The Heritage Cradle Of Malaysia

Executive summaryby Darmansjah

TreasureTrove Of Knowledge

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

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

Goh andChua are tresure toves of knowledge on malacca’s history, dispensing historicalfacts with stories from their childhood, as well as insights into how Malaccahas changed.

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

It’s notall warm and fuzzy memories though.

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

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

“It’sbecome a commercial communty now-everythings being sold here now is catered fortourists,: Chia adds.

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

Yet, amidsall the tacky tourst traps and blatant commercialisation, some remnants of theold Jonker Street community remain.

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

“They (TheRoyal 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 exactsame 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 preservethese heritage treasures.

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

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

According toChua, acclaimed historian Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard once said that Malacca was theonly place where  you got a feeling ofantiquity when you drive into town.

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

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

There canbe no doubt Malacca is the cradle of Malaysia.