacophony of tour buses, trucks and motorcycles whizzing past, Goph points out, “This place used to be a thriving community. Everything you needed in everyday life was here-there were tailors, balcksmiths, laundry cleaners, electrical shops, silversmiths. But when it was turned  into the  Jonker Walk night market to attract more tourists, all the old residents packed up and left the area.”

“It’s become a commercial communty now-everythings being sold here now is catered for tourists,: Chia adds.

“Many of the things being sold here aren’t even Malaysian, let alone Malaccan!”

Yet, amids all the tacky tourst traps and blatant commercialisation, some remnants of the old Jonker Street community remain.

For instance, Ban Onn Silversmith is one of the few traditional silversmiths left standing in Malacca. And directly opposite is The Royal Press, a 75-year-old printing press that is still going strong.

“They (The Royal Press) fecently had to move from the store next door to the current one; and when they did, they arranged all the furniture and equipment in the exact same positions as they were in the previous store,” says Chua proudly.

Nevertheless, one gets the feeling that these are the dying embers of Malacca’s old history, and that they will soon be gone unless something drastic is done to preserve these heritage treasures.

In fact, oral hitorians and ordinary Malaccans like Goh and Chua should also be treasured, and commended for the work they have done.

For the pair, its is frustrating and sometimes painful to see the city they grew up in being exploited in the name of development and tourism.

According to Chua, acclaimed historian Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard once said that Malacca was the only place where  you got a feeling of antiquity when you drive into town.

“This should have been the main motto in all our conservation projects for Malacca. How important is Malacca? Before anyone even dreamed of Malaysia or Malaya, there was Malacca,” she says.

From a certain angle at the Merdeka Monument, you can see the entire history of Malaysia-the iconis Porta deSantiago gate of the A Famosa fortress, the Malay sultanate palace, and the Bastion House. They represent the Prtuguese, Dutch, British and Malay Sultanate eras of Malacca.

There can be no doubt Malacca is the cradle of Malaysia.