Malacca

Melaka
State
Negeri Melaka
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Bersatu Teguh" (Firmly United)
Anthem: Melaka Maju Jaya (Successful Melaka)
Melaka in    Malaysia
Coordinates: 2°12′N 102°15′E / 2.200°N 102.250°E / 2.200; 102.250Coordinates: 2°12′N 102°15′E / 2.200°N 102.250°E / 2.200; 102.250
Capital	Melaka City
Government
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri	Mohd Khalil Yaakob
• Chief Minister	Idris Haron (UMNO)
Area[1]
• Total	1,664 km2 (642 sq mi)
Population (2015)[2]
• Total	872,900
Demonym(s)	Malaccan
HDI
• 2010	0.742 (high) (4th)
Postal code	75xxx to 78xxx
Calling code	06
Vehicle registration	M
Malacca Sultanate	15th century
Portuguese control	24 August 1511
Dutch control	22 January 1753
British control	17 March 1824
Japanese occupation	15 January 1942
Accession into the Federation of Malaya	1948
Independence as part of the Federation of Malaya	31 August 1957
Website	www.melaka.gov.my

Malacca, officially Melaka (Malay: Melaka; Tamil: மலாக்கா, Chinese: 马六甲), dubbed "The Historic State" , is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca.

The state is bordered by Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to the south. The exclave of Tanjung Tuan also borders Negeri Sembilan to the north. Its capital is Melaka City, which is 148 kilometres (92 miles) south east of Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, 235 kilometres (146 miles) north west of Johor's largest city Johor Bahru, and 95 km (59 miles) north west of Johor's second largest city, Batu Pahat. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.

Although it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor, rather than a Sultan.

History

Timeline

Incorporated into	Date
Malacca Sultanate	approx. 1400
Portuguese Empire	1511
Dutch Empire	1641
British Empire	1879
Straits Settlements	1826
Crown Colony	1867
Japanese occupation	15 February 1942
Malayan Union	1 April 1946
Federation of Malaya	31 January 1948
Malaysia	16 September 1963

Sultanate of Melaka

Before the arrival of the first Sultan, Melaka was a fishing village inhabited by local Malays known as Orang Laut. Melaka was founded by Parameswara, also known as Iskandar Shah or Sri Majara, the last Raja of Temasek (present day Singapore) following a Majapahit attack in 1377. He found his way to Melaka around 1400 where he found a good port—it was accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the Malacca Straits.^[3]

According to a popular legend, Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river during a hunt, 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 then and there to found an empire on that very spot. He named it 'Melaka' after the tree where he had just taken shelter at, the Melaka tree (Malay: Pokok Melaka).^[4]

Prominent Malaysian artist Syed Thajudeen visually depicted the epic tale of the founding of Melaka on canvas. The Beginning, a 4 panel painting measuring 183 x 512 cm is now a permanent collection at Galeri Petronas.

In collaboration with allies from the sea-people (orang laut), the wandering proto-Malay privateers of the Straits, he established Melaka as an international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade.^[3]

Because of its strategic location, Melaka was an important stopping point for Zheng He's fleet. To enhance relations, Hang Li Po, according to local folklore a daughter of the Ming Emperor of China, arrived in Melaka, accompanied by 500 attendants, to marry Sultan Manshur Shah who reigned from 1456 until 1477. Her attendants married locals and settled mostly in Bukit Cina.^[5]

"In the 9th month of the year 1481 envoys arrived with the [......] Melaka again sent envoys to China in 1481 to inform the Chinese that, while Malaccan envoys were returning to Melaka from China in 1469, the Vietnamese attacked the Malaccans, killing some of them while castrating the young and enslaving them. The Malaccans reported that Vietnam was in control of Champa and also sought to conquer Melaka, but the Malaccans did not fight back, because they did not want to fight against another state that was a tributary to China without permission from the Chinese. They requested to confront the Vietnamese delegation to China which was in China at the time, but the Chinese informed them since the incident was years old, they could do nothing about it, and the Emperor sent a letter to the Vietnamese ruler reproaching him for the incident. The Chinese Emperor also ordered the Malaccans to raise soldiers and fight back with violent force if the Vietnamese attacked them again.^[6][7]

Colonial era

In April 1511, Alfonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Melaka with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships.^[8] They conquered the city on 24 August 1511. After seizing the city Afonso de Albuquerque spared the Hindu, Chinese and Burmese inhabitants but had the Muslim inhabitants massacred or sold into slavery.^[9]

It soon became clear that Portuguese control of Melaka did not also mean they controlled Asian trade centred there. Their Malaccan rule was severely hampered by administrative and economic difficulties.^[10] Rather than achieving their ambition of dominating Asian trade, the Portuguese had disrupted the organisation of the network. The centralised port of exchange of Asian wealth 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 among bitter warfare in the Straits.^[10]

The Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier spent several months in Melaka in 1545, 1546, and 1549. The Dutch launched several attacks on the Portuguese colony during the first four decades of the seventeenth century. The first attack took place in 1606 under the command of Dutch Admiral Cornelis Matelief de Jonge who laid siege to the town with the help of his Johor allies. He engaged the Portuguese armada which had been sent from Goa to offer armed relief to the besieged port.^[11] In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in an effort to capture Malacca, with the help of the Sultan of Johore.^[12] The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798 but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance to Batavia (Jakarta) on Java as their administrative centre. However they still built their landmark, better known as the Stadthuys or Red Building.

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 under the rule of the British, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony. Due to the dissactisfaction with the British's jurisdiction over Naning, Dol Said, a local chief and the East India Company had a war from 1831 to 1832, which resulted a decisive British victory. It formed part of the Straits Settlements, together with Singapore and Penang. Malacca went briefly under the rule of Empire of Japan in 1942–1945 during World War II.

Post colonial era

After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and Penang became part of the Malayan Union in 1946, which later became the Federation of Malaya in 1948. The declaration of independence was made by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, at Padang Pahlawan on 20 February 1956, which eventually led to the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957. In 1963, Malaysia was formed with the merger of Malaya with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, and Malacca became part of it. On 15 April 1989, Malacca was declared a historical city. It was then also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.^[13] On 3 May 2017, the state government declared that the English name for the state is Melaka from the previous commonly used Malacca.^[14]

Geography

The state of Melaka covers an area of 1,664 km² (642 sq mi).^[1] It sits upon the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the state of Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to the east. Melaka is situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the west coast, 148 km (92 mi) south of Kuala Lumpur and commands a central position on the Straits of Malacca. With the exception of some of its small hills, Melaka is generally a lowland area with average elevation below 50 meters above sea level.^[15]

The Melaka River roughly runs through the center line of the state from north to south. Kesang River acts as the eastern border of Melaka with Johor. The offshore Besar Island, Upeh Island and Undan Island are part of Melaka which are accessible by jetty from Melaka mainland. The peninsula of Tanjung Tuan is an exclave of the state, situated on the coast of Negeri Sembilan which it borders to the north. Melaka has several beaches edged with palm trees which has brought a number of resorts along the coast. Famous beaches are Tanjung Bidara Beach, Klebang Beach, Puteri Beach and Pengkalan Balak Beach.^[16]

The man-made Melaka Island is connected to the mainland and it is the first phase of the development of Melaka Gateway offshore development, expected to be completed by 2025.

Climate

The climate of Melaka is hot and humid throughout the year with rainfall occurring mostly between October and March. Temperature ranges generally between 30-35 °C during daytime and between 27-29 °C during nighttime.^[17]

Climate data for Melaka (1961–1990)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31.4 (88.5)	32.6 (90.7)	32.6 (90.7)	32.4 (90.3)	31.8 (89.2)	31.4 (88.5)	31.0 (87.8)	30.9 (87.6)	31.0 (87.8)	31.3 (88.3)	31.0 (87.8)	30.9 (87.6)	31.5 (88.7)
Average low °C (°F)	22.5 (72.5)	22.9 (73.2)	23.1 (73.6)	23.4 (74.1)	23.4 (74.1)	23.0 (73.4)	22.7 (72.9)	22.7 (72.9)	22.7 (72.9)	22.9 (73.2)	22.9 (73.2)	22.6 (72.7)	22.9 (73.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	73.3 (2.886)	90.9 (3.579)	144.1 (5.673)	197.5 (7.776)	172.0 (6.772)	165.8 (6.528)	164.2 (6.465)	164.1 (6.461)	210.2 (8.276)	212.9 (8.382)	231.5 (9.114)	123.8 (4.874)	1,950.3 (76.783)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	7	7	10	13	12	10	12	12	13	14	17	11	138
Mean monthly sunshine hours	193.0	202.5	214.8	207.5	210.5	193.9	201.3	191.2	171.5	179.6	156.9	166.8	2,289.5
Source: NOAA[18]

Government

Malacca's state parliament is called the State Legislative Assembly and the party in power forms the Executive Committee. The assembly represents the highest authority in the state and decides on policy matters. The State Executive Council is responsible to the assembly and comprises members who are appointed every five years by the political party in power. It is headed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri who is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The current Yang di-Pertua Negeri is Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

The State Government is headed by the Chief Minister. The minister is appointed by Yang di-Pertua Negeri from among the State Legislative Assembly members. The Chief Minister presides over a meeting of State Executive Council ministers weekly at the Chief Minister's office. The Chief Minister's Department is responsible for the overall administration of the state, as well as its political interest. The current Chief Minister is Idris Haron of United Malays National Organisation.

The administrative complex is located at Seri Negeri complex in Ayer Keroh. It houses the Chief Minister's office, State Legislative Assembly and State Secretariat office. For administrative purposes, Malacca is divided into three districts under separate jurisdiction:

• Malacca Central District and Land Office
• Alor Gajah District and Land Office
• Jasin District and Land Office

Districts and Local Authorities

Malacca is divided into 3 districts and 4 local authorities.

Rank	District	Area (km2)	Population (2010)[19]	District Seat	Local Government
7000100000000000000♠1	Central Malacca	279.85	503,127	Malacca City Ayer Keroh	Historical Malacca City Council Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council
7000200000000000000♠2	Alor Gajah	660.00	182,666	Alor Gajah Town	Alor Gajah Municipal Council
7000300000000000000♠3	Jasin	676.07	135,317	Jasin Town	Jasin Municipal Council

Towns

Besides Malacca City, other major Malacca townships include Alor Gajah, Asahan, Ayer Keroh, Batang Melaka, Batu Berendam, Bemban, Bukit Katil, Cheng, Durian Tunggal, Hang Tuah Jaya, Jasin, Klebang, Kuala Sungai Baru, Lendu, Lubuk China, Machap Baru, Malacca Pindah, Masjid Tanah, Merlimau, Naning, Nyalas, Pulau Sebang, Ramuan China, Selandar, Serkam, Simpang Ampat, Sungai Rambai, Sungai Udang, Tampin, Tanjung Kling, Telok Mas and Umbai.

Economy

Despite being located in a land without any significant natural resources, the economy of Malacca dates back more than 500 years, due to its strategic location. As the center of the all important spice trade, Malacca attracted many colonial powers to engage wars to control it.^[20]

Malacca has successfully opened itself up to foreign investors since the early 1970s. By 1997, the state has registered a total investment of over MYR16 billion. In 2014, the state achieved a total MYR4.4 billion worth of investment, in which MYR1.8 billion came from foreign investors.^[21]

In 2013, Malacca had a GDP of MYR22,646 million with GDP per capita of MYR34,109. It had 3.2% GDP growth in 2013. Inflation rate in 2012 was 1.6%. As of 2015, the Malacca State Government has an outstanding MYR861.7 million of loan to the federal government. In 2014, the state government's reserve amounted to MYR206.61 million.^[22] The unemployment rate in 2014 was 0.9% or around 3,500 people.^[23]

As of 2012, service sector contributes to the largest share of economy in Malacca accounted for 46.9%, followed by manufacturing (43.5%), agriculture (6.5%), construction (2.9%) and mining (0.1%).^[24] In terms of number of workforce, as of 2013, there were 275,000 people working in the industrial sectors, 225,000 people working in the service sectors, 35,000 people working in the entrepreneurship sectors and 12,300 people working in the agricultural sectors.^[25]

On 21 October 2010 an event was held to announce that Malacca had met the benchmark of 'Developed State' as set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and a declaration of "Melaka Maju 2010" was made by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abd Razak.^[26]

Currently there are 23 industrial areas which are centered along the edges of the city proper in suburbs which include Ayer Keroh, Batu Berendam, Cheng, Taman Tasik Utama and Tanjung Kling. While outside Malacca City, industrial areas include Alor Gajah and Sungai Udang. There are around 500 factories in the state which come from Germany, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, United States etc. For small and medium-sized enterprises, a number of estates have been established by the state government.^[27][28]

The Malacca International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh which was opened on June 2003 is the leading commercial center and the center for meetings, incentives, convention and exhibitions which plays an important role in the development of trade in Malacca.^[29]

Sungai Udang houses the PETRONAS Malacca Refinery Complex consisting two refining trains, established in 1994 and 1999 and owned by PETRONAS Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn. Bhd. and Malaysian Refining Company Sdn. Bhd. respectively. The total capacity of the refinery is 270,000 barrels of oil per day.^[30][31]

Culture

Culture in Malacca began around 15th century in which various ethnic customs and traditions blended perfectly. Each group upholds their tradition and it is reflected in their food, religion customs, festivals, culture, design, application, jewellery and handicrafts.^[33]

Demographics

Malacca has an estimated population of 931,210 as of 2016 with an average annual population growth of 2%.^[23][34] As of 2016, 27% of the population aged below 15 years old and 8% aged above 60 years old.^[25] The ethnic composition of Malacca as of 2015 is 66.8% Malays (552,700), 1.4% other Bumiputras (11,500), 26.0% Chinese (215,000), 6.2% Indians and Chitty (51.400) and 0.6% others (4,800).^[2] Malacca has small communities of Kristang, Dutch Eurasian and Temuan people.

Malay community in Malacca is generally divided into two, which are the Temenggong custom and the Pepatih custom. The remaining traditional Malay village in Malacca City is the Morten Village.^[35]

Jonker Walk is the Chinatown area of Malacca. The Peranakan people in Malacca show unique features, such as furniture, porcelain, crockery, style and food. Their culture is showcased at the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum.

Indians in Malacca are the Tamil people in which many of them used to work at the rubber plantation. However, many of them now work in the jewellery, fabrics, retailers, merchants and money lender sectors. Many of them reside in Little India. There is also Chitty Village for the minority Chitty people which houses the Chitty Museum.

A sizable number of Sikhs residing in Malacca, and Sikhs from Malacca and abroad congregate in the gurdwara (Sikh temple) situated in Jalan Temenggong. They celebrate the Guru Nanak's birthday and Vasakhi new year annually.

A population of Portuguese descent, who speak a Portuguese creole, are the descendants of colonists from the 16th and 17th centuries.^[36] Even to this day, many of the traditions originating with the Portuguese occupation are still practised, i.e. "Intrudu" from Portuguese word "Entrudo" (a water festival that marks the beginning of Lent, the Catholic fasting period), "branyu" (traditional dance), "Santa Cruz" (a yearly Festival of street celebrations). Many of them settle down around the Portuguese Settlement area, which has a population of about 6,510 residents.^[37]

The indigenous people, mostly ethnic Temuan is relatively small. They generally reside in rural settlements, the edge of the woods and along the coast facing Malacca Strait. Malacca houses the Aborigines Museum in Ayer Keroh.^[33]

Language

Malacca is a multi-linguistic state. Malaysian is the official language of Malacca and is used in the government and public sectors. English is widely used in business and tourism sectors. A local Malay, known as Malaccan Malay is a unique variety of Malay spoken within the state of Malacca, it has its own distinct pronunciation and vocabulary compared to the rest of Malaysia. Other minority languages such as Chinese and its varieties, Tamil, Kristang (Portuguese creole) and various Malay-based creoles such as Baba Malay and Malaccan Creole Malay are also spoken.^[38] The Orang Asli languages spoken within Malacca are mostly speakers of the Temuan language.

Sports

Sports-related affairs of Malacca are governed by the Malacca State Sports Council (Malay: Majlis Sukan Negeri Melaka) under the Malacca State Government.^[39] Another governing body of sports in Malacca is the Department of Youth and Sports (Malay: Jabatan Belia dan Sukan Negeri Melaka).

Malacca is home to several football stadiums, such as Hang Jebat Stadium, Hang Tuah Stadium and Tun Fatimah Stadium. Built in 1954, Hang Tuah Stadium is the oldest stadium in Malacca.^[40] Established under the Malacca Stadium Corporation Enactment of 2004, the Malacca Stadium Corporation is the entity that manages stadiums in Malacca which started its operation on 16 September 2004.^[41]

There is also a motorsport racetrack in Ayer Keroh, the Malacca International Motorsport Circuit. Ayer Keroh also houses the Malacca International Bowling Centre. With 52 lanes, it is the largest bowling center in Malaysia.^[42]

There are four golf courses in Malacca, namely Ayer Keroh Golf and Country Club, Orna Golf and Country Club and Tiara Malacca Golf and Country Club in Ayer Keroh and A'Famosa Golf Resort in Simpang Ampat.^[43] Golf-related paraphernalia in Malacca is showcased at the Malacca Golf Gallery.

Malacca was the host venue for the 2010 Sukma Games held on 10–19 June 2010.

Malacca also has a football team known as Melaka United representing Malacca in the Malaysian football league. The Melaka football team won the first Malaysia Premier League title in 1983, in addition they were the champion of the third division of the Malaysia football league, FAM League Cup, in 2015 before won the second Premier League title a year after it. Melaka United uses the Hang Jebat Stadium in Krubong as their home ground with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.

Education

Secondary education

The Malacca High School is one of the premier school in Malaysia and it is the second oldest recorded school in the country after Penang Free School in Penang.

Malacca has two boarding schools, Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC) and Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Selandar (SBPIS). The Ministry of Education of Malaysia enrolls students based on their Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3). A centre for juvenile convicts, Henry Gurney Prisoners School, is in Telok Mas, Malacca. Established in 1949 as High Moral School, it was renamed School of Henry Gurney on May 15, 1950. This centre runs rehabilitation programs for male juvenile offenders.

Malacca has two international schools, the Melaka International School, which caters to expatriate and local communities; and KYS International School, staffed by expatriate teachers, which specialises in teaching Cambridge International A Levels.

Higher education

Institutions include:

• Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM).
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campuses that are located at Lendu, Malacca City and Jasin.
• Malacca Manipal Medical College in Bukit Baru is the foremost institution for medical education in the state.
• Multimedia University (MMU) at Bukit Beruang.
• Malaysian Maritime Academy (ALAM) at Kuala Sungai Baru.

There are several institutions that offer nursing education: Institut Kesihatan Sains & Kejururawatan Pantai, Institut Sains Kesihatan Dan Kejururawatan Mahkota, Kolej Kejururawatan & Kesihatan Nilam, and Kolej Perubatan Komplementari Melaka. Institut Kesihatan Sains & Kejururawatan Pantai is linked to Pantai Hospital at Ayer keroh while Institut Sains Kesihatan Dan Kejururawatan Mahkota is linked to Mahkota Medical Centre.

The Institut Skill Tech in Machap provides training in agriculture. It has a branch in Taman Tasik Utama, Ayer Keroh.

Part-time study is available at Open University Malaysia (OUM), while those who wish to obtain an academic diploma can enroll at University of Malaya Centre for Continuing Education (UMCCE) at Sinar College.

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) lectures and examinations are provided at Sinar College at Malacca City. Sinar College is the only institution in the state that offers complete accounting education. Sinar College is the only approved training centre for tourism courses. Other academic institutions include International College of Yayasan Melaka (ICYM), Melaka International College of Science and Technology (MiCoST).

The state government of Malacca provides financial assistance mainly in the form of loans to local citizens via Melaka Education Trust Fund (TAPEM). Among the facilities provided by TAPEM are Higher Education Loan, Minor Scholarship/Incentive Scholarship for Secondary School, and School Assistance to Primary School Students.

Public libraries

The very first library in Malacca was the Khutub Khanah Malacca, established in 1881 and was located at the Stadthuys. After the independence of Malaya in 1957 and formation of Malaysia in 1963, the library was moved to Hang Tuah Hall in 1966. In 1975, the Malacca Public Library Corporation was enacted to establish the Malacca Public Library. The corporation was then established 2 years later in 1977 located at Hang Tuah Hall. In 1993, the Malacca Public Library Enactment (Amendment) Act 1993 went in force. The library was finally moved to its current location at Bukit Baru and inaugurated on 4 November 1996.^[44]

At district level, the Jasin branch of the library was established in 1986 at JKR Building, which then later moved to a new building in 1999. The Alor Gajah branch of the library was established in 1988 at UMNO Building, which then later moved to a new building in 1998. The Central Malacca branch of the library was established in 1996 at Hang Tuah Mall after the main library moved to Bukit Baru, which then later changed to Higher Education Institute Resource Center Library in 2001.

At town and village level, library branches are Masjid Tanah branch established in 1992 and 2005; Air Tawar Village Library, Felda Kemendore Village Library, Selandar Village Library and Kuala Linggi Village Library branches established in 1993; Rantau Panjang Village Library branch established in 1994; Merlimau branch established in 1994 and moved to a new building in 2003; Pulau Sebang Village Library branch established in 1997; Japerun Sungai Rambai Library, Japerun Serkam Library, Japerun Durian Tunggal Library and Ayer Molek Darat Village Library branches established in 1999; Felda Bukti Senggeh Village Library and Felda Bukit Sedanan Village Library branches established in 2000; Kampung Padang Village Cyber Library branch established in 2001; Japerun Air Panas Library, Bertam Hulu Village Library, Japerun Bukit Asahan Library, Tangga Batu Village Library and Paya Rumput Village Library branches established in 2002; Ilmu Air Limau Cyber Library and Ilmu Chenderah Cyber Library branches established in 2003; Menggong Village Library branch established in 2004; Klebang Village Cyber Library established in 2005; Telok Mas Town Library and Telok Gong Village Library established in 2006; Bukit Bulat Village Library established in 2008; Malacca Planetarium Community Library and ÆON Community Library branches established in 2010; Sungai Rambai Village 1Malaysia Library established in 2012.

Health care

Malacca houses a number of government and private hospitals and health clinics, as well as hundreds of private clinics. The location of medical institutions are located all over the state of Malacca, either in urban or rural areas, providing uniform and equitable healthcare to the residents. Health-related affairs in Malacca is governed by Malacca State Health Department by providing basic health service to the residents and oversee all government health facilities in the state among hospitals, community polyclinic, rural health clinics and clinics.^[45]

Malacca is also a popular place for health care and medical tourism for Indonesian people from Sumatra due to its close proximity to the state, followed by Singapore.^[46][47] In 2014, Malacca received over 500,000 tourists for medical tourism-related purpose.^[48]

Government hospitals in Malacca are Malacca General Hospital and Jasin District Hospital, while private hospitals are Putra Hospital, Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh, Mahkota Medical Centre and Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre.

Energy and environment

Power generation

Malacca houses three power stations, namely the 330 MW Tanjung Kling Power Station in Tanjung Kling and 440 MW Telok Gong Power Station 1 and 720 MW Telok Gong Power Station 2 in Telok Gong, with a total installed generation capacity of 1,490 MW.^[49]

Green energy

On 16 December 2013, the Malacca State Government unveiled the draft 8,000 hectares special area called the Malacca World Solar Vallery in Rembia, Alor Gajah applying solar energy as the primary alternative in all municipal activity sectors.^[50][51]

Water supply

Water supply-related matters in Malacca is administered by the Malacca Water Company Ltd. (Malay: Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad) which is headquartered at Malacca City. It was established on 1 July 2006 after it was upgraded from its predecessor Malacca Water Corporation (Malay: Perbadanan Air Melaka). The company is also responsible for the maintenance and delivery infrastructure of clean water in the state.^[52]

Currently, there are three dams located in Malacca supplying its residents with water, which are Durian Tunggal Dam in Alor Gajah, Jus Dam and Asahan Dam in Jasin. The fourth dam, Jernih Dam, will be constructed in Taboh Naning in Alor Gajah and expected to be completed by 2018.^[53] There are three major retention basins in the state, which are Kesang Satu Lake, Kesang Dua Lake and Ayer Keroh Lake. Raw water is supplied from the Malacca River, Kesang River and Gerisik River.^[54]

Daily water consumption for Malacca is 500 million litres and each resident consumes 220 litres per day, higher than the national average of 180 litres per day. The Malacca State Government signed an agreement with Johor State Government on a water supply agreement in 1993 and additional water supply agreement in 2013.^[55][56] Another water supply agreement is planned to be signed with Negeri Sembilan in the future.^[57]

Environmental campaign

Malacca adopted a campaign slogan of Don't Mess with Malacca since 2014 to reduce littering in the state after the local authorities found that cleanliness levels had dropped. The slogan was adopted from the Don't Mess with Texas campaign held in Texas, United States, launched in 1986. The idea came from Chief Minister Idris Haron when he was still studying at the University of Texas at El Paso in the late 1980s.^[58]

Tourism

Tourism is a booming industry in Malacca. It is a popular travel destinations for Singaporeans during the weekends. Malacca has adopted as its slogan, "Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia" ("Melawat Melaka Bererti Melawati Malaysia").

Tourist visitors to Malacca in 2014 was 15.4 million people, with 26% were foreign tourists.^[59] In 2011, top five foreign tourists coming to Malacca were from Mainland China (222,999 people), Singapore (185,277 people), Indonesia (168,190 people), Taiwan (108,128 people) and Hong Kong (57,241 people).^[60]

Tourist attractions

Melaka has numerous historical places and buildings. In order to preserve those sites, numerous museums have been built to preserve those legacies. Most of the museums in the state are managed by Melaka Museum Corporation (PERZIM; Malay: Perbadanan Muzium Melaka).^[61] Museums in Melaka are Aborigines Museum, Agricultural Museum, Al-Quran Museum, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Beauty Museum, Cheng Ho Cultural Museum, Chitty Museum, Customs Department Museum, Democratic Government Museum, Education Museum, Forestry Museum, Governor's Museum, History and Ethnography Museum, Islamic Museum, Kite Museum, Literature Museum, Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum, Malay and Islamic World Museum, Malaysia Architecture Museum, Maritime Museum, Navy Museum, People's Museum, Prison Museum, Pulau Besar Museum, Stamp Museum, Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum, Submarine Museum, Toy Museum, Tradition and Custom Museum, UMNO Museum, World's Bees Museum and Youth Museum.

The other historical buildings and structures are A Famosa, Alor Gajah British Graveyard, Bastion Middleburg, Dutch Graveyard, Hang Jebat Mausoleum, Hang Kasturi Mausoleum, Hang Li Poh's Well, Hang Tuah Mausoleum, Hang Tuah's Well, Malacca Light, Malacca Warrior Monument, Portuguese Well, Proclamation of Independence Memorial, Ruins of Saint Paul's Church, Saint John's Fort, Stadthuys, Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba Memorial and Tun Teja Mausoleum.

There are also galleries displaying various aspects of life in Melaka, which include, Chief Minister’s Gallery, Demang Abdul Ghani Gallery, Folks Art Gallery, Melaka Gallery, Gallery of Admiral Cheng Ho, Macau Gallery, Melaka Art Gallery and Melaka House.

Theme parks, education centres, resorts and zoos in Melaka are A' Famosa Resort, Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex, Melaka Bird Park, Melaka Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary, Melaka Crocodile Farm, Melaka Planetarium, Melaka Wonderland, Melaka Zoo, Mini Malaysia and ASEAN Cultural Park, Pirate Park and Taming Sari Tower.

Melaka has natural-related tourist sites, such as Ayer Keroh Lake, Bukit Batu Lebah Recreational Forest, Cape Rachado, Garden of Thousand Flowers, Klebang Beach, Malacca Botanical Garden, Melaka River, Melaka Tropical Fruit Farm, Paya Laut Linggi Recreational Forest, Pengkalan Balak Beach, Puteri Beach, Saint Paul's Hill and Sungai Udang Recreational Forest. Melaka has also hot springs, namely Gadek Hot Spring and Jasin Hot Spring.

Melaka is a multi-religious society, therefore various worshiping places can be found around the state, namely Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Chinese Mosque, Christ Church, Kampung Hulu Mosque, Kampung Kling Mosque, Poh San Teng Temple, Saint Francis Xavier Church, Saint Peter's Church, Straits Mosque, Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, State Mosque and Tranquerah Mosque.

Public squares in Melaka are 1Malaysia Square, Alor Gajah Square, Ayer Keroh Square and Jasin Square.

Some famous night markets can be found along Jonker Walk in Chinatown during weekends evening and along Puteri Beach in Tanjung Kling. In total, there are around 87 night markets around Melaka.^[62] During the Islamic fasting month, special night markets are opened along many major roads throughout the month.^[63]

International relations

Cultural exchanges

China

In June 2012, the Macau Gallery Melaka was opened at Peringgit, Melaka under the government of Macau. In April 2015, the Melaka State Government decided to build the MYR300 million Melaka Information Centre which will be located in Zhuhai, Guangdong.^[64]

Cuba

In June 2007, the Casa Cuba was opened at Peringgit.

Indonesia

In February 2013, the Melaka Gallery in Jakarta, Indonesia was officiated by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo and Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam.^{[65][66][67][68]}

Twin towns and sister cities

Melaka is twinned with:

Rank	Sister Cities	Country	Region
1	Pekanbaru		Riau
2	Lisbon[69][70]		Lisbon Region
3	Shenyang		Liaoning
4	Rason		Hamgyong Province
5	Hama		Hama Governorate

Transportation

Air

The Melaka International Airport in Batu Berendam have daily flights to Penang & Pekanbaru in Indonesia. It also serves as a flight school for Malaysian Flying Academy. Melaka is also accessible by road from Kuala Lumpur International Airport located in the neighboring state of Selangor.^[71]

Railway

There are currently two Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway stations in Melaka, which are the Pulau Sebang/Tampin Station in Pulau Sebang, Alor Gajah and Batang Melaka Station in Batang Melaka, Jasin.

There were railway tracks from Pulau Sebang to Melaka City before World War II, but these were dismantled by the Japanese for the construction of the Burmese Death Railway. It was never rebuilt after the war, though traces of the line remain.

Launched in October 2010, the 1.6-km line of Malacca Monorail served the route along the Melaka River. Due to several technical glitches months into its operation, the system was left idle in 2011. However, in June 2015 the Melaka State Government decided to revive the project.^[72]

Water

Daily ferries run from Melaka to the Indonesian cities of Bengkalis, Dumai and Pekanbaru departing from Harbour Master's Jetty.^[73] Regular boat services to Big Island depart from mainland Melaka in Umbai. Several jetties around the state, such as in Merlimau, are used by fishermen.^[74]

Two existing container ports in Melaka are the Port of Kuala Sungai Linggi and Port of Tanjung Bruas.^[75]

Road

The Melaka Sentral bus station, combined with taxi terminal, serves cities around Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.^[76] The Panorama Melaka bus is the public bus serving Melaka City and major landmarks.^[77]

The Ayer Keroh exit at the North–South Expressway is the main entry to Melaka, connected by Ayer Keroh highway to Melaka City. There are two additional exits along the North–South Expressway, namely the Simpang Ampat and Jasin exits. The Syed Abdullah Aziz Road roughly connects the western and eastern sides of Melaka separated by the Melaka River through the Melaka Coastal Bridge.

Many of the heavily decorated cycle rickshaws (Malay: beca) equipped with sound system can be seen on the streets in Malacca. Most of them are used to bring tourist around the town for sightseeing. The average size can accommodate two average adult with probably a child.^[78]

Popular culture

Part of the 1999 Entrapment movie was shot at Melaka River.^[79] Melaka Prison were a set during the filming of Bollywood 2011 movie, Don 2.^[80]

Notable people

• Tun Ghafar Baba, Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister (1986–1993), Vice-President of United Malays National Organisation (1962–1987), Melaka Chief Minister (1959–1963).
• Shirley Geok-lin Lim, award-winning novelist, writer and Professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
• Maria Jane Taylor, born in Melaka in 1837, pioneer missionary to China, daughter of Samuel Dyer and Maria Dyer, she became the wife of James Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission.
• Idris Haron, the current Chief Minister of Melaka (2013–).
• Mohd Ali Rustam, former Chief Minister of Melaka (1999–2013).
• Tan Cheng Lock, (one of the founding fathers of modern Malaysia and the founder of the Malaysian Chinese Association)
• Pow-Meng Yap (1921–1971) Professor of Psychiatry, Hong Kong University.

See also

• Hang Jebat
• Hang Tuah

Notes

References

• Borschberg, Peter, "The Seizure of the Santa Catarina Revisited: The Portuguese Empire in Asia, VOC Politics and the Origins of the Dutch-Johor Alliance (c. 1602–1616)", Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 33.1 (2002): 31–62. (This article can be downloaded free of charge at www.cambride.org, doi:10.1017/S0022463402000024)
• Borschberg, Peter, ed., (2004). Iberians in the Singapore-Melaka Area and Adjacent Regions (16th to 18th Centuries). Germany: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3-447-05107-8.  https://www.academia.edu/4302755
• Borschberg, Peter (2010). The Singapore and Melaka Straits. Violence, Security and Diplomacy in the Seventeenth Century. Singapore: NUS Press. ISBN 978-9971-69-464-7.  https://www.academia.edu/4302722
• Borschberg, Peter, ed., (2015). Journal, Memorial and Letters of Admiral Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge. Security, Diplomacy and Commerce in 17th Century Southeast Asia. Singapore: NUS Press. ISBN 978-9971-69-798-3.  https://www.academia.edu/4302783
• De Witt, Dennis (2010). Melaka from the Top. Malaysia: Nutmeg Publishing. ISBN 978-983-43519-2-2. 
• De Witt, Dennis (2007). History of the Dutch in Malaysia. Malaysia: Nutmeg Publishing. ISBN 978-983-43519-0-8. 
• "Popular History of Thailand" by M.L. Manich Jumsai, C.B.E., M.A.
•  This article incorporates text from Miscellaneous papers relating to Indo-China: reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from Dalrymple's "Oriental Repertory," and the "Asiatic Researches" and "Journal" of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 1, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Straits Branch, Reinhold Rost, a publication from 1887 now in the public domain in the United States.
•  This article incorporates text from Miscellaneous papers relating to Indo-China: reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from Dalrymple's "Oriental Repertory," and the "Asiatic Researches" and "Journal" of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 1, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Straits Branch, Reinhold Rost, a publication from 1887 now in the public domain in the United States.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melaka.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Malacca (state).

• Official Melaka Tourism Action Council website
• Official Malacca government website
• Malacca Tourist Attraction
• Tourism Malaysia – Melaka
• Malacca Guide
• Malacca travel guide from Wikivoyage