MALAYSIA's LEADING HERITAGE Site

Khoo Boo Chia Embarks on a New Museum project in Thailand

2010-07-29T01:36:00.004+08:00

Khoo Boo Chia, the former curator of Penang Museum is currently embarking on a new museum project in Hadyai in Thailand.

We are told that he is spearheading a dedicated team to establish a new Peranakan Museum in Thailand's southern province. This project is his second after his success at creating the mini museum in Penang's Khoo Kongsi.

Khoo has also informed Malaysiaheritage that the Hadyai Peranakan Museum will to open its door to visitors in December 2010.

Acropolis Museum

2010-07-28T22:19:00.006+08:00

A fascinating write-up on Acropolis Museum written by Kenneth Baker (San Franscisco Chronicle).

Athens - — Designing a museum figures nowadays as a rite of passage in the careers of many celebrity architects. New York's Bernard Tschumi faced an unusually stern test in this vein after winning a competition in 2001 to build the New Acropolis Museum.

For starters, he and Athens architect Michael Photiadis had to contend with house ruins - dating from the fourth to seventh centuries A.D. - unearthed on the museum site, about 1,000 feet southeast of the Acropolis and its crowning fifth century B.C. relic, the Parthenon.

Tschumi's solution, intricately worked out in cooperation with archaeologists and preservationists, was to suspend the entire building on 43 carefully positioned columns, leaving the ruins beneath exposed to view and, eventually, to visitors.

Second, and more daunting, Tschumi had to establish an appropriate architectural connection with the Parthenon, a structure justly regarded as a lodestar of Western culture.

He did this by setting the glass-clad gallery of Parthenon sculptural fragments on top of the New Acropolis Museum, in plain view of the temple's remains on the adjacent "sacred rock." The gallery duplicates the footprint and orientation of the Parthenon, so visitors encounter the sculptural fragments on view in the relationship they would have had when the Parthenon was intact.

Museumgoers can step closer to these nuggets of classicism than their original position, elevated on the building's frieze and pediments, would ever have permitted.

With its survey (on a lower floor) of archaic sculptures excavated on the Acropolis, and its dramatic mirroring of the Parthenon, the New Acropolis Museum makes a standing argument for repatriation of the so-called Elgin Marbles, the largest and finest remnants of Parthenon sculpture, prize treasures of the British Museum since the early 19th century.

Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, served as British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which by then had ruled Athens for more than three centuries. His diplomatic standing enabled him to purchase and export to Britain about half of the surviving fragments of Parthenon sculpture.

In entrepreneurial terms, Elgin's venture proved disastrous to him, but arguably it did keep the classical treasures safe during some of Athens' most tumultuous modern decades.

In the early 20th century, in compensation for what looks like plunder in post-colonial perspective, the British sent to Athens plaster casts of metopes from the Parthenon frieze that Elgin had removed. These now form part of the New Acropolis Museum's Parthenon gallery display, their plaster whiteness contrasting - reproachfully, to those aware of the controversy - with the marble warmth of the surviving originals.

However the ongoing controversy shakes out, Tschumi succeeded wonderfully in his stated aim of making a museum of "concrete, marble, glass and light."

MAEKLONG TRAIN MARKET

2010-07-19T21:42:00.004+08:00

70 km west of Bangkok lies the Maeklong Train Market, a favorite spot with train spotters. Here the traders will go about doing their business next to a railway line. The market is popular with locals who want fresh produce at an affordable price.

However five times in a day, the seemingly organized situation in the market will abruptly change whenever a train from Bangkok arrives.

Traders have learnt to adapt to the trains and they have adapted some clever improvisation to their make-shift stalls. Wheels are attached to the table and canopies are fixed with removable bamboo poles to allow a quick escape from disaster when the train chugs alongside within inches from their stalls.

The Thai Railway Authority makes a decent profit from this arrangement and charges each of the stall owner 30 Baht or US$1 rental to trade along the railway track.

Locals will tell you that they have no qualms doing business next to the train track but every now and then, there will be casualty namely involving mainly those over enthusiasts foreign visitors with their cameras.

Melaka TLDM museum

2010-04-10T22:24:00.005+08:00

Last Feb (2010) we went to a museum so called TLDM .Althougt we had to pay entrance fee the money was quiet worth it .(RM 3 FOR ADULT RM 1 FOR CHILDREN) SO I hope you'll enjoy your trip and you will think what I say is true.(This museum is just for display please do not try to steal anything.)

Sokcho Squid Sushi Paradise.

2009-09-22T21:43:00.006+08:00

Situated on the north eastern coast of South Korea, many visitors often give this coastal city a miss when they come to this part of the country. Many have only one aim - to head to the nearby hill resort -Seoraksan.

We were pleasantly surprised with what Sokcho has to offer when we decided to leave Seorak-dong and spent a couple of days there on September 22, 09.

We desperately wanted a change from the regular, and pricer kimchi based stuff they offered at Seorak-dong, thus Sokcho easily become the obvious choice when it comes to looking for a more delightful choices of Korean food and value for money.

We found the harbor to be a seafood paradise.

If raw squid sushi catches your fancy, then head to the Marine Police base across from the City Hall. There, twenty something squid stalls are operated by mostly women. They will sell you 4 giant squids from W10,000, but you need to bargain hard.

Apparently September is the peak harvest season for squids. The locals too come in full force to fish for squids and you can watch them engage in their favorite past time not far from these makeshift stalls.

When you have agreed on the price, they will net the squids fresh from special water tanks and slice them into pieces using knifes and special squid shredder. All these are over in just a few minutes.

The dish come with tiny onion cuts and green chilles on top of the servings and a packet of spicy red sauce which is extra W1000, and there you'll have your fresh squid sushi. You eat Sokcho sushi by taking the cut squid in a paper cup and mixing it with the hot sauce.

There are also unforgetable seafood delights at the edge of the port near the lighthouse and the Sokcho pavillion. The building housing the sushi foodstalls are located opposite the pathway to the pavillion and it is a short walk from the large parking area to the far end near the massive tidal breaker.

You can order the meals from many fresh seafood sellers downstairs and you enjoy the meals upstairs overlooking the inner harbor.

The services are fast and friendly and you know it is a good place to enjoy food when the locals head there too.

Anyone who loves seafood should seriously consider making a stop at Sokcho.

Miss Kim Chol Yeon from the local tourist office who mans the tourist booth just outside the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal is a great help if you have just arrived in Sokcho and need information.

Penang welcomes British Helicopter Carrier.

2009-06-29T15:55:00.007+08:00

History was made in Penang when Royal Navy helicopter carrier - HMS Ocean -L12, anchored in the Pearl of Orient for the first time on June 18, 2009.

The Penang stopover is a welcome respite for Her Majesty ship and her thousand plus crew who have just returned from a tropical war game at their favorite army camp in Brunei.

Needless to say, the arrival of the HMS Ocean brought much excitement to the otherwise mundane ferry terminal in Butterworth. However, the sight of the warship gets more profound if one could grab the opportunity to view it from the iconic ferries plying across the narrow Penang Strait.

It is from the ferry, one can appreciate the full scale of the carrier. The 208 meter long floating airfield dwarfs over everything nearby at the wharf.

However, all eyes are quickly drawn to the Sea Kings and Chinooks on board the Amphibious Assault Ship.

Another spectacular feature of the warship is the cutting edge military hardware packed with awesome firepower. The most noticeable lot is the Phalanx CIWS - the state-of-the-art anti ship missile system positioned at the HMS Ocean’s bow and helm. I saw only two Phalanx units on board although Wikipedia notes there are three.

The ship is currently on a month long journey back to their home base in Plymouth.

Quite expectedly, the arrival of the British warship captured the headlines in the local press. The Penang based Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh ran a special feature on the event (June 18, 2009 edition; see attached photo) and the news also went national on Starmetro (Warship docks in Butterworth, June 25, 2009)

Ex-Penang Museum Curator Gets Thumb-Up for Project

2009-06-02T09:13:00.012+08:00

Penang conservationist Khoo Boo Chia, shows why he is still the best in his league when his latest museum project at Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi received rapturous applauses recently. (The Starmetro, Rich history of a clan, May 27, 2009)

Khoo, the former Penang Museum curator, grabbed the headlines in 2006 (The Sun, March 24, 06 ) when he was forced to vacate his post in Penang Museum after he fell out of favor with the then Penang BN councilman holding the cultural and heritage portfolios.

Although Khoo was not formally blamed for any wrongdoings, it was an open secret that the vocal politician from UMNO was not pleased with Khoo and his work at the state museum.

According to reliable sources, Khoo was ‘guilty’ of failing to use his good office to project Penang’s multi cultural facets in the museum. The exhibits in the state museum was deemed too pro-Georgetown which is prominently Chinese and lacked features of Malay majority in Prai.

Hence, he was axed and replaced by his then young and inexperienced assistant curator.

Fortunately, the 2006 fallout has turned into a blessing for Khoo and he could devote himself wholeheartedly to the preservation of Georgetown historical enclave without having to make consensus or - worst - being labeled responsible for cultural balkanization in the Pearl of Orient.

In just a short span of a few years and the verdict is out.

Today, Khoo’s fate has been redeemed and he has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with in the field of preservation and heritage conservation.

He has left many of his personal imprints in the RM400,000 project to refurbish Leong San Tong Museum, and it could pose serious challenge to the State Museum as the next must-see heritage site.

In this bizarre twist of fate, the state has now taken a keen interest in Khoo’s latest work and it has gone so far as to proclaim the site as its next biggest treasure chest.

The icing of the evening for the former Penang Museum curator is when he got the thumb-up for his work from the Chief Minister of Penang when the latter turned up to grace the opening.

(All Photos are sourced from Penang Tourism and Khoo Kongsi websites)

Pulau Ketam's Watery Playground.

2009-06-01T17:15:00.006+08:00

The waters around Pulau Ketam are a natural playground for the children of this Chinese fishing community in this mangrove filled island.

Unlike their peers from the city, the Pulau Ketam kids have a very different idea of having fun and find sliding or swinging at the neighborhood park a yawn.

There was a hive of activity when the tide was at its highest at about six in the evening.

A group of boys, about five of them wasted no time for some eye-opening activity from the village's main bridge.

While they seemed to throw caution out of the window, the boys certainly have a great respect for motorized boats, pausing until each boat has passed.

However, they will stop at nothing when having fun. Not even when they spotted a jelly fish under the bridge but that did not deter their enthusiasm to dive.

For hours till dusk filled the air, they dared one another to take the next plunge into the murky waters. When they jumped, they often screamed out loud the names of girls they fancied and it makes me wonder if their diving and shouting says something about adult relationship.

Right- girl swimming from door front.

Further downstream, the younger ones also took to swimming with great ease.

A few households have children some as young as five or maybe less frolicking in the waters. All they have is a small floating device on their arms but that's basically all.

Despite swimming close to the busy waterway, these kids have no qualms about the danger lurking nearby and seemed to enjoy their wet play time right in front of their doorsteps.

Lou King Howe Memorial Museum

2009-05-21T10:53:00.004+08:00

LOU KING HOWE Memorial Museum is a tribute by Sibu residents to a philanthropist whose name is synonymous with remarkable stories of early settlers in this predominantly Foochow community in Sarawak.

Lou, a successful rubber planter of his time, had donated generously to the set up of a modern medical facility to help improve the lots of many folks from all backgrounds when malaria and other deadly tropical diseases were ravaging the entire population.

Lou now has his name forever enshrined in history.

Through the initiative by Sibu elders, the disused hospital was given a fresh coat of paint and has since embarked on a new journey as a memorial dedicated to Lou cum a museum showcasing the health services from a bygone era.

Other communities in Malaysia can learn a thing or two from Sibu about honoring pioneers and leaders but stop short of trumpeting over the figurehead.

Unfortunately, many Malaysian museums tend to have a habit of positioning themselves exactly in the opposite. These museums often under the domain of the respective states are used as platforms to score political mileages.

Too many honorable figures from a spectrum of Malaysian backgrounds and their sacrifices, both for their community and to some extent this country, have for too long sidelined and now risked losing forever in time because they don’t fit into somebody’s agenda.

Sibu is a hard act to follow but their approach can be the yardstick in how we promote bias free Malaysian heritage.

If Sibu museum can succeed on the initiative of its residents, and at the same time doing a fairly impressive job of showcasing its tumultuous past, then the key players in Malaysian conservationist circle should get their act together and approach heritage in a wholesome and polarized-less atmosphere.

See enclosed write-up

Sarawak's First And Malaysia's Biggest Medical Museum Will Be Ready In July (Bernama, March 14, 2008- Edward Subeng Stephen)

Come July, Sarawak will have the distinction of being home to its first, and the country's biggest medical museum. Known as the Lau King Howe Memorial Museum, it is the brainchild of a group Chinese businessmen who are descendents of early settlers to the state. The museum itself, is named after one of the early Chinese settlers, Lau King Howe.

The new museum will occupy the original main building of the former Lau King Howe Hospital in Lau King Howe Road near the Sibu Town Square."It will be another attraction to the town and will probably be the biggest of its kind in the country," said Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh in a recent interview with Bernama.

He said the project was a joint effort of town leaders, United Chinese Association and other non-governmental organisations, Sarawak Museum, health department, Sibu Municipal Council and public works department."As a matter of fact, two NGOs namely, Confederation of Pan-Chen Lau Association, Sarawak and the Sibu Kwong Yuen Benevolent Association have each contributed RM300,000 towards its restoration works," he said.

According to Dr Hu Chang Hock, who is chairman of the local branch of the Malaysian Medical Association, the museum "is designed to remember, perpetuate and propogate the spirit of Lau King Howe, his sincerety, benevolence, generosity and his profound love for the sick, poor and disadvantaged."

He said the late Lau King Howe, who was a trained teacher and a pious Christian, arrived from Foochow, Fukien in China in 1916, to manage a rubber plantation here. Before returning to China in 1930, he decided to donate all his properties to the then colonial government to set up the town's first modern hospital. Completed in 1936 at a cost of RM82,000, the hospital was named after him.

On Aug 31, 1994, when the new government hospital at Oya Road was completed and began operations, Lau King Howe Hospital ceased operations. Dr Hu said the museum, the first of its kind in the state, "will attempt to illustrate the changing pattern of infectious disease such as diptheria, malaria and tuberculosis spectrum in their prominence in the 1930s to the 1950s, to the present prevalent chronic disease such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease and others."

"It will also try to illustrate the progress of medicine from the exhibits of age-old reverent equipments of the former Lau King Howe Hospital to the pictorial illustration of modern equipments available at the Sibu General Hospital. "It will highlight how far we, in Sibu, have came to acquaint and adapt to the new advances in tools of medical applications," he said, adding that the exhibits would be changed frequently to enable the museum to be lively and vibrant.

Muzium Gopeng - Old Mining Town Honoured.

2009-05-18T10:18:00.012+08:00

(Photos courtesy of The Star)

Museums in Malaysia are given a fresh new breath of air recently when a group of friends decided to join hands to start a thematic museum in former tin mining town of Gopeng.

In my view, this privately-run museum has the potential to outshine “state run” muzium because of the wealth of information in its collections.

Most if not all the artifacts in Gopeng Museum are personal collections passed down the generations.

Furthermore, home grown museums are often a labor of love for the few bold individuals who value heritage, and their passion for history compensates whatever is lacking in these small museums.

Gopeng Museum should also be jointly promoted with the Tin Dredge museum (T.T No. 5, photo on the left), another privately run museum in Tanjung Tualang as the country’s foremost repository of tin mining history.

Together, these Kinta Valley based museums will offer visitors and historical bluffs a glimpse of the valley’s industrious past and a startling introduction to the world’s most successful tin mining story.

Old mining town honoured (The Star, May 16, 09/ FOONG THIM LENG)

Inspired by the 2006 American animated feature film Cars, successful businessman Bernard Yaw has set up a museum in his hometown, Gopeng, in Perak.

Muzium Gopeng, opened on April 18 to coincide with World Heritage Day, is located in his ancestral home at 28, Jalan Eu Kong.

Cars, the animated film, is a story about an old sleepy town, Radiator Springs, which was once a popular stopover along the infamous US Route 66.

Successful entrepreneur Bernard Yaw who founded the Muzium Gopeng.

However, with the construction of an interstate freeway US-15, cars and trucks no longer need to patronise the small town’s businesses and services and simply bypass the town to rush to Los Angeles or Las Vegas, thus causing a major economic and financial slowdown for Radiator Springs.

As the story goes, one Sally Carrera, a beautiful 2002 Porsche 911 from California, grows tired of life in the fast lane and wants a new start in the small town, so she makes Radiator Springs her home. She runs the only auto motel there and is the one most dedicated to preserving and reviving the town with the hope that one day, it will get ‘back on the map’, and it succeeds.

The story reminded Yaw, the director of Dubai Ventures Group Sdn Bhd, of the reality faced by Gopeng and other similar towns along the North-South Expressway.Yaw recalled the time when the tin mining industry collapsed in the 1980s, residents from Gopeng and nearby towns were forced to venture elsewhere in search of greener pastures.

He himself left in 1980 for tertiary education in the United States and after graduation, he used to travel to New York city as part of the demands of his job and he would visit Chinatown’s famous Canal Street. “I could hear the Manglish and the Jen Shen Hakka spoken there,” he said. “The local Chinese residents there even regarded Canal Street as Kopisan Street. Many Gopeng folk made their living in restaurants there to send money home,” he said.

During his 20-year stay in the US, Yaw said his heart and thoughts were always with Gopeng.

The idea for the museum cropped up during a few rounds of lai fun (rice noodle) and local coffee sessions in the town by Yaw and a group of friends a few months ago.

“Like many of us who were born and raised in Gopeng, we loved the former hustle and bustle of this town. “We savoured the simplicity of life in Gopeng, without the Internet, Gameboys and iPods.

“We were all just simple, honest, frugal and conservative Gopeng folk,” he said.

He loves the simplicity of little towns where everyone is kind and generous and where the food is freshly made and the air clean.

“We decided to form Muzium Gopeng as we have a strong common desire to share the rich legacies of Gopeng and to bring about its revival,” he said.

Yaw restored the ancestral home that was built in 1882 by Eu Kong, the founder of the famous Chinese medicine company Eu Yan Sang. It was leased for 99 years to Yaw’s great-grandfather Yaw Mun Chong who came from the Hakka Dapu County in Guangdong Province in the early 1900s to set up a sundry shop in Gopeng. Yaw bought over the house in 1999. Five generations of Yaws had grown up in the house.

Muzium Gopeng is now under the care of the Gopeng Museum Management Society’s ad hoc committee headed by Yaw.

The society’s secretary Phang See Kong said there were over 300 artefacts on display including clocks, radios, typewriters, tools, weighing scales, household items, kitchen utensils, decorative platters, glass jars and ceramic urns, coins and currency notes, pens, lighters, torchlights, watches, ceremonial items and silver belts.
Phang said most of the artefacts belonged to treasurer Wong Kuan Cheong.

Another interesting display is a gallery of photographs on important people and incidents in Gopeng over the years, said Phang, a retired teacher.

Phang said Gopeng was a pioneer town in the Kinta Valley dating back to the early 1850s. He said the museum had attracted over 2,000 visitors from all over the country and also tourists over the past few weeks.

Perak Heritage Society president Law Siak Hong said there were opportunities in heritage waiting to be tapped. Already, eco-tourism in the jungle nearby has made Gopeng a popular destination.

“This history centre will attract more visitors to town,” he said.

Second 'ship' museum for Malacca?

2009-05-12T14:15:00.007+08:00

(Photos courtesy of NST - An artist impression of the replica )

Malacca is set to expand its successful Maritime Museum to include a replica of a 15th century royal schooner assumedly used during the heydays of Malay Sultanate in Malacca. (NST, Second ‘ship’ museum for Malacca, May 12, 2009)

The second replica costing close to RM5 million will be built a stone throw from Flor de la Mar on the newly reclaimed square across the historical river. But here is where the similarity ends.

While a great effort was taken to design the Portuguese Galleon when they set out to build the replica, the constructors of the Malay royal sail may face greater obstacle in their quest to design the ship.

Records about Flor de la Mar - the flagship of Albuquerque’s armada are well documented and there are plenty about its voyages in the Portuguese Archive but we cannot say the same about the royal vessel for the Malacca Sultan.

Malacca maybe the formidable sea faring state but information on its naval fleets and types of vessels used by the sultanate is vague if not none at all.

When Malacca was under siege by the Portuguese, we were told the battles were fought by soldiers on elephants and the Portuguese men-of-war pounded our shores without a hint of naval resistence.

Why and where was the Sultan’s fleet?

Hence, there are questions if there was a royal ship like the state would like us to believe today.

More worrisome is if the 2nd 'ship' museum venture part of an on-going plan by the state authority to localise the many attractions currently being developed on the banks of the historical Sungai Melaka.

Second 'ship' museum for Malacca (NST, May 12, 2009)

MALACCA: After the 19- year-old Flor De La Mar Ship Museum, the state government will soon build another ship at Sungai Melaka.

This time, it will be a replica of a 15th century royal ship, costing an estimated RM4.9 million.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the ship, which would be developed by the Malacca Museum Corporation, would be able to accommodate up to 150 visitors at any one time.He said the ship would take tourists back in time to the era of the Malacca sultanate during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah (1459-1477)."Apart from depicting Malacca as a trading port then, the ship will also exhibit the maritime activity in this part of the world," Ali said.

Two historians, Tan Sri Aziz Tapa and Datuk Djohan Hanapiah, were also consulted to ensure the success of the project, expected to be completed in 18 months.Ali said the RM20 million Ma-lacca Planetarium, the fourth in the country, will be fully operational by next month.

Trishawman for Heritage.

2009-05-08T10:06:00.003+08:00

There is an old saying that life begins at forty but when I hit the number exactly a month ago – my fortieth birthday has all the markings of a very unsavory connotation to it.

So imagine the surprise when I flicked the papers (NST, Here comes the trishaw man, May 7, 2009) and there it was my peer from Malacca days grabbing headlines for attempting a feat not for anyone much less at 40!!

Tan Ming Kiong, MK to me or Frankie as he is now preferably known, has been an outstanding athlete smashing records and blazing tracks in Kubu back when George Michael was known for his reign at UK music chart and not something else.

Sadly, a quarter of century later today nothing about our physical state is close to those glory times.

Hence, MK has my highest respect and support with his twin heritage city quest. If he succeeds and God bless, he will embody the free spirit that was once a profound feature in all of us. Despite the glaring age factor, he and his beca shall overcome the 800-plus kilometer journey for humanity.

Here comes the trishaw man - NST May 7, 2009

Frankie Tan Ming Kiong says riding his trishaw is the best way to promote Malacca and Penang.

MALACCA: Frankie Tan Ming Kiong is pedalling a trishaw from here to Penang for charity and to promote the two world heritage cities.

Tan, who spent 10 years in Britain as an IT consultant, said he wanted to give himself a career break and get involved in social welfare activities."I would like to make a difference and, at the same time, promote Malacca and Penang as world heritage cities." Although there were many ways to promote the cities, Tan said, trishaw riding was the best way to do it."The trishaw was the mode of transport in the old days and is still popular."

His journey began yesterday at the A'Famosa Fort. His journey will take him to Pengkalan Balak, Port Dickson, Sepang, Tanjong Sepat, Banting, Morib, Teluk Panglima Garang, Klang, Jeram, Kuala Sungai Selangor, Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam, Kampung Baru, Lumut, Segari, Pantai Remis, Terong, Changkat Jering, Simpang, Parit Buntar, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Empat, Butterworth and Komtar, Penang."

Small towns still exhibit the heritage side of Malaysia and that is precisely why I will stop at all these venues before I proceed to my final destination, Penang," Tan said. He will be taking photographs during the journey to create an album of the "united faces of Malaysia".

The charity organisations which will benefit from Tan's trishaw journey are the National Council for the Blind, Women's Aid Organisation, SPCA Malacca and Wings Malacca (centre for learning-disabled children)."

I will bear my own expenses and any proceeds or donations will be given only to the charitable organisations."Interested individuals can get in touch with the organisations directly or email us at contact@thetrishawman.com or call me at 012-6613813."

Kg. Banda Kaba Joins Heritage Status

2009-04-17T13:41:00.003+08:00

Two urban villages in historical Malacca Town to be declared Heritage Villages.

Khamis Abas, GM for PERZIM – the state museum board - briefed about 80 families in Kampung Banda Kaba and Kampung Bukit Cina on April 14, 09 on the Chief Minister’s plan to accord them as Heritage Village – Kampung Warisan. Khamis said that these “special status” villages are created to enhance and safeguard the development of Malacca as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The two villages totaling 276 households and 54 houses, if they are successfully listed under the Malacca Conservation Enactment 1993, would join other urban villages in the state namely Kampung Morten, Kampung Chetti and Portuguese Settlement and Chinatown enclaves in Heeren Street and Jonker Walk to be accorded the special status.

According to Khamis, by listing the villages with the status would help to preserve the heritage there. And he adds that the move would draw the tourists to the areas.

This turn of event may be a lifeline of hope to residents in the affected areas.

Because of its proximity to the town center, the population consisting of mostly wage earners and small petty traders has for decades stayed in their houses without knowing when the ironic ball of development will strike their stilted homes next.

Previously a quaint and peaceful inter racial settlement but their fate lingers by the tender hooks with low cost flats and other property projects mushrooming next to their neighborhood. Amongst in the pipeline, a multi storey condominium set to overlook the Banda Kaba surau.

The result is a downgrade affecting the peace and tranquility of the neighborhood. Old residents suffer unbearable ding from traffic jams all day long and the narrow roads are choked with outstation registered vehicles on weekends and holidays.

However, the affected residents could face headaches to renovate their mostly wooden houses and the state is unashamedly vague on this crucial matters because some structures are weathered and in dire needs of repair.

Upgrading their homes may prove more troublesome now because the occupants must now seek special permission from the MBMB (Malacca’s City Hall) and PERZIM for approval.

Giving way to Fast Development.

2009-04-14T12:21:00.004+08:00

NST Reporter Zalina Mohd Som (NST Traveltimes, April 14, 2009) wrote this feature about how much she missed the old Malacca and how much development has eroded and put the historical legacy in Malacca at risk. The Malaysian mainstream media (MSM) are not bold enough, perhaps apathy to voice out the worrisome progress taking shape in the state.

Zalina’s effort may be a start but it takes more than having a feature in a leisure segment of Malaysian leading paper to shake into the conscious of the power-to-be to the awful fate awaiting Malacca Old Town.

Below is the article.

Giving way to Fast Development - Zalina Mohd Som (NST Travel Times, April 14, 09)

THOUGH it has been three decades, I can still remember vividly my first visit to Malacca. What fascinated me then was standing on the river bank, watching hundreds of mudskippers while the Portuguese fortress of A’ Famosa stood silently not too far away. Though the fish caught my fancy, I was more overwhelmed by the aura surrounding the historic location. The pages from my history book came alive before my eyes. I imagined myself standing between the Portuguese who had taken shelter inside the fortress and the invading Dutch ships in the Straits of Malacca.

Then, as I turned to look at the vast lawn of Padang Pahlawan, a black and white image played in my mind – I could feel the euphoria as hundreds of Malaysians gathered around Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first Prime Minister, who was there to announce the date of our Independence Day. Then, 12 years later, I revisited Malacca as a college student and tried to find the same spot where I had stood mesmerised as a 10-year-old. But things had changed. Where was the water’s edge? There were rows of stalls stocked with local handicraft and souvenirs separating the historic fortress and the big padang.

There was a big kereta lembu (bullock cart) monument at the edge of the padang and next to it were some over-decorated bullock carts (with real bulls) from which dondang sayang songs (Malaccan traditional song) were being blasted out. On the roadside, a row of wooden stalls sold Malacca specialties like asam pedas, ikan bakar and sambal tumis. Today, my job requires me to travel to historic Malacca again and again and each time I can find something different at Dataran Pahlawan. Some years ago, I was shocked to find a huge commercial centre opposite Dataran Pahlawan.

The view of the Straits of Malacca was obstructed by tall commercial buildings – hotels, shopping mall and hospital. The stalls where I had some of the best asam pedas, had moved and there was only a short row of stalls at the end of the field, opposite the Hotel Renaissance Melaka. On my latest trip a couple of months ago, I saw more changes.

Not only had the stalls been demolished, but a big, probably century-old angsana tree was no longer standing. The brick road in front of the high-end of Dataran Pahlawan Mall was choked with traffic. The construction of the mall had somehow reduced the size of the field. Ironically, construction works on the site had unearthed another Portuguese fort facing the A’Famosa.

The fenced-up area was probably where I had stood as a little girl watching mud-skippers. At the same spot now, I can only see the posh Dataran Pahlawan Mall and the parking lot of the revolving tower Menara Taming Sari.

Tomorrow, as Malacca celebrates the sixth anniversary of its Historical City status, I wonder if the city will be able to sustain its historical charm when all evidence points to a preference for dynamic modernisation.

Hotels Development a Peril At Malacca River.

2009-04-10T09:13:00.009+08:00

The recent ground breaking of the Rio Hotel across the river from the Maritime Museum marks the beginning of an ambitious plan by the state authority to follow suits with similar hotels along the Malacca River.

The chief minister has announced that the Plaza Inn, abandoned over the last decade will take a new shape in 2009. The state has bought and completed the renovation of the 3-star hotel opposite the old Cathay cinema, and according to the CM, it will offer visitors unobstructed view of the river at an affordable price.

My guess is that the state aims to seize on the opportunity that come with the completion of River Beautification Project in late 2007. So far, the project seems to have an upper hand to eradicate some of the earlier concerns about pollution in the river but the verdict is still far from over.

In my view the project has many flaws and it has struck a final nail to the coffin to the river historical link to malacca's hey day as a powerful maritime state. Taking away the unique character of river barter trade and stopping Sumateran schooners and purple fishing trawlers to berth is to deprive the river from functioning naturally.

At this rate, parts of the river within the Malacca historical enclave would soon be home to multi level concrete structures. If the development of the hotels are left unchecked, it would pose serious threat to the classic chinatown ambience which the enclave is so famous and attracts millions of visitors from all over the world.

The Rio Hotel, spotting an Iberarian architecture and building more cubic shaped hotels in the enclave are only affront to the heritage legacy in the old town and also an eye sore. The plan to build more hotels is also a sickening similarity with Singapore.

Unfortunately, modern visitors staying in hotels at the Malacca River will see nothing of its vibrant past and what they will find is a largely a mundane canal waterways with unimpressive views of river life.

Malacca Gets Thumb Down in a Damning Report.

2009-04-09T18:35:00.005+08:00

The popular National Geographic Traveler(NGT)Nov/Dec 08 issue decries at the over-development inside the Malacca’s historical enclave. It further adds that if it is left unchecked this iconic Malaysian city may face a bleak future.

A distressing development is creeping over the entire town. Tourism facades have superseded conservation efforts and permanently marred the original cityscape. The culprit is the chief minister in guise of state development agencies and they are relentless in their new pursue.

They are known to embrace a worrisome keenness to replace the town’s colorful past with artificial attractions, mechanical joy rides and flickering neon lights in place of colonial ruins.

Hence, the unfavorable notion that the town has turned into a ‘Disneyland’ and commercialization has bred its ugly heads.

This alarming review by the widely circulated travel publication has inevitably thrown a spanner to the state tourism promotion plan. It is a critical wake up call for the state to revamp its approach to reap benefits from tourism and to leave the historical heritage unmolested.

The authority should also be mindful of the damages brought by these short term tourism projects and the impact to the historical enclave.

A theme park setting within Malacca’s fragile environment will dilute and worst, threaten unique historical features. To rely on these man-made trump cards would only incur further wraths for damning and jeopardizing Malacca’s fabulous past.

All stakeholders, from the Chief Minister to the lay men on the streets must acknowledge the extent of the damages caused by these overzealous attempts. They must take heed to arrest further the downgrading of Malacca Old Town.

A list of 109 historic places from over the world was compiled and rated in the NGT issue; Malacca was positioned at 98th whilst Georgetown fared slightly better at 68th .

Below is the excerpt from NGT.

Malaysia: Old port of Malacca
Score: 50

"One of the most fascinating destinations in Asia. It is rich in history as a gateway into Asia for early Europeans. The old churches, China Town, and vernacular Malay houses are beautifully maintained."

"The major problem for Malacca is the incredible extent of the land reclamation that has taken place at the mouth of the historic river, now heavily developed with high-rise residential and commercial buildings. As a result, the historic connection between Malacca and the sea, which is fundamental to its significance, has been almost totally obscured."

"There is very little left in Malacca that is authentic. The city has been Disneyfied and commercialized to a degree that has to be seen to be believed."

"Landfill on the town side of the Straits has forever altered the historic connection with the Straits."

"You have to make an extra effort to find 'authentic' Malacca behind the very carefully manicured heritage facade."

Rosenbauer In Macau.

2009-02-25T19:13:00.009+08:00

Tourists looking on an adventurous holiday in Macau are bound to have an early kick if they peek out of their cabin and see their flights making the final approach at the Macau International Airport - Aeroporte Internacional de Macau.

All flights on this former Portuguese enclave depend on this single elevated runway built just a few meters above the Pearl River Delta.

Only the special breed of pilots have the guts to manouevre in reputedly some of the world's shortest and narrowest runways in a full fledged airport. One false move and it is perfect recipe for catastrophe.

Not wanting to take any chance, the airport has brought in three Rosenbauer state-of-the-art rescue and fire fighting vehicle (Unit #11, Unit #12 & ?) in Nov. 2007.

On my visit in Oct. 08 (photo from wing tip of A320), I saw of one of the Austrian-made vehicle -Unit #11 - parked at the runway edge. The rest, I believe, are in the main control center.

Rosenbauer Panther 6X6 has a top speed of 120km/h and at that speed it could cover the entire length of the runway under the stipulated international response time of 3 minute or less. The CAT C-18 6 cylinders engine also gives it enough power to hit 0-80km/h in 29 seconds.

Unit #11 with telesquirt (left) & #12(right) - Photos courtesy of Melinda(chanmelmel)

The Macau's Rosenbauers come with few variants; #11 is armed with a telesquirt or a long arm gadget to help fight fiery clash from a distance, whereas #12 is more conventional in look. (Note: Would appreciate any input on the 3rd unit)

According to Rosenbauer official website, each of the new generation fire trucks can carry up to 12,500 litres of water and 1,500 litres of foam respectively to help it take on missions successfully.

Look out too for the airport's fleet of rescue boat next to the main base.

They will be handy since the probability of aircraft veer over the runway into the water and the rescue mission turn into high sea drama is very high in Macau.

Heritage Status for Malaysian School.

2009-02-17T18:17:00.001+08:00

Victoria Institution or VI, one of the leading schools in Klang Valley and the alma mater for some of the most influential and powerful Malaysians have beat the odd again when the century old school was listed as National Heritage. (The Star, Feb 14, 09)

It is the first time that such honor is given to a school. The shocking news by Shafie Apdal, the minister in charge of heritage, is bound to invite criticisms because some argue that there is other notably more established and successful schools which deserve the honor.

KEKWA having accorded VI the status, risks receiving the same flaks Pos Malaysia had over its decision to include VI in a special issued stamp series of Malaysian schools. It drew strong words from premier alumnus all over the country, about their choice or lack of it.

Maybe, Shafie Apdal was more inclined to please fellow cabinet collegues and former Victorians like Zulhasnan Rafique (FT Minister) and Rafidah Aziz (UMNO Wanita Supremo) and tycoons Francis Yeoh and T. Ananda Krishnan, than to worry if it is fit to put VI into this honorable roll or if some other schools are better qualify.

Nevertheless, there is bound to be some good with this move. Now that VI has this special status, it could stop property magnates from eyeing the school and turn it into a prime property estate.

Historically urban Malaysian schools have being on the receiving end when it comes to property development. At this rate, more schools will suffer the same ill fate of convents in Bukit Bintang and Seremban and succumb to overzealous developers. Both fell under the demolishing ball without arousing a single eyelid from the honorable Heritage Minister.

Coloane Chapel for Wedding Photos.

2009-02-17T09:17:00.009+08:00

Snapping photos with European flavour backdrops to commemorate weddings are the en vogue thing for many newly-weds in Macau. Topping their favorite list is the St. Francis Xavier Chapel, the chapel with the distinctive Iberian architecture in the quaint Coloane.

Ailee and I found out this interesting fact when we were visiting the century old chapel after we had the famous Lord's egg tarts a short walk away.

We had decided on a full-day outing at the southern most tip of Macau with primary one thing in mind - to simply get away from the tourists and the crowded squares.

Crowd can be quite a problem in this tiny former Portuguese colony, but we were also hoping to catch the last remaining parts of rustic Macau before they are taken over by another mega casino project.

Nevertheless, the chapel built in the 1920s plays a bigger role for Christians in Macau.

The main hall in the chapel is adorned by statues and wall murals depicting St. Francis Xavier and his many endeavors in the Far East. However, a small gallery next to it is where we found maps and more captions about the saint, and house the sacred relic of a tiny skeletal remains of the saint.

However, few tourists have ventured out here, and hence it is not swarmed by the maddening crowds.

We were also pleasantly surprised by the peaceful surroundings and when we stepped inside the church we felt we were like miles away from the city. Unfortunately, we missed out on the sacred bone.

The Bontoc Museum - A Repository of the Ifugou.

2009-02-13T14:13:00.009+08:00

Our tour in the Philippines took us to Bontoc, one of the main settlements in the mountainous region in Dec. 2, 08. Despite the size, most tourists would give the town a pass but we read that the quaint museum was worth a detour. Soon, we found the Bontoc museum next to the post office and were glad that we did.

According to many write-ups, the two-level museum is a must-see repository of the Ifugou culture and heritage, and a leading historical authority of Ifugou heartland. While the admission at 50 pesos is rather steep but think of it as a little contribution to conservation efforts by this church affiliated establishment.

The museum stands out from its neighbors with its unique traditional roof. It was established by Belgian missionary in the early 20th. century. Inside, there are galleries to showcase intricate traditional costumes, old photos and hunting and farming tools but imagine the shock we had when we encountered very graphic black and white photos of a headless victim.

We soon learned that the entire mountain region was engulfed in some gruesome tribal wars and enemy skulls were the preferred trophy for the victors.

Nevertheless, the main draw has to be the Ifugou village replicas just outside the museum. At the yard, we found well-preserved stone shelters known as Ilis - to protect the Ifugou against all weather elements.

We could see the design of Ilis has many similarities with other traditional farming houses. Tribal house served more than just a place to sleep over and each home comes with a stone pit for household animals, usually pigs; and storage areas for farm produce.

Every detail is given a thorough effort to project a sense of a working village including having a meeting area - a must in many Ifugou villages. In this aspect, the museum has done a remarkable job incorporating these elements.

The Bontoc Museum is where you go to see Ilis - the tribal homes up-close, without risking joint aches from conquering the hills to see one.

Sadly, Ilis are rare sights now in the mountains. With modern ways making inroads into the highlands, many Ifugou villagers have replaced tradition with convenience – ancient wooden houses now come with zinc top and modern amenities.

In my view, the Bontoc Museum is the best of its league and the only reputable establishment highlighting the Ifugou community in all of Cordilleras.

Kuala Selangor Historical Gem

2009-02-12T13:51:00.010+08:00

The chequered past of Bukit Malawati, the popular Kuala Selangor outcrop with the domineering century-old lighthouse, makes a worthy story.

Early Bugis raden or rulers first identified the importance of the hill overlooking the Selangor estuary, and saw it fit to reap the strategic location to establish their power base in the areas. Kuala Selangor was a thriving port by the 17th. Century, and it has assumed the role as the undisputed domain of the new Selangor ruler.

Not surprisingly, it invited prying eyes and sowed the seed for many invasions to come.

Soon, bloody tussles between the Bugis warlords and Dutch invaders flared over who gets the hill and the lucrative tin trade. As the warring tides wavered, the hill’s namesakes, Bukit Malawati and Bukit Belanda -Dutch Hill -in Malay, too moved back and forth.

Three hundreds years later and much of the history artifacts have disappeared with time.

For years, the hill suffered one too many lacklustre attempt to brace up the place for the role it played in history, like the cannon replicas at the hilltop. They were dismay attempts and fail to conjure accurately the violence that plagued this military stronghold.

However, with the boom in tourist arrivals, fame soon dawned on Kuala Selangor and everyone is thinking how to milk the new cash cow. History suddenly has an economical value.

The state museum board - Perbadanan Muzium Selangor was among the first to join the bandwagon - and opted for a brilliant plan to excavate the entire hill. Few artifacts related to the location like cannon balls, broken chinaware and colonial coins were found. They are now placed in a museum housed in the former home of the District Officer, next to the iconic lighthouse.

All five galleries of this Historical Museum (Muzium Sejarah) are devoted to the hill’s tumultuous history, and why Kuala Selangor is touted as the cradle of Selangor Sultanate.

However, the information and displays in the museum can be overwhelming for the uninitiated. The museum is also let down by the lack of historical artifacts, like weapons and archaeological findings to add weight to the message about the turn of events.

My other bane is the dioramas inside the galleries, particularly the two depicting the early trading days and the battle between the Dutch and raden’s men. Unfortunately, the diorama presentation is amateurish, and worst, historically inaccurate.

It is puzzling why the curators had overlooked the diorama showing European galleons berthing at Kuala Selangor when no record validates such event. Other dioramas also beg for answer especially the one depicting Dutch troops wearing cowboy hats. I doubt that was the soldiers' uniform when they were slaughtered by the locals in gruesome bloodbath scene.

Despite these drawbacks, the historical Malawati Hill and the museum is a great weekend getaway for those looking for an adventure with Selangor history.

World's Smallest Fire Station in Sagada.

2009-02-03T17:53:00.004+08:00

Perch high in the mountainous regions of the Philippines Cordilleras is reputedly the World’s Smallest Fire Station.

Locals will proudly tell you that despite the unfavorable size of Sagada Fire Station, the cabin-shaped station operated by the Bureau of Fire Protection is their only visible insurance to safeguard the idyllic hamlet against fire hazards.

A tall order nonetheless, for a tiny fire station and its entire fleet consisting of just a red Honda scrambler (which I believe has seen better days).

Missing at the station is also viable fire fighting paraphernalia except a radio transmitter inside.

Hence, you'd be forgiven if you doubt if the world’s smallest fire station could live up to its roles in an emergency.

Sagada is remarkable as a pristine highland retreat and as we have discovered in December 2008, has great potentials for a respite holiday destination with a magnificent mix of caving adventure and picturesque rice terraces add to it.

Nevertheless, a quick check in the internet revealed a chequered past that is anything but peaceful.

The quaint town was almost consumed by a devastating fire not too long ago and telltale signs are still found at the town square opposite the Police Station cum market.

Till today, the fiery episode remains a mystery but its outbreak is reminiscent of a more sinister and turbulent time.

Like many first time visitors, we were surprised to learn that curfew hours are enforced from dusk to dawn in this tranquil place. When we asked the town folks, the only answer we got is that the curfews are for our safety without revealing too much.

We soon learned that the entire Cordilleras were engulfed in a violent armed struggle.

It ended only recently in the late 80s when the locally supported - The New Peoples’ Army (NPA) - signed a peace accord with Manila to bring peace to the area.

Perhaps for this historical reason, it is best to assume that the non-descriptive looking fire station despite its imperfections may serve its role rather perfectly.

Without a doubt, the Sagada Fire Station is the best antidote for the war-weary people who long for some real peace and tranquillity.

Klang New Heritage Center

2009-02-03T13:47:00.004+08:00

2009 will be an watershed year for Klang, and if the Sultan Selangor has his way, the royal town will have a heritage enclave to call its own in a year or two.

The successful opening of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery in early 2008 (pls read my blog article posted on Apr, 08) in the old quarters of Klang town has ignited new interest to preserve other similar colonial buildings in the vicinity.

Numerous royal dignitaries and visitors have made a beeline to visit the royal gallery including Sultan of Kedah and royalties from Negeri Sembilan.

However, the best PR triumph for the gallery, in my view, lies with its growing popularity with locals.

The gallery opts for a visitor friendly policy to encourage the public to discover the gallery for themselves. Despite the valuable exhibits inside, visitors can roam at their will and if there was security barrier, they have done a remarkable job of concealing them. The gallery staff are generally well-trained to ensure visitors have an uninterrupted visit.

Klang is moving in this new interesting direction as a heritage center and much of the credit goes to the Selangor royal family.

They have played a key role by spearheading buyouts (?) of buildings with significant historical value adjacent to the Royal Gallery. These buildings now used as commercial lots will be given a new lease of life by converting them into museums. They will be the new attractions in town and the exhibits will usher new interest in royal family and its history.

New Malaysian Museums For 2009.

2009-02-03T13:30:00.006+08:00

Despite the gloom in Malaysia’s economical outlook, heritage aficionados and museum goers might have plenty to cheer for in 2009. Grabbing the headlines are new museum openings and they should provide some excitement and more importantly, generate impetus for a more heritage conscious society.

Based on reports from main dailies, there are 3 new museums in the pipeline and a further two including the national museum at its final stage of refurbishing.

According to the Museum Department Director General, Ibrahim Ismail, two museums – the Malaysian Textile Museum and the Natural History Museum will open its doors to visitors by the middle of the year.

The textile-themed museum, as I best recalled, was a brainchild of Pak Lah’s late spouse, Datin Seri Endon. She had vigorously promoted and encouraged batik –a traditional Malay textile art form- as mainstream fashion and an icon of Malaysian creativity, much to chagrin of the Indonesians.

Needless to say, with such strong backers for the project, it is no surprise to see KEKWA playing a huge role in this museum.

Its venue will be at the Moorish designed building which formerly housed Kraftangan, next to Sultan Abdul Samad Building. My guess is that a substantial portion of the exhibition will be devoted to Batik legacy. According to the DG, there will be a gallery to showcase Baba Nyonya fashion heritage but in my view, the gallery comes amidst too little and too late.

Malaysia found its tail caught between its legs in a race with our southern neighbors across the causeway to ride on the popularity of the Baba Nyonya heritage. Singapore has not only beaten us in 2008 by setting up a Peranakan Museum in the island republic but adding salt to injuries, a major portion of its collection were bought from Penang! (For more about this, please read “Cultural Coup by Singapore Peranakan Museum” posted on April 24, 2008)

In Putrajaya, work on the new Natural History Museum is progressing well and is expected to receive its first visitors in the second quarter of the year. The multi-million ringgit museum will be the showpiece of Malaysia’s natural richness and lauded by its founders to rival the best in the world.

A symposium in 2008 on the museum generated a lot of excitement amongst Malaysian scientists because many shared the view that the establishment of the museum is not just timely, but perfect as a springboard for those who keen to know our rainforests.

After a two-year hiatus, Muzium Negara and its four main galleries now come with new DNA for their exhibition themes. The revamp was a question of life and death for the national museum. It needed quick remedy to maintain its role as the nation’s leading repository and to safeguard its relevance to the Malaysian public. The RM20 million major facelift was the first for the national museum since its inception in the early 60s.

The reviews so far have remained surprisingly silent but I am fascinated with what I have discovered from my recent visits to the new Galleries D, C and A.

Despite my concerns with some of exhibition themes, the new galleries are ushering a new wave of museuology and exhibition designs in this country. Gone are the old musty feel and depressing displays that plagued so many of the galleries in Malaysian museums.

The newer versions entice visitors with an array of fascinating Malaysian spectrums and history through bold and captivating display and dioramas. Each theme takes you across well researched subjects and issues spanning millenniums, from the cave men dwelling in Niah to colonialism and to Proton cars.

Interestingly, 2nd quarter of the year will be a busy time for museum calendar.

Bank Negara is also joining the fray with a new Numismatics Museum. The old Muzium Bank Negara has shut dpwn since July 2008 and in its place, a completely new establishment is expected to open its doors in July 09.

This central bank initiated project will have a new home within the vicinity of the former Prime Minister Office in Bukit Perdana. It is purported to be larger than its predecessor in Bank Negara and comes equipped with interactive exhibits.

Up north, renovation work spearheaded by Jabatan Muzium at Taiping Museum is expected to be completed around the same time. According to the curator, there will be new facade, flooring and cutting edge exhibitions set to thrill visitors when they visit the oldest museum in Malaysia. (pls read article “Taiping Museum To Be Revamped - Dec 1, 08”)

Nevertheless, with all sectors of the economy coming to a gridlock, it is not surprising if heritage related development and conservation efforts for the coming months take a backseat in the government list of priority. However for the meantime, these museum openings will cast a welcome rainbow for the country’s heritage scene.

Photo Exhibition Retraces Railway Heritage.

2009-01-20T15:52:00.003+08:00

Train spotters in Malaysia should not miss the opportunity to experience the multimedia art exhibition titled - Iron Dragons of Malaya, and at the same time enjoy a nostalgic trip to the country’s largest railway shed – the KTMB workshop in Sentul.

The photography collection showcasing the depleting British-built shed and rolling stocks or whatever there is left were produced using state-of-the-art photography technique known as High Dynamic Range.

Visitors, according to K. Azril Ismail, the architect of the exhibition, will be rewarded with captivating 3-D like images. They will also be entertained by multimedia presentation which took Azril and his team a year to produce.

Such an effort is a befitting tribute to the train workshop as it spends its last remaining days at Sentul.

Sentul workshop first took its form in1905 but by the year end, the entire KTM overhaul job will be moved to Batu Gajah. The entire area is then set to undergo a massive property development and discards any association it has with the railway legacy.

Hence, Azril’s exhibition is not just timely but akin to an obituary for a century of faithful services rendered.

The Iron Dragons of Malaya – is currently run at KLPac till Jan 25, 09, and admission is free.

Truths about Sagada's Hanging Coffins.

2009-01-20T15:48:00.003+08:00

A top draw in Sagada in the Philippines is the Hanging Coffins.

In Dec. 08, my family and I were the fortunate few to have seen the spectacle sight with our own eyes. However, we have to endure first the tiring 7-hour journey up the Cordilleras from Manila.
No much is said about the customs and why they place their deaths in high elevation. But with a bit of luck and probing, we soon got the answer.

Ferocious tribal wars were once a common threat in this part of the Philippines some two centuries ago, and Sagada was no exception.

The entire hilly communities were caught in these bizarre upheavals and nothing was spared including sacred burial sites.

According to the Igorot villagers, coffins and graveyards often fell prey to the Ifugao headhunters from Bontoc, who sought the prized skulls, living or not.

Fearful of the diving backlash from their headless ancestors, quick thinking Igorot tribal leaders in Sagada came out with a brilliant plan to stop the rampage.

The answer, it seemed, lies in making the coffins out of reach of the enemy, and where else but on the slopes of the many karst hills found here.

They have hoped that the physical attributes of the landscapes would served to deter the enthusiasm of the menacing Ifugao.

According to ancient funeral rites, the deceased must be seated in an upright position while villagers worked frantically to erect bamboo scaffolding leading to the elevated burial ground.

The task to take the coffin up on the sharp hillslopes are the job of pall bearers consisting of the villager youths. Theirs is not an effortless one.

Besides, they risk fatal fall and they must also deal with the rotting fluids from the leaking coffin.

Nevertheless, a pall bearer’s job was traditionally held in high esteem. Interestingly, folks in Sagada once considered it a good omen if the pall bearers are showered in the nasty fluids while they carried out their task.

However, when American missionaries took Christianity to Sagada, compromises were made and mixed the native rituals with their new found faiths.

Nowadays, hillslope burials have become a novelty and reserved only for those villagers who have two surviving generations of descendants.

This form of funeral rite is becoming rare and villagers will tell you that the last hanging burial in Sagada was held in June 2008.

Dutch Bastion the latest Malacca Tourist Draw.

2008-12-31T13:43:00.033+08:00

Malacca now boosts another tourist attraction to cash on the tourism dollars. The replica of the Middlesburg Bastion is now opened to public when I visited there on Dec 9, 08.

The project is not without controversy from the first day its foundation was unearthed by workers constructing the Taming Sari Revolving Tower.

A few parties have voiced conflicting views how best the monument should be preserved.

A Badan Warisan columnist even go so far to acknowledge the site as the next most important archaeological find in the Malay Peninsula after the discovery of Hindu Cendis in Bujang Valley, Kedah.

For hard core conservationists, no viable option except to leave the bastion foundation unmolested.

On the other extreme, policy makers were more interested in turning the site into a grand tourism scheme by 'remaking' the bastions.

RM12.8 million and almost a year later and you've another tourist attraction.

Needless to say, critics of the project were aghast at the turn of event.

No expert could verify the authencity of bastion design or the height of the wall first constructed by the Portuguese and reinforced later by the Dutch before demolished by Farquhar in the 18th century.

All reference were based on illustrations and tell-tales provided by ancient sea farers.

Yet the conservationist experts who mooted the rebuilding task were adamant about the go-ahead.

Nevertheless, a bastion replica serves remarkably well for lay men. It works wonderfully to stir-up their imagination of the ancient bastion.

The fact of the matter is that they are the bulk of the visitors to Malacca and historical sites like Middlesburg appeal to folks more interested in snapping some memorable pictures but hardly excited with the historical value of this momentous archaelogical find.

Fortunately in my view, a few ingenious designs have been incorporated into this pricy project and we are able to appreciate the remnants of the original bastion foundation and the coral rocks hidden underneath.

Walk around the structure and you could find a few ground openings previously discovered by the archaeologists are decently preserved to show the original rocky foundation.

There are no captions currently available but I believe this would be overcome soon.

My favorite is the one closest to the main structure. A glass bridge is built to allow visitors take a walk over an original rock foundation on their way to the top of bastion.

If you think rebuilding the bastion structure goes against the exceptable heritage norm then surely the VOC cannon replicas found on top of the bastion is another symptomatic example where the lines of conservation and tourism blurred alarmingly in Malaysia.

Such manipulative interpretation of history would irk those who want to protect heritage at its core but they are slowly but surely silenced by groups calling for better cash cows for the economy.

Middlesburg buried over two centuries and thought to have lost forever but in a bizarre twist of fate, is now basked in all its glory.

Firemen at Malay Circumcision Ritual

2008-12-18T14:25:00.012+08:00

Firemen are saviors of emergencies and they have responded to the most bizarre rescue missions or otherwise, but in Malaysia their line of duty extends to new heights.

On a fine December 2008 morning, fire fighters from the Army Fire Services based in Terendak Camp, Malacca found themselves busy with a not-so-common task. They were invited by the villagers in Kampung Pinang A, Malacca to use fire hydrants to shower for 40-odd boys taking part in Sunat or a religious circumcision ritual.

The fire crew arrived in a Mercedes Benz 911(ZA 6326) and began to douse the kids aged between 6 to 12 years old wet before they proceed to a makeshift operating theatre at the back of the village’s surau for their unnerving life changing experience.

Merc Benz 911 or locally known as Mercedes Manjung because of its large nose-like engine compartment was a favorite in Malaysian fire fighting scenes in the 80s until it was phased out by newer ones.
According to village elders, boys would traditionally take a dip at a nearby river or bathe near a well to instill courage themselves.

However, a check with those who have experienced sunat will tell you that cold water wherever the sources are has a calming effect on the male organ before it is surgically mutilated.

Elaborate and expensive berkhatan ceremonies are now a trendy phenomenon and Malay kampung go to their wits to outdo each other. Each claiming to have bigger sunat participants or a more elaborate scheme of things.

Sunat - previously a solemn religious occasion has evolved into a carnival, and not surprisingly, firemen and fire sprinkles are very much part of today’s repertoire.

Unfortunately, the traditional role of Tok Mudim or the village circumcision expert, has all but disappeared with more parents opting for the modern method of circumcision. Tok Mudim are being replaced by medical assistants armed with sterilized tools to perform the rite of passage.

As the ceremony progressed, I witnessed how ZA 6326 found itself stuck in mud because of the weight the pump has to take.

Fortunately, many villagers were around to save the day for the fire truck.

Three days later, another grand circumcision ceremony was held at the nearby Pantai Puteri and firemen from the State Fire Department were enlisted instead.

An overwhelming 200 kids came and the occasion was made more colorful with mothers who brought the beautiful bunga melur telur, a decorative ceremonial flower made from egg shell.

Soon, the parents accompanied their kids on a loud procession with kompangs and silat down the road to a site next the beach.

There, the firemen using hoses from the state’s latest fire fighting vehicle - Mercedes Benz Atego (BKA 8922) begin a 15 minute bathing ritual to prepare the boys for an unforgettable event in their life journey. The circumcision was then held in the Pantai Puteri community hall.

Lunas Smokehouse Beacon for Malaysian History

2008-12-02T17:07:00.002+08:00

History of rubber industry in Malaysia now has a home to call its own or sort of.

A private initiative by award winning architect Laurence Loh has given birth to a museum in Lunas, Kedah to showcase the latex industry in the country.

Loh has also pursued the museum idea by incorporating and maintaining the original allure found inside an old rubber smokehouse. Today, the museum has the distinction of allowing visitors the opportunity to see and experience the making of smoked rubber sheets.

It is the only museum of its kind in Malaysia.More importantly, the museum has provided a glimpse to an industrious past where the rubber industry was the main livelihood for millions and responsible for the making of many moguls.

Smokehouses were main structure in many Malaysian towns and they served as the processing center to treat rubber sheets brought by the tappers before the treated sheets are sent to ports for export.

Lunas Smokehouse is basically a wood structure but in bigger town like Malacca, the smokehouse there (previously at a site next to the Onn Yah Kong temple, Bachang) was a massive building about 5 stories high and occupied an area of considerable size.

Passers-by often have to cover their noses because of the pungent smell from the treated rubber sheets.

However, rubber industry has been sidelined in our quest to be economically developed.In a short span of just two decades, many traditional economy activities in Malaysia faced a slow death.

Like most developing economies, Malaysia began to embrace industrialization like a virgin attracted to a seductress in tow. Policy makers could be heard lauding earful 'F' words like FDI, FTZ to all and sundry.

Rubber trees were among the first to go and they were uprooted in a frenzy to feed the massive needs for industrial and residential lands. Sons and daughters of rubber tappers left their homes in droves for more 'glamorous' jobs in air-conditioned factories and supermarkets.

In its wake, small towns like Lunas in Kedah, found itself struggling to sustain itself and slowly disappearing from the map.

Urban migration is particularly acute in this country and a great Malaysian phenomenon which is not fully studied, or perhaps only understood by few about its implication.

The swift in the population was overwhelming. From a rural based country we have completely reversed the trend to an urbane one by the time we celebrated our 50th Independence.
Unbalanced development priority is the other culprit.

Rubber trees even in the villages are now far and between and the sight of tappers rarer.

After the first rubber seeds were planted in Kuala Kangsar about 150 years ago, the once lucrative Rubber industry is now a distance memory and fast disappearing from our mindset.

In 2006, Laurence Loh also spearheaded a conservation campaign involving the town's children to promote heritage awareness in Lunas.

Walk inside the museum and visitors will be awed with sights and smell of a smokehouse. Loh explained what to expect inside the museum in a talk given at the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum 2007, Hong Kong:-

"In the rubber story, the actual patina and crust of history was retained. Actual rubber sheets were hung up on the original bamboo poles to simulate the environment of the internal space of a smoke house - black walls full of soot and dust, accumulated over 40 years, complete with teh rich pungent smell of raw rubber, totally unforgettable and distinct."

For another comprehensive insight on the rubber industry in this country, start your journey at the revamped Gallery C of Muzium Negara.

Visitors can view the paraphernalia used by rubber tappers in the olden days. Take a closer look at the mannequin tapper 'milking' the rubber tree and you will see that there is a mosquito coil attached to the side of the mannequin to repel the insects.

Middleburg's Man on Tour

2008-12-02T14:34:00.002+08:00

Middlesburg's 600 year-old skeleton was reported to have assumed a new role as the ambassador of PERZIM and has embarked on a nationwide tour. (NST, Nov 21, 08) The few skeletal remains were first found on the excavation site of the old Malacca Tourism Police Base next to the Middlesburg Bastion in early 2008.

Interestingly, the excavation came about following the furor of the Taming Sari Tower construction within the historical enclave.

The Negeri Sembilan State Museum in Seremban is the first to play host to the Middlesburg Man, and the event is held in conjunction with The Archaeology Discovery Exhibition organized by Malacca Museum Board (PERZIM) and Museum Department.

While The discovery of the skeletal remains could probably presents historical importance in establishing Malacca as an early human settlement, but skeptics are bemused by the excitement amongst Malacca historical experts about who the bones belong to.

If the carbon test is proven correct, the museum authorities can lay claims to the first skeletal remains from an era which saw the burgeoning of the Malay Sultanate in Malacca.

Nevertheless, the skeletal remains didn't reveal much about who and what the person's role is in relation to Malacca early history, except the fact that it belongs to a male in his late 20s or early 30s.

A more detailed research is required to further substantiate the findings, and bear in mind, it was found at an excavation site of a Portuguese Bastion next to the Malacca River - a site which was then the river mouth and Malacca was a bursting seaport with a diverse population.

It is very obvious that these historical experts were quick at clamoring over the skeletal discovery and probably have jumped the gun with the notion that the human bones are intrinsically linked to the Malay Sultanate.

Taiping Museum - A New Look in 2009

2008-12-02T14:29:00.001+08:00

The Taiping Museum built in 1883 and widely regarded as the grand dame of Malaysia’s historical repository will be given a fresh lease of life in a RM3.5 million refurbishment plan (The Star/Metro/Central, Tues., Dec 2, 08).

High on the list of this ambitious project is the conservation of the century old façade.

However, the icing to the cake is the long overdue effort to bring change to the dusty and ill-kept galleries. Many of the galleries are reminiscent of Victorian era and often the bane of the visitors.

According to curator Norhanisah Ahmad, the main work involved the natural history, culture, Orang Asli and ceramics galleries. When completed in June 2009, the galleries are poised to position Taiping Museum amongst the country’s top with interactive features and captivating exhibits.

The rejuvenated museum will then be in a stronger position to welcome a new generation of historical buffs. Nevertheless, important question remains unanswered about the fate of the impressive ethnography and Malay-Paleo collections.

My fear is that the museum will discard the existing arrays of collection and take on a completely different theme in line with nationwide trend to alter historical development in this country according to whims and fancies of the powerful.

Other element of what is essentially a structural uplift by the museum department involves instilling the original wooden floorboards. Future museum visitors may be required to wear woolen sandals to protect the floors.

However the curator notes that fee will be imposed for the usage of the sandals and it doesn’t that a rocket scientist to fathom long how it will enrich the museum coffers.

'Tale of Two Cities' - The Perfect Guide for Malaysian Museums

2008-11-14T11:16:00.002+08:00

Foo Yee Ping - yeeping@thestar.com.my, the columnist of ‘Tale of Two Cities’ (The MetroStar, Fridays) writes regularly about museums with updates on events and exhibitions in the museums.

Unfortunately, the writer is New York based, thus her domain is mainly American museums.

Yet, Yee Ping’s ‘Tale of Two Cities’ makes a good reading and her weekly contributions offer Malaysian readers some fascinating ideas and concepts introduced in megastar museums i.e Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art etc.

These award winning institutions are an integrated part of the American social fabric and the exhibitions are the best in their league. It is not uncommon to find visitors from all ages making a beeline to see awe-inspired collections. Statistically, the US has some of the highest museums per capital in the world yet more Americans are visiting museums from the years before.

However, now that its economy is in near shambles, American museum operators must up the ante to entice new visitors and keep the regular ones.

Some innovative promotions include ‘Pay-What-You-Wish’ Day to help boost museum traffic. On these selected days, visitors have the option to tour the museums by making donations instead of paying the average US$15 (RM40) admission.

The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC for example chose instead to have free admission for its main exhibition hall and charged admission only for specially tailored exhibitions.

Getting Malaysians to visit museums was never an economical issue. Most are public funded and admission is next to nothing. The pertinent issue confronting Malaysian museum operators is more of the negative perception Malaysians have about our museums. If they are serious about their roles, they may well learn a few tricks from Yee Ping’s 'Tale of Two Cities’.

Dennis Fire Trucks - Macau Fire Fighting Legacy

2008-11-13T17:05:00.012+08:00

Two Dennis fire trucks with license plates- M-01-25 & M-01-27 - greet visitors at the main hall of the Macau Fire Services Museum. (Address - Estrada de Celho do Amaral, Free Admission)

The museum which still goes by its colonial namesake - Museu Dos Bombeiros - is a must for fire truck aficionados and is a mere 15 minutes walk from the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

Getting acquainted with these early 30s British-made Dennis and the fire fighting paraphernalia in the adjacent hall goes a long way to help one appreciates the early history of fire fighting in the ex-Portuguese colony.

The museum formerly Macau’s Central Fire Station served diligently from its strategic location in the heart of the Inner Harbor.

When a modern centre command facility was mooted, this fabulous European structure was saved by Macau’s pro-conservation policy. Compromise was made.

Walk pass the glass doors at the back of the museum and you enter the new Fire Brigade Headquarter with its fleet of Scania and Mercedes.

The 350 square meter museum, about the size of two basketball courts is not on Macau’s must-see list but my visit there in November 2008 was pleasantly rewarding.

Visitors can view rare footages of fire fighting and rescue missions. One section is devoted to a particular Macau social ill and how firemen rescued suicidal desperadoes from Macau’s skyscrapers.

Others may not be so lucky but my guess is gruesome photos don’t go too well in a museum dedicated to Macau’s rescue elite.

A check on the cyber provides interesting information on Macau’s Dennis.

Unless I’m wrong, I believe Dennis M-01-27 is the same Low Load 60/70HP model or popularly known as Dennis Big 6.

According to the information provided by Peter Williams, these vehicles were manufactured in Dennis Guildford factory in the 30s.
The writer adds that Dennis Big 6 fire trucks were powered by the White and Poppe 6 cylinder petrol engine and was rated at 45hp with a bore and stroke of 110 x 140mm. A Dennis No. 3, 900gpm pump is mounted at its center.

A thorough inspection will reveal that the M-01-27 has transportable aerial ladder as its choice for rear mounting to cope with Macau rising skyline. M-01-25 however spots only a wooden version.

The Museum is manned by full time members of Macau Fire Services but they lack good grasp of English. Hence, communicating with them is a challenge and a real barrier if we need information beyond the captions.

Fire fighting enthusiasts flying in and out of the Macau Airport should also look out for Rosenbauer Panther 6X6 (unit #11) - at the main runway.

The opportunity to view one of the world’s most advanced Airport Fire Fighting Vehicle is perhaps the perfect eye-opener to discover the fire fighting heritage in Macau.

Pulau Besar Exhibition- Another Letdown by PERZIM

2008-11-10T18:12:00.003+08:00

The Malacca Museum Board (PERZIM) is organizing an event titled “Pameran Menyingkap Sejarah and Misteri Pulau Besar” or Appreciating Pulau Besar History and Mystery Exhibition. It was launched by the Chief Minister of Malacca on Sunday, Nov 9, 08 (Berita Harian).

Pulau Besar, located off the coast of Malacca has for generations exude a mysterious shroud among locals and visitors that the island is the realm of an omnipotent ‘dato’.

Taboos were many if you’re holidaying in Pulau Besar. Non-Muslim visitors are well advised to abstain from their favorite ‘non-halal’ meals preferably a day earlier or else the 20 minutes boat journey from Umbai could be a catastrophic one.

A few individual cemeteries with extra large parameters dot the landscape at the southern tip of the island. They are believed to be the final resting place of renowned warriors or even royalties from the Malacca Sultanate, hence their magical prowess.

In the 80s, several large scale tourism plans were in the pipeline to transform the rustic island into a mega tourism draw. Spearheading the transformation is the state religious body with an ambitious task to clear the island from these kurafah elements. Sacred tombs and shrines or keramat were demolished but if you ask the villagers, the taboos and superstitions remain strong.

However, modern day Pulau Besar now boasts a 18-hole golf course. Visitors armed with glossy colorful brochures have turned blind eyes to these taboos. Villagers expressed shock and disbelief about this turnabout event and puzzled how tourists have no qualms about frolicking with their loved ones in this island.

Historically, Pulau Besar, the largest of the five Malacca islets was conspicuously missing in all known annals or maps compare to nearby islands i.e Pulau Upeh and Pulau Panjang (now Pulau Melaka after being reclaimed).

Pulau Upeh was instrumental to the Portuguese in the construction of a newly fortified Malacca and together with Pulau Panjang played crucial roles in resisting naval attacks on Malacca in the subsequent centuries.

During the closing hours of World War II, Pulau Besar was the site of horrid mass executions carried out by the defeated Japanese Imperial Army. Countless bayoneted bodies of locals (mainly of Chinese descend) charged or otherwise with collaborating with the Allied Forces were believed to have being dumped inside a large well.

Unfortunately, the details on this historical well and its vicinity have being whitewashed and they too have fallen victim to the state government’s mid-80s wonton rush to turn the island into a holiday paradise. Despite its dark chapter in the state’s history, there is no mention of the tumultuous event in the island.

There is vague information on what is the focus of this PERZIM event. My best guess is that the central theme would feature the tombs, keramat and the island’s role during and the aftermath following the fall of the Malacca Sultanate Empire.

Few have doubts about PERZIM ability to organize a thorough and well researched exhibition. Numerous past PERZIM activities have critically fell short of achieving the objective of presenting events relevant and concurrent to Malacca’s development as the nation’s premier historical state and for the betterment of the local population.

“Pameran Menyingkap Sejarah and Misteri Pulau Besar” only reaffirms the cynics lack of enthusiasm with the state museum boards and its peculiarity towards mysticism and the unknown realms.

Macau Firecracker History

2008-11-06T18:29:00.008+08:00

Miniscule Macau with no natural resources to call its own has always bellied on the skills and the cheap wages of its industrious people. It was the only mean of survival.

Hard to imagine but the economic landscape of the former Portuguese enclave after the Second World War was vastly in contrast to the current soaring casinos adorning its futuristic skyline.

Before the likes of Venetian, Wynn and Sands made their presence felt in Macau, the backbone industry of the 50s and 60s was the laborious firecrackers making trade.

Wages from making firecrackers, matches and incense fed mouths and offered hope to the destitute, some having just escaped from the brutal uncertainty of a newly installed Communist regime across its border.

The period was known as the Golden Years of Traditional Working Industries in Macau and it ushered a rapid growth of firecrackers factories.

At its height, Macau boasted seven such factories and top in terms of local employment. ‘Fabrico en Macao’ miniature explosives soon became the must-have ingredients for all Chinese festivals world-over.

Unfortunately, not much of this proud Macau heritage remains today.

But for the historical buffs, a visit to the grayish two storey building that once housed the Kwong Hing Tai Firecracker Manufacturer is a good start.

Located along the busy Rua das Lorchas next to the Macau Masters Hotel, the disused building offers a rare glimpse into Macau’s past and a firecraker making facility.

Interestingly, the building stands on concrete stilts above the muddy waters of the Inner harbor, perhaps as a safety feature.

However, the industry began to take a backseat in the 80s when laborers were drawn to better paid jobs and the safer working environment in the textile and toy making industries.

The advent of China as the new firecracker manufacturing powerhouse further compounded the situation.

The Museum of Macau (Admission – M$15/Adult) does a decent job of bringing back to life the sights of a bygone firecracker industry.

Visitors will find exhibits on the tools of trade used in the making of firecrackers. Rare old photos also reveal how firecrackers are manually prepared by mixing the explosive cocktail and the bare essential environment workers must work with in the factories.

Needless to say, the artifacts salvaged by the Museum have allowed an appreciation for an important historical chapter in Macau’s history.

No quest for the firecracker heritage in Macau will be complete without the opportunity to catch the awesome International Fireworks Display Contest.

According to Macau Tourist Guide, the annual event takes place in late September and early October, and the perfect spot to watch the firework displays is at the waterfront near the Macau Tower.

Wickham Trolley - The Forgotten Malayan Emergency Hero.

2008-10-15T19:54:00.010+08:00

Railway services in Peninsula Malaysia were the preferred mode of transportation back in the days when the country was largely covered in jungle and lacked good road networks.

Trains were the lifeline to move people and produce around the country.

When the Malayan communist insurgency peaked, railway services particularly the railroads became favorite targets of guerilla saboteurs. As the conflict escalated, the terrorists became bolder at blowing up rail tracks and inflicted heavy human cost.

The devastation soon overwhelmed the authority and a quick fix to the problem was urgently needed.

Before too long, the security forces found their answer in the British made armored Wickhams Trolley – a tank look-alike except it ran on train tracks. The trolleys were originally manufactured by D Wickham & Co of Ware, Hertfordshire and brought to Malaya by the colonial administration.

Each of the 2-ton Wickham Trolleys or AWT, was armed with search light and machine guns on the turret. They were immediately deployed in key roles as front guard and to provide cover for interstate train services.

Subsequent insurgent attempts to disrupt railway services were met fiercely by government soldiers in these self-powered Wickhams on steel wheels. AWT quickly proved itself to be a deterrent force and provided all-weather and round-the-clock protection for all trains.

However, when the Emergency ended in 1960, AWT triumphing records were cut short and many of the AWTs were left idle at KTM sheds in Klang. Their formidable fighting tales began to fade with time too.

Recently, the railway authority has embarked on giving the AWT a new lease of life as war relics in various museums and establishments.

For the best view of the Wickhams and to get a glimpse of how AWT was effective in its role, then check out the Armored Trolley No. 60 at the Malaysian Army Museum in Port Dickson.

The Army’s AWT No. 60 spots a grey body and it is parked along a steam locomotive and train coach. The museum has undoubtedly the best display of the Wickham and with a bit of imagination, visitors can see for themselves how the armored trolley protected trains in those turbulent times.

The Royal Police Museum in Lake Garden, KL is the next best bet to see a Wickham. AWT No. 63 is painted in police blue indicating a different ownership but the logo on its side shows KTM with its roaring tiger.

No much is revealed in the Police Museum about the success made by the Malaysian Police on the Wichham but fighting communist insurgency in those days was a concentrated effort involving different parties and strategies.

One can also head to the less conspicuous Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial in KL to see -AWT No. 56.

However, like all the AWT on display, they are exhibited outdoor and their fate is left to the mercy of the weather. Information on the Wickham is sorely lacking and similarly all venues don’t provide sufficient materials about where and how the Wickhams were deployed.

One need to go to the KTM Mini Museum at the Old KL Train Station to find Wickham related materials. In its small gallery, there is brief information on the three Wickham Trolleys and their whereabouts. There are old photographs showing men on the AWT preparing guns and search-light, but unfortunately, this railway museum does not have static display of the armored trolley.

Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse - The Hidden Treasure of Penang Heritage.

2008-10-13T17:19:00.007+08:00

The 19th century Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse is one of the best hidden colonial gems in Penang’s UNESCO heritage enclave.

Many visitors often give it a miss although it is just a stone throw away from the iconic British fortress of the same name.

Penang tourism players fare no better and they too overlook the lighthouse potential and its historical importance to Penang’s maritime role.

The British built the lighthouse in 1882 when harbour traffic began to grow for a prosperous Penang. Now in its advance age, the historic lighthouse no longer served to warn ships approaching the Penang cape.

The lighthouse is now manned by Jabatan Laut, Malaysia’s Maritime Authority, and offers fascinating opportunity to acquaint oneself with a bygone maritime era. Admission is free and it is accessible from a small northern entrance of the historical complex.

Walk inside the lighthouse, and you will learn why it is structurally one of its kinds in this country. Most lighthouses in the Malay archipelagos consist traditionally of a lone silo structure i.e. Tanjung Tuan, Malacca(1880), fitted with warning beacons on the top.

Not the Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse.

It has a white coated light tower which sits on a huge steel frame and next to it, a 21-meter T-shaped mast. Together, they fill the entire landscape and probe the curious about the fate of this ex-guardian of the narrow Penang Strait.

For most visitors, the slow climb, about 15 minutes, to the top of the claustrophobic watch tower and the warning beacon is undoubtedly the highlight of the visit.

Walking up on the steel staircase might prove daunting for the vertical challenged. A wrong step could spell disaster to anyone’s holiday and when the steps are particularly slippery after a drizzle. Parents with small children are best cautioned against taking the challenge.

However the panoramic view at the tower is worth the effort. Visitors will be rewarded with an all-round perspective of the city, strait and the mainland.

In the distance, the full views of multi-coloured Penang ferries come unfold. Catch also cargo laden vessels berthing to take Made-in-Penang goods to the world.

Stretch your viewing canvas and over the horizon, you will find the Penang Bridge fills the background.

On the ground level, a small chamber houses a delightful mini museum and showcases lighthouse artefacts like communication equipments and giant bulbs used before GPS and satellite controlled gadgetries made them obsolete.

Penang State should work on this oversight and promote the lighthouse as a full fledge tourist attraction but more urgently, accord and preserve it with a heritage status.

Imjingak - Korea's Cold War Heritage.

2008-10-10T09:31:00.020+08:00

Imjingak Tourist Resort with its 4-storey metallic pavilion and the semi arch observation platform is perfectly located to view the iconic Bridge of Freedom. About 13,000 Allied prisoners-of-war made their final desperate dash for freedom across this wooden bridge at the closing stage of the brutal Korean War in 1953.

Since the new millennium, South Korean authority keen on reunification with its communist North brethrens has embarked on making Imjingak a heritage site. The venue makes an ideal living museum to prepare the uninitiated on the issues confronting the Korean dilemma.

Imjingak is even adeptly lauded by tourist brochures as the must-see venue to witness the only divided country in the world!

Getting to Imjingak is easy and travellers have a choice of car, bus or rail, and it is merely an hour drive away from Seoul.

Tourists will be greeted by its impressive Visitor Center which overlooks the heavily fortified banks of Imjin River and beyond the reclusive North Korea.

Unfortunately, most tour guides would want you to believe that Imjingak sits on the world’s most volatile border in modern history but soldiers guarding on the banks of the Imjin River are mainly South Korean.
Nevertheless, the much feared and trigger-happy North Koreans are in fact positioned a further four km north from Imjingak.

Needless to say, South Korean military fearing a potential large scale strike from its Red neighbors, has designated defence lines in by placing barbed wires and army lookout posts on the edges of the Civilian Passage Restricted Line (CPRL).

Thus, visitors often get the false impression that South Korea ends at Imjingak, and the Imjin River the natural border between these two hostile neighbors.

A quick check on the maps will reveal that the fences at Imjingak are actually the Southern CPRL, with a heavily guarded buffer zone lining parallel to the Northern CPRL inside North Korea territory.

There is also the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) central to the buffer zone and together they cut the Peninsula into halves.

During my visit to see first-hand the cold war frontier in late September 2008, it got off to an unexpected start when we were stopped in our car by heavily armed South Korean personnel and our guide informed us that the army is conducting a drill to detonate two nearby road tunnels leading to the north border. (Naturally no photos were taken for fear of antagonizing the M-16 guys)

The Military Demarcation Line is the de facto border agreed by these two warring factions, amid reluctantly, and explains why Korea is also home to 30,000 plus American infantrymen.

The entire stretch of land within the CPRL is a no-man territory, but is more popularly known as Demilitarized Zone or DMZ.

Interestingly, only foreigners holding valid passports are allowed near the epic center of DMZ or Panmunjum.

Here, one is only a breath away from North Korean guards smacking in their traditional goose attire from the Soviet era. Their Southern counterparts have their peculiarity too. Dark sunglasses and arms folded in karate pose are their choice of instilling fear and awe.

Panmunjum is however, a no-go for Korean nationals. The furthermost point Koreans are allowed to go near their Northern neighbors is the border town of Dorasan.

Today, tourists take the scheduled Korail trains on the reconstructed 4 kilometer long Gyeongui Line to Dorasan Station from Imjingak Station (Train fare - KW2,000 / US$2 return).

For many years, the railway line was the main steel artery for intra Korea travel but the war cut it short at Imjingak.

At Dorasan, one can spy with the coin operated binoculars (KW700) on the North Korean industrial city of Gaeseong. Not to be missed is the guided tour inside the 3rd Tunnel, a must for those who doubt North Korean aggressive ambition.

A rusty steam locomotive outside the Imjingak mini museum casts a vivid reminder of the once extensive railway networks connecting all corners of the Korean Peninsula prior to the devastating war.

Take a few steps towards the museum rear, more war relics and the scales of battles fought greet you – The Sherman that pounded on the Russian T34 or perhaps intrigued by the Sabres that triumphed over the MiGs in the Korean skies.

Even the most bewildered visitor is unlikely to escape the highly charged atmosphere between both sides at the border.

My visit to Imjingak has left me with an overwhelming realization of this long lasting border conflict and how all aspects of border life are teeming with military alertness.

Here, no one gambles with the peaceful existence or risk provoking enemies who have no qualms to unleash the perils of Cold War on all.

While it gives you the impression that human life is cheap at the border area, visitors will be surprised to find Imjingak is also the main venue to celebrate Chuseok - aka Korean's Thanksgiving.

Family members torn by the war come here on an annual pligrimage to express their longing for relatives living across the barbed wires.
Besides the ruined railway bridge and antiqued military displays, the visit to Imjingak offers visitors an everlasting view on the terrible human cost brought by idealogic conflicts.

National Museum of Singapore - Light System

2008-09-23T22:57:00.008+08:00

Lightemotion uses illumination as scenography for the National Museum of Singapore's collection.

By David Sokol (Architectural Record - February 2008)

A major renovation and expansion of the National Museum of Singapore by Singapore-based W Architects presented a tabula rasa for light designers at Lightemotion and exhibition designers from GSM Group. François Roupinian, who founded Montreal-based Lightemotion in 2002, likens the museum’s 126,000-square-foot addition to a “complete black box.”

Founded as a natural history museum in 1887, the institution used its recent construction project also to expand its curatorial focus, which now encompasses cultural identity and nation building.

This broader scope meant that the museum’s collection would be spread thin across the new galleries, creating the need for the exhibition and lighting designers to engender a sense of intimacy in the cavernous interiors.

In a gallery located inside the original Neoclassical building, for example, curators lined the room’s perimeter with handmade Singaporean fabrics, but little else.

To concentrate visitors’ attention on these panels, Lightemotion grazed each textile with an AR111 tightened to a 4-degree beam spread. “Grazing really makes a strong statement,” Roupinian says, “so just by illuminating those layers, by highlighting their texture and making them shimmer, we could make the space pop.”

In addition to providing the illusion of a smaller scale, the designers at Lightemotion helped reinforce the museum’s narrative. “We tried to make lighting a third character,” states Roupinian. “The lighting became the scenography.”

In a gallery devoted to Singapore’s theatrical traditions, the firm suspended bare light bulbs from the ceiling, letting the electrical cords swag this way and that.

A century ago, Singaporean opera singers worked as itinerant performers, explains Roupinian. So “we tried to create a bit of the feeling of the nomadic dressing room, where performers would hang all those light bulbs to do their makeup,” he says.

While the original galleries now focus on themes such as fashion and theater, the extension designed by W Architects houses the museum’s permanent collection. Rather than divide galleries thematically, GSM designed two paths that follow the chronology of Singapore’s political and social histories.

One of the rare intersections between the two paths serves as the entryway to galleries devoted to the Japanese occupation. Here, too, suspended lighting does the work of props. “We wanted people to experience—in a metaphorical way—the anguish and fear [that residents felt during the occupation],” Roupinian says.

So GSM designed an angled concrete wall that outlines the route, and Lightemotion illuminated it with attenuated Edison bulbs whose filaments are dimmed to 5 percent. “They shake a bit just so you can feel the fragility,” Roupinian says of the quivering filaments.

Prior to this junction, along the social-history path, museumgoers can explore a re-created opium den where paper lanterns hang from the ceiling; a metal-halide/fiber-optic system integrated in the raised floor uplights a metal-mesh ceiling, where shadows evoke smoke. As the permanent collection approaches the most recent decades, a gallery devoted to contemporary manufacturing features a ceiling of myriad luminaires fabricated in Singapore.

The designers also used projected images to help fill the National Museum’s abundant space. In one example, at the start of the permanent collection, they created a collage of still images that dance across lycra panels stretched inside a drumlike volume.

At the end of the journey, films of contemporary Singaporean life play on canted walls, and embedded fiber optics in vitrines give the impression that the exhibition cases have somehow captured the spillover light.

A cinematic approach characterizes GSM and Lightemotion’s work at the National Museum of Singapore. In the pools of light that underscore certain artifacts, for example, the designers created counterparts to the range of luminous and emotional intensity found in film.

“Singaporeans are used to a wash of fluorescent light,” Roupinian says. That the National Museum of Singapore does the opposite offers testimony to a trusting client, and adds a new layer of meaning to the island nation’s relatively brief history.

Muzium Negara - A New Dawn?

2008-09-22T20:07:00.012+08:00

Muzium Negara, the national repository of the country's heritage is undergoing a physical change for the first time since its inception in the early 60s. Under the patronage of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the national museum was the place to showcase a proud heritage that traverses across colors and race.

However in recent years, the national museum and the exhibits are losing its frantic battle to draw more visitors. The museum has become notorious of becoming museum piece itself.

Few were to be blamed.

Society changed and museums, at least in Malaysia, are no longer the place to take your kids to. The mushrooming of mega malls did not help either.

The axe finally came when policy makers turned blind eyed to the latest science and technology in museulogy. Key museum players simply fail to overhaul Muzium Negara and make the museum relevant to the changing taste of the public.
Generations of visitors are continuously greeted by the same mundane features on keris, bridal chambers, stuffed animals and wayang kulit. Countless internet postings came with a frightening verdict - Muzium Negara is BORING!

Yet there is hope now.

Years of increasing revenue from the tourism industry have make the government to view the National Museum in a whole new perspective. Malaysian government is giving it the long overdue facelift to entice more foreigners to visit the country. In fact, the new minister in charge in his Museum Day 2008 speech, has listed it as one of the two main functions of Muzium Negara.

The overhaul project valued at some RM20 million was first mooted in August 2006 and after several rounds of delay, the project is currently at its final stage of completion due late 2008.

Obviously, the museum authority has high hopes. Rais Yatim was quoted to have set it on par if not exceed some of the leading museum establishments in the region, notably in Singapore. Others are predicting that ticket sales will hit all time high.

Sadly, not much is said about the quality of the exhibition galleries.

Gallery C and D were opened to visitors since August 2007. The new Gallery C will take visitors through the different colonial eras with dioramas of on-board a Portuguese Galleon as it pounded Malacca in the 15th century. Close by, you can pretend to be a British guard at Fort Cornwallis. Or perhaps bear witness to the signing of the Perak Treaty in the 18th century on board on a steamer. Then there is more on the bloodied history of colonial conquests and regional forces like the Dutch and Bugis. Gallery C also dwells on the formation years the country took as a tin and rubber producer. Ingots and a large tin dredge model gave visitors a small but impressive display of the tin industry in the country.

It is perhaps the best of the two because visitors are left asking for more next.

In Gallery D, nationalism theme takes center stage but ends up trying too hard to impress visitors. Bad lighting and a rather disappointing choice of displays spell future downfall.

According to reliable inside source, the galleries have turned turf wars between the people running Muzium Negara and those from the ministry.

The overhaul of the two galleries upstairs were administered separately and the museum management basically were told to lay their hands off. Hence the adversary. Choose carefully when you praise these galleries, otherwise you'll get a mouthful how these galleries are no different from a showroom. You'll hear discontentment and disapproval over how basic museum guidelines like the positioning of display fonts are thrown into the air.

The rivalry is only natural because the first stage of the renovation are directives from the ministry and they have put something completely alien right under the nose of the Muzium Negara management.

But on the other hand, the museum management is guilty of idling too long and not attuned to position Muzium Negara as the nation premier museum.

However, the museum management now have their hands full of revenge at least till the year end. The stake is high for them to show how they can successfully turn around Galleries A and B on the ground floor.

Exclusive work progress report has revealed that the star attraction in Gallery A will be the Perak Man housed in a cave diorama. Also in the pipeline is a walk through timeline of Malaysian flora and faunas and a section with the opportunity to experience 'earthquake'.

The source also notes that Gallery B will confine to solely feature the emergence of the Malay Sultanate since the 13th. century. Maybe offering a completely new way to view royal regalia but it would not surprise anyone if it is just to know who's who in the Malay palaces and their long lineage.

Nevertheless, it appears that the 'new' museum has completely discarded the museum early day's concept of showcasing the many rich and colorful racial diversity. Malaysian minorities highlights are completely ignored. Polarization again bears its ugly head and Malaysians again is at its losing end.

It is ironic to me that Muzium Negara which falls under the same ministry that oversees Unity in the country has left this important factor out when they sat collectively to plan the future for the country's main repository of culture and heritage!

Unless one reads along the line of the authority and their sole objective. Muzium Negara will be Malaysia's latest cash cow and it is to bankroll on more tourists.

One can then understand why there are also fundamental change in the new museum's DNA.

It has also opted to move away from research theme in their displays. Story telling now are visually more stimulating but the information is frustratingly brief. Anyone wanting a rewarding outing at the museum will find walking on the corridors of Muzium Negara is no different from browsing through tour brochures.

Questions still remain if the rejuvenated Muzium Negara will reclaim its rightful place among Malaysians as the place to visit and the center of research in the region.

Stadium Merdeka Wins UNESCO Award

2008-09-08T14:59:00.001+08:00

A jury of 12 conservation experts gave Stadium Merdeka the Award of Excellence and the Suffolk house in Penang the Award of Distinction in the Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture and Heritage Conservation held in Bangkok (NST Sept 8, 08)

For those who fought hard to preserve the stadium’s historical importance, the award is a well earned recognition for a national monument that Malaysians accept as the symbol of our nationhood and its birth.

Not all share the belief unfortunately, and in the late 90s, the fate of Merdeka Stadium laid precariously in the hands of development juggernaut. A would-be victim of an outrageous trading chip by Tun Mahathir to fund his fancy Commonwealth Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil.

The more cynical ones perceived it all part of an elaborate scheme to discard the memoirs of our beloved Tunku - Malaysia’s first Prime Minister. However, the arrival of Pak Lah a decade later at the power helm, finally offered a ray of hope to the iconic football stadium.

Award-winning architect cum conservationist Laurence Poh was put in charge to put glory back to Stadium Merdeka. Soon, an army of jackhammers and hard hats descended on the bitumen track and concrete stands to give the stadium a new facelift.

Its seating capacity of previous high of 60,000 was scaled back to the heydays of Merdeka at under 20,000. The reduced seating capacity is far from the days when the Stadium housed Malaysia as an Asian football power house, but the new overall look is similar to what Tunku had envisioned when he led JKR engineers to transform Kuala Lumpur in time to celebrate our independence from the British.

At the core of the conservation plan is the preservation of the main façade of the grandstand. A mini museum cum photo gallery was included to showcase the stadium and its many historical events.

Reclamation Kills Historic Malacca Town?

2008-08-27T20:08:00.010+08:00

The historic town is increasing its size by leaps and bounds due to rampant reclamation in progress.

Reclamation not only alter permanently the coastal contours of Malacca but put an abrupt end to any hope of discovering treasures in an area acknowledged internationally as some of the finest graveyards of sea vessels in the country.

Looking under the sea beds may reveal fascinating historical links to a turbulent past when Malacca - the strategic seaport was a favorite grab of maritime superpowers.

This notion, however, has little followers. The historical values that the warring vessels hold are not good enough to entice modern day prospectors more keen to reap quick buck from properties that mushroom in this reclaimed parcels.

Think of the hugely unpopular Talam-led Pulau Melaka project (the man-made islet connected by a bridge on the Google satellite map), and unplanned reclamation and its devastation unfold before your eyes. Its consequences are the massive silting of Malacca seas adjacent to Century Mahkota Hotel and Malacca River.

The entire area is slowly turning into swamps and now a favorite with migrating egrets. Ancient Malacca shore lines were the entire stretch from present day Equatorial Hotel to Malacca River mouth where the Tourism Malaysia office is now situated. (Indicated by the red line on the Google satellite photo)
It would not be too hard to imagine that many great European Men-of-War like the Flor De la Mar made its port calls where Hilton Hotel or Mahkota Parade stand today. Portuguese maritime annals would revealed how the pride of the Portuguese fleet arrived with hundreds of sepoys and captained by Albuquerque’s men.

It purportedly left with war spoilt from the defeated Malacca Malay sultanate. Its short glorious stint was then cut short when it sank with all its treasures when freak storm hit the unexpected crew.

Malaysia's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had urged a thorough magnomatic survey of the various potential sites when the idea for the massive reclamation project was mooted by the state in the late 90s.

Unfortunately, the technology prescribed concluded nothing significant, and the Chief Minister was adamant that the project should proceed.

Yet for sometime, local dailies had articles highlighting fishermen and those who fish for leisure would often show up with pieces of broken china, old coins and the musket balls during their outings in the same areas.

As a teenager, I too have my share of adventures at the edge of the reclaimed land before developers changed the landscape forever with the likes of Mahkota Parade and Melaka Raya.

As a matter of fact, I own a few of the musket bullets and broken china I dug out myself from the muddy soil.

Unfortunately, the state prefers to ignore the urgent need to find and identify the sunken treasures. Instead it has adopted a negligent attitude to concerned calls urging restrain in its reclamation project.

End of the story?

The same authority, however has shown remarkable enthusiasm to spend millions of ringgit for large scale projects supposedly to draw more tourist traffic - The Eye of Malaysia in Kota Laksamana – (The same Eye from KL by the way), The Taming Sari Revolving Tower and Malacca Skytrain but fail to appreciate the exquisite heritage and conservation value Malacca has to offer to its people and the world.

Malacca - An Oasis of History.

2008-08-04T13:50:00.006+08:00

It is not often we chanced upon a fascinating insight on Malacca rustic charm and personally this is one of the best. The article is written by Thomas Fuller (International Herald Tribute) and published on Friday, March 19, 1999.

History Essence of A Colonial Past Infuses Neglected Malacca.

MALACCA, Malaysia: In a country where "old" is often defined as pre-1970, this city with its hibiscus-red colonial buildings and ornately carved facades is an oasis of history.

As progress and development have marched across Malaysia, one small corner of the country seems to have been spared.

Still intact are Malacca's centuries-old shop-houses, its church built in 1753 and the ruins of a fort erected by the Portuguese about 450 years ago to secure the once strategic port.

As one ambles through the streets of the city, it is difficult to fathom Malacca's crucial role in the region's — and indeed the world's — commercial history. An adage from the early years of European colonialism in Asia perhaps says it best: "He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice."

Malacca was the gateway to the spice islands, an entrepot for cloves, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. The narrow straits off the city, still some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, held the key to the lucrative spice trade for Europeans, who began their trips to the region in the early 1500s.

It was only in the last century, when the British moved their regional headquarters south to Singapore, that Malacca lost its strategic significance.

Today, the city's charm is its neglect. The local government has done little to polish the appearance of the historic district, a series of streets packed with sometimes rickety, narrow shop-houses. Local officials refuse to pay for renovations of the 18th-century church — the Dutch government paid the last time, in the 1980s — and talk of building a pedestrian promenade beside the oldest houses has remained just that.

The result: Many parts of the historic center still function independently of tourist dollars. Dilapidated buildings replete with elaborate tiles and carvings house barber shops, loan sharks, funeral parlors and furniture shops. Local patrons of tea stalls mingle and converse oblivious of the tourists who walk past the shops' marble-top tables and distinctive wooden chairs.

The hidden splendor of these buildings has not gone entirely unnoticed. Singaporeans, among others, are buying up the old houses and converting them into boutique hotels and cafés to complement the art galleries and trinket shops.

But history in Malacca resides not only in the rows of old shop-houses and nearby fort and church. There are gems throughout the city, although many are lost in Malacca's sometimes ugly and congested streets.

One is tucked away behind the fort: a small cemetery that speaks of the history of early colonists and their travails. Amid tombstones of former governors and military officers is the grave of Edward Hugh Massy, the 1-year-old son of a British lieutenant stationed in Malacca in the early 1800s.

His grieving parents left a little piece of poetry on his gravestone: "This lovely bud so young and fair calld hence by early doom just came to shew how sweet a flower in paradise would bloom."

It is through such tombstones that Malacca betrays the identities of its past and present inhabitants.

Few cities in the world can claim such an eclectic heritage. Malacca was founded by a Sumatran prince in the 14th century and saw successive waves of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonists met by traders from India, China and Java, among other places.

Some groups, like the Chittys from India and the descendants of Portuguese settlers, formed separate communities that remain today.

Each race and culture has left its mark on the city — whether it is the spicy Portuguese food or the Armenian inscriptions on the floor of Christ Church. Indeed, part of the challenge for visitors to this old port is to try to disentangle the city's European and Oriental influences.

VISITORS today range from Singaporeans who drive here on weekends, to the droves of Europeans who, as their ancestors did, often come in groups.

Malacca is halfway between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore — two cities that have clearly succumbed to concrete and steel — making it an easy destination for a day trip.

Visitors who stay the night have choices among four and five-star hotels or boutique hotels in the historic part of town, a neighborhood recently made more lively with the addition of bars that stay open late.

At the heart of the historic area, next to the Dutch-built Christ Church, is the creaking State Historical Museum, housed in the former Dutch governor's house, and filled with dioramas, furniture and period costumes.

Next door is the Youth Museum, a dark and puzzling series of rooms filled with sports trophies and dedicated to the not-so-youthful politicians who built it.

To be avoided is a nightly outdoor historical performance, derided by Malaccans as the sound, light and mosquito show.

But no visit to the city is complete without a journey to the top of St. Paul's hill, where the ruins of a fortress mix with the giant, 17th-century tomb markers of fallen Dutchmen.

In the distance, plying the muddy straits, are the outlines of container ships that all but ignore once-mighty Malacca.

Walking Guide to Malacca River.

2008-07-26T01:31:00.007+08:00

Here is the riverwalk guide for anyone who fancy taking the 1- 2 hour casual walk on the refurbished banks.

Begin the journey from old Bailey Bridge (now a 2 way modern bridge) in Pengkalan Rama, walk further down stream and see ornamented stilt attap in Kampung Morten. Walk along the boardwalk for up close view of families living by the river and it should take you to the Old Express Bus terminal and the new Ferris Wheel.

Walk pass the Hang Tuah Bridge near the old Cathay and the boardwalk will takes you to more rear scenes of local homes in Kampung Ulu(across the river) and Kampung Jawa(closest to the boardwalk).

Take a side tour at Kampung Jawa and you may be rewarded with delightful shopping experience i.e Excess military goods, coffin shops, pet shops. (In the 80s, Kg Jawa was also infamous for prostitution but unclear of the current status)

A decent square next to Surau Kg. Jawa offers a break for your tiring legs. Either proceed up the pedestrian bridge to go the other side of the river to see rows of family owned shops ie jewelry and "pails and bins" shops in this narrow alley, or head straight pass the small Chinese temple besides the bridge.

After the Chan Koon Cheng Bridge you're within the sights of St. Francis Church. Make a visit there and discover the old wooden organ on the 1st floor and also the crypt. Murals around the church wall illustrate the many miracles the saint was known for.

Back to the large public parking area which used to house Mara Shoplots. Continue your walk on the river front and you will exist close at the Stadhuys.

Here you can see the original wall foundation made of the same coral stones used to build A Famosa.
Across the river is a derelict warehouse waiting for its last few days. See also the stepped banks once used by coolies on gangplanks to load and unload goods from tongkang to the warehouse.

Malacca Old Fort Given a New Lease of Life.

2008-07-26T00:55:00.002+08:00

The Gateway of Santiago is high on the list of must-see landmarks in the historically rich state of Malacca (or Melaka). It is featured extensively in “Visit Malaysia” promotions to highlight diversity and conjure the strong historical presence in this rather young country.

Built in mid 15th century, this single structure made of coral stones was part of a larger impregnable fortress that stood against countless invasions from European rivals and local warlords, all spoilt for a violent quest for Malacca’s strategic importance.

Despite its historical significance the site has evolved somewhat less graciously into a convenient photography opportunity for the busloads of tourists. Many, unfortunately, are too caught up in frenzy photo snap shots and history is the farthest from their minds.

The Gateway or Porto De Santiago as it was coined originally is often mistaken for the grandeur A Famosa by tourism booklets and even history bluffs. Santiago and the ruins of St. Paul’s Chapel are the only remnants of a Portuguese fortress that once surrounded the hilly stronghold that loomed over Malacca river mouth.

Fate has never been kind to A Famosa and it suffered one cruel twist after another. The fortress served magnificently over a span of three centuries and endured large scale attacks from the Johorean, Bugis and Achenese armies before it fell into the hands of the Dutch in 1641.

The Strait of Malacca was constantly in turmoil with several masters clamoring for its reign but only for periodically. New ports and trade centers took shape elsewhere and soon contributed to the end of Malacca as a seafaring state. The rapidly silting of Malacca River the main artery where monsoon traders and sailors sought refuge also aggravated its dismissal.

By the late 18th century, Malacca and A Famosa lost most of its allure and was a distant memoir for many enthusiastic land grabbers. The cannons soon fell silent. The defensive walls crumbled due to neglect and Malacca faced real danger of having its struggling settlement forcedly evacuated.

Inquisitive visitors today are still rewarded with delightful architectural features similar to ones found in medieval Europe. Perched on the top right of the gateway is a guard post with gun holes. The zigzag cobble laid entrance reveals another deterrent gimmick to prevent would be invaders. The insignia craved above it tells the tale of Protestant Dutch proclaiming itself the new owner of what was essentially a Catholic Portuguese masterpiece.

Nearby, menacing cannons from an era long gone-by guard the gateway. A closer look reveals they are merely crafty duplicates made in time for Queen Elizabeth II formal visit to Malacca not too long ago. Visitors may have no qualms of the authenticity but with a clever imagination the cries of the fiery years where countless lives were lost defending the fortress still resonates.

Ironically the legacy of A Famosa is given a jump-start lately. Two previously buried bastions facing what was the coastal line of Malacca were uncovered when construction crew of state sponsored development projects stumbled upon the foundations. While excavation is painfully slow, the intriguing details of the magnitude of this ancient military complex have generated astonishing interest.

Malacca River Losing Its Lustre.

2008-07-24T18:54:00.005+08:00

Malacca River or Sungai Melaka the main waterway traversing this historic town is slowly but surely losing its lustre.

Now elevated to a World Heritage Site by UNESCO but I personally feel that the recognizition came too late to save its traditional role and function.

After five centuries of receiving traders and sailors from all corners of the world, life around the river recently comes to a forcedly halt to accommodate a RM130 million (US$60 million) Malacca River Beautification Project.

At its core, the project clamors after the San Antonio Riverfront and just about everything there with no qulams or discreet about the historical value of Sungai Melaka.

The project first launched in the new millennium was ambitious and its justification was music to many ears. High on the wish list is to stop the repeats of the Great Flood 1971, halt the local habit of turning the river into a favorite dumpsite, and rejuvenate river's marine life.

However, as we appraoach the tail end of the redevelopment project, one will discover that in its place is a prettified riverfront, with an annoying similarity to Singapore's Clarke Quay.

Ask its advocators and they would argue that the river now is spotting a popular thoroughfare to reach different venues in the town, but probably true for tourists and unfortunately little else for Malaccans.

Aestically, the so-called beautification project has cast a cement veil over parts of the historical river and it is no different from the canals found along the confluence of Gombak and Klang Rivers in KL.

The rows of stilted shoplots in Kampung Ulu, Kampung Pantai and Kampung Jawa apparently were an eye sore for foreigners.

At worst, it highlighted a disappointing and a lack of genuine idea on the people involved in the project. Concerned Malaccans are right to be alarmed at another poor example of the authority'to foolishly strangle heritage for tourism dollars?

Monitor lizards and the occasional kingfisher once found lazily around stilts and the Sumatran schooners unloading charcoals at the river banks are all but disappeared.

Purple colored fishing trawlers once a common sight here when visiting Malacca is also history. Now the only motorized noise vibrating you get is from the state owned floating platoons cruising up and down the stream with paying human cargoes.

In the early 2005, treasure hunters can still be found on its muddy banks when tides ebb scavenging for remnants of Malacca's past. After all this water artery was the site where battles fought and history made. Judging by the men's enthusiasm and the risk they willing to take, one reckons these must be very profitable outings.

Today, the men are long gone and mudskippers suffered the same aweful fate too.

Currently Phase II of the project is in full swing. (June 2008) A tidal lock opposite the Flor De La Mar's replica is up and running, and thus ensuring that the river level is always ideal for the tourist platoons to sail the entire length of the river.

Malacca would then claim the misnomer title of "Venice of Asia".

Even Parameswara and D' Albuquerque would be strangers if they set their foot again here on the Sungai. The same sungai that gave birth to a proud Malaccan Sultanate and ushered the waves of European conquests into this part of the world.

Royal Malaysian Air Force Museum

2008-07-24T15:22:00.007+08:00

The RMAF Museum (Free Admission. 3 out of 5 Stars) in the Sungai Besi Air Base (the first international airport in Malaysia, before Subang and definitely way before Sepang) has a thing or two to attract the most devout lot of museum aficionados.

The main draw is the fascinating array of aircraft in display. These flying machines were once the pride of the nation and Malaysia’s primary air defense arsenal. Visitors who want a glimpse of the air force humble past may kick off their tour with the memorabilia in the modest museum housed in an ex-officer barrack.

While the exhibits lack in creativity to capture visitors’ imagination, they compensate the fact with the historical importance of a struggling nation’s flying unit. The first gallery is adorned with many wooden plaques listing the names of previous Air Marshall and black and white photos of lanky colonial officers in their rather awkward pose in their songkok and their official Malay military gears.

The museum has a treasure or two to boast if you look hard enough for it. Located in the corner of this same gallery is the uncelebrated ejected pilot seat of F-5E jet.

Not much is told about the incident but a little notice nearby discloses the uneventful fate of the fighter jet which crashed off the coasts of Terengganu in the 80s.

However, kids and their dads will have a field day discovering more about the aircraft parked next to the derelict hangar located close to the runway.

Kids would love to explore the interiors of the large wing Caribou. These hard working Canadian transporters were the backbones of air force logistic need, and when standing in the narrow cabin one can still feel the adrenalin rush of a paratrooper waiting his turn to jump off the plane.

With luck, visitors can catch the air force’s Nuri (transport helicopter) or Police Pilatus in operation from the nearby runway.

More surprises inside the hangar.

There, the A-4 Skyhawk - the supersonic jet fighter that once ruled our skies in the 80s before the arrivals of the Hornets, Sukhoi and MiGs, now greets visitors amid silently.

Retired helicopters are also valuable exhibits to allow visitors hand-on experience on the working of a rotor blade aircraft.

The historical biplane that served in the formation years of RMAF is another attraction not to be missed. Nevertheless it is heart breaking that parts of the aircraft body which is covered with flimsy cloth-like material, are tears everywhere due to lack of care and poor maintenance.

That is probably the main contention of visitors to this museum.

Muzium TUDM has in their procession some of the priceless artifacts showcasing our country’s momentous start in aerial military yet all the exhibits are covered with a thick layer of dust or worst condemned under the unforgiving tropical sun. Many outdoor exhibits including Ferrer Scout Car, Grumman Seaplane and others are left to rust.

Lack of informative displays is another thing that the curator should be dismayed with.

Questions should be asked now if another more committed conservation entity should assume the role as the repository of Malaysian Air Force heritage.

Fun Museums for August School Holidays

2008-07-24T14:46:00.002+08:00

Aug18-22, 08 marks the beginning of the 2nd. Malaysian School Break.

Most parents with kids would crank their heads over their holiday plans. I think holidaying in Malaysia is a rewarding break for the kids if parents make a point to include visits to museums.

I believe that there is at least one museum worth visiting in each of the Malaysian states. Some states boost more but the important thing is to identify one which the kids can enjoy and for an hour or two, let their inquisitive minds probe for answers, and a warning for the parents - be prepared.

Many of the exhibits housed air-conditioned museums are a perfect substitute for the regular outings to shopping malls. It is the prefect opportunity to share with the kids a wider perspective of the people and places we all live in and for a brief moment train them discard the buy and buy mentality which they are learning when we visit shopping centers.

Malaysian museums are also affordable compared to our nearest neighbor – Singapore. Most museums except Muzium Negara operated by Jabatan Muzium have no admission charges whereas Singapore’s MICA run public museums do with charges varies from RM3.00-RM15.00 pax.

For a starter, go to a favorite outing spot for many in Kuala Lumpur particularly in areas like Lake Garden (3 museums, 1 memorial and 1 planetarium)

To help parents plan their museums outings I have listed the list below for reference according to the location, admission charges and exhibits.

1. The Royal Malaysian Police Museum

Why Kids Like It?

Daddy can be Boys again and together they could check out armored vehicles, aeroplane and a patrol boat.

The Gun Gallery has a fascinating array of sub-guns used terrorists, home made guns used by hunters and killing weapons by feuding gangsters.

The Darurat Gallery is a jungle setting with a Ferret scout car and tools of trade used by terrorists in the jungle warfare. Be Warned – some very graphic photos of defeated terrorists.

The Gallery showcasing the Malacca Sultanate days will open up the kids’imagination to the days where spices were bartered on the seafaring port.

Just compare the low tech weapons used by the Melaka defenders against the muskets and cannons used by the Portuguese invaders and it is easy to understand why 500 plus Portuguese and their sepoy can triumphed easily over.

2. Tun Abdul Razak Memorial - aka “Malaysia Former White House”

Why Kids Like It?

Step into the former residence of Malaysian 2nd. Prime Minister. Step inside on the 1st floor and you and the kids would be zapped back in time. Catch a glimpse of the Malaysian first family and what it is like in the 70s. Look out for the enormous sized black colored Jabatan Telekom telephones.

3. Muzium Negara - The National Museum
Renovation which began in 2006 is still on going (May 2008). Gallery A and B (on ground floor) are closed. Visitors now have access only to Gallery C and D (on the first floor) and make you wonder why they still charged you for full RM2 admission.

Kids will love the new Gallery C. It now has delightful exhibitions and children can ‘board’ a Portuguese galleon attacking Melaka, pretends to be a British soldierer guarding Fort Cornwallis.
There are also excellent exhibits on how rubber trees were tapped. Look out for the tapper mannequin and the container for mosquito coils at her sides.

The tin dredge model the size of Volvo is also a fun place for the kids to discover how the floating factory works.

4. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

World class collections with fascinating exhibits but it can be daunting for kids whose grasp for details last no longer than 5 seconds.

Kids however would love IAMM for its many interactive kiosks and try-on gadgetry which are important part of the learning process.

Parents may opt for the library next to Mediterranean restaurant housed in the museum after the hefty tour. On weekends, children activities are organized to spur their curiosity for knowledge.

5. Planetarium

Take your kids to space and beyond! Despite its relatively small size (about the size of one and half basketball court) and a pricier ticket, the planetarium offer enough rocket and planetary exhibits. Just don’t expect Houston Control Central and you won’t be disappointed.

There are few interactive kiosks where children will have fun time experimenting. The ‘Space Walk’ is a must.

Chasing the Wrong Malaysian Heritage.

2008-07-03T19:20:00.008+08:00

Half a century after the nation freed from European dominance, Malaysian heritage experts are reported to be in an overdrive mode to bring back national wealth from overseas museums and private collectors. (New Strait Times – July 3, 08)

Nevertheless, the vigorous and very expensive quest to retrieve this priceless heritage falls short to elevate Malaysia to become the proud heirloom of ancient Malay artifacts.

According to the paper, topping this shopping list is Malay manuscripts circa around late 19th century and early 20th century.
These manuscripts in my best comprehension would include the various royal seals and letters from the Malay sultanates used in Treaties and official or private correspondence currently kept inside the vaults of the British libraries, museums and universities, and to a lesser extend Dutch repository.

The rationale to spend the hard earned tax payers’ money in this shopping spree while we all suffer from the escalation of cost to run the country and also the unfavorable exchange rate is most baffling. Unless, of course if we can comprehend that the Museum Department and the National Archives are now an instrument to pursue Agenda Melayu.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see how such an acquisition, however costly, would be the perfect ingredients for not just heritage triumph but also a political one too.

Acquiring these long forgotten Malay treasures and finally taking these precious documents home from the foreign thieves. Follow up with the right dose from the spin doctors from the main stream media and the directors from these two institutions would be hailed as national heroes and champions of the race.

Again you don’t need college algebra to figure the difficulty or the lack of it to buy what is essentially an item listed in Museum manuals.

Taking a step further and it will be just a snap of the fingers to picture politicians especially those from the battle scarred UMNO joining the hero bandwagon.

Personally, the huge expense the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Arts is willing to commit to this endeavor defies common sense and show what priority the Ministry is taking to safeguard Malaysian Heritage.

In my posting Conquer This Culture Coup – (Jun 9, 08), I urged the same Ministry to revalue its priority and focus to live up to its much acclaimed role as the repository of MALAYSIAN heritage. Valueless Peranakan heritage were permanently lost to Singapore when the owner in Penang was offered an amount, I guess just too hard to say NO to.

Why KEKKWA officials are so adamant about fighting tooth and nail for treasures housed in some foreign institutions which are world class research centers but are somewhat less than enthusiastic about treasures while may not of the same category but definitely the same value slipped away right under our very nose. Why?

Jul 3,08

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Priceless relics making the way home NST –July 3,08

KUALA LUMPUR: The country's priceless relics, which were transported abroad and kept out of the country for years, are slowly being identified and brought home. Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry deputy secretary-general (Heritage) Datuk Nor Azmal Mohd Nazir said research was ongoing to establish the authenticity of the artifacts.

"The National Heritage Department was assigned to conduct studies and research on heritage items since its formation in 2006.

"They have identified several artifacts, including relics, overseas, but formal announcements of identification are only made with clear facts and documents."

He added that the Museums Department and the National Archives would also take part in the research as there were many procedures involved.

"It is not an easy task. When the artifacts are identified, they have to go through several tests and carbonisation processes. So it takes time." Azmal said, sometimes, the process of tracking down the artifacts was tough, especially when they were kept in personal collections.

"We can try our best to procure the artifacts, but some of the individuals ask for a very high price."We don't even know how the artifacts ended with them in the first place."

Last month, the New Straits Times front-paged a report on the efforts to retrieve Malay manuscripts abroad by the National Library and the National Archives.

Hope for Malaysian Tin Legacy?

2008-06-23T23:05:00.007+08:00

Tin was an integrated part of Malaysia.

Millions of Malaysian Chinese today can trace their ancestry to the waves of cheap coolies brought into Malaya to labor in the God forsaken, malaria infested tin mines. Many Malays in this country too have their roots traced to groups originated from the surrounding Malay Archipelagoes who came to Tanah Melayu for the same economical reasons (i.e the Mandailing from Sumatera found mostly in Papan, Perak, Bugis from Sulawesi in Perak and Selangor). Unfortunately, this later form of migration is not mentioned promptly in history books or museums.

Calm was disrupted when everyone was caught in a ruthless fight for a bigger share of the tin pie. Throughout the 19th century, Civil Wars erupted in Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor and often complicated by bloody royal tussle. Rival Malay/ Bugis warlords would be aided by equally ferocious Chinese Clans fighting territorial control over tin rich areas.

Perfect excuse for the opportunistic British to interfere. With their superior guns and arm twisting tactics, the smoke apparently cleared and the mines were a hive of activity again. The British wasted no time and made iron roads into the Malay heartland.

In a short span of time, numerous British financed railway lines began to dot the landscape and changing the political status quo. It was a mayhem in the villages with superstitious folks frightened to their wits with the arrival of the steam engines blowing fiery smokes into the air. Before too long, the entire atmosphere was akin to doomsday. Wild elephants too stirred by the sights and sounds of fire eating iron horse chugging with their tin ore loads to nearby sea ports.

Soon, foreign steamers were calling Port Weld, Port Swettenham and Port Dickson -and all of them share a familiar trait - Tin.

Needless to say, tin resource brought prosperity to the country.

History will also show that tin from Malaya saved Great Britain from bankruptcy after World War II. Countless millionaires were made and with their nouveau riches, they showed off by acquiring lavish taste for western amenities.

In Perak, car owners have the privilege of having their Morris and Renault with car plates beginning with the letter 'A'. Selangor quickly follow suit with 'B' and Pahang 'C'. They were the three of the wealthier Malay states and their source was primarily tin. Mansions built on hard cash from tin also mushroomed in Ipoh, Penang and Malacca.

The collapse of tin price in the 80s suddenly halted the rosy outlook and hit hard at all levels of the society.

However what's most unfortunate is how quick we were to distance ourselves from the tin legacy. Suddenly, the tin industry became an out-class, sort of taboo and not worth a mention except briefly on the school textbooks.

We became apparently ashamed of our centuries old ties with mother nature's black gift. Their immediate demise was hastened by a national inertia on what properly constitute Malaysia National Heritage.

As a young country, we were confronting depleting treasures from our chequered past yet they were concerns, valid or otherwise by powerful groups who viewed our Colonial eras with dismay. They held a vengeance by collectively imply any symbolic representation or gestures from the last five centuries as a threat to our national identity. Nothing was spared. Mining equipment was sold for scrap.

Miners unemployed for the first time in their life found no support whatsoever. They quickly turned to cooking and manned the many hawker stalls. Options were few for them and they have families to feed. In Seri Kembangan/Balakong, Selangor, the world's largest open cast tin mine was shut down and is now a man-made lake with The Palace of Golden Horses (5 Star Hotel) and the Mine Shopping Mall at its shores.

Other ex-tin mines were condemned too. They are now either popular fishing grounds, haven for migratory birds and worst, completely reclaimed to begin a new life as Taman found commonly in Puchong, Subang and the likes of Sunway Lagoon in Selangor, and in Perak -Kampar and Gopeng areas to name a few.

If you are keen to revisit the tin legacy in this country then you have an uphill task. There are NO historical sites, NO dedicated museum, NO conservation of the mining equipments. Period.

However, I think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Malaysia in trying to position itself as a tourism destination has taken a renewal interest in everything old, rustic and even colonial. Previously, colonial subjects were discarded because it was just plain un-nationalistic and unpatriotic. Fortunately, the authority also has awakened to the concept that heritage is a valuable asset and can bring in the precious tourism ringgit.

This arrangement is far from perfect in conservation sense but it does offer a glimpse of hope to conservation work and the need to protect heritage sites and the artifacts despite some reservation about colonialization and the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.

Below is a list of museums and visitor centers offering fascination insights on the tin legacy in Malaysia.

The newly upgraded Gallery C of the Muzium Negara has an impressive exhibition on the subject. The gallery is also a good start to get acquitted with the subject of tin and the different methods used in mining for tin ore. Tin ingots and model of tin dredge are on display too.

Not to be missed is The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, Kuala Lumpur. Highly recommended. A dedicated venue to highlight pewter-smithing business that has gone global. What I find most interesting is that the visitor center offers visitors stimulating and engaging exhibits not just the history of the Yong family and the trade. Visitors will leave with a profound appreciation of how tin is used and the pride involved in the making of pewter-ware. Look out for the giant dredge bucket replicas hanging from the ceiling. The buckets were used to dig tin ore found deep in the ponds and there are some 100 buckets in just one floating tin dredge alone!(model available in the Tin History section). Admission is free.

The Sungai Lembing Museum, Sungai Lembing, Pahang. Recommended. Known once as the El Dorado of Malaya because of its unsurpassed richness, now a dying town with largely an aged population with their grandchildren. One of the few perfect in-situ museums in Malaysia. The diorama of machinery and life in the tunnel can literally transport visitors back to the site itself and worth the trip. The museum authority deserves a pat for putting the displays and presenting the history of Sg. Lembing. Admission is free.

Political Hands in Museum Director Removal?

2008-06-16T18:27:00.011+08:00

The new political landscape following the 12th. General Elections in Selangor may have a hand in changing the Director of Perbadanan Muzium Selangor (PMS) - The Sunday Star- Jun 15, 08. PMS is the museum authority overseeing the Shah Alam Museum and the Bukit Melawati Museum in Kuala Selangor and several Royal Burial sites in the state.

While the new Mentri Besar was quick to refute any claim of political victimization, many would view this development with trepidation. Such a move is likely to signal how the Pakatan led state government want a new approach in museum establishments under the auspice of PMS.

For the political pundits, the removal of the state museum director is akin to the tug-of- war between UMNO and PKR. However for museum aficionados this is another worrisome trend to position state museums as vehicles to propagate myopic interpretations of history.

These public funded museums supported by our hard earned money will continue to be feted with vested interests groups who have no qualms about distorting historical events and cultural practices. Some are even guilty of cultural cleansing in this country. Their overzealous endeavors to champion a particular race or a political party, and to completely sideline the other communities have made local museums into a mockery institution.

Changing of the top guards in Malaysian State Museums according to the whims and fancies of the political masters is nothing new. Nevertheless, Malaysians should be aghast with these subtle interference. Only with restraint can we be hopeful that Malaysian museums would become the rightful institution that embodies the richness of our multi-racial and multi-religious heritage.

Malaysians museums as political fall guys are not completely a strange phenomenon. A quick check on museums in Penang, Malacca and Sarawak over the last decades would reveal astonishing political vendetta in play. One can only conclude that the latest development in Selangor is a political boomerang which has come back to haunt the once perpetrators from UMNO. Like the old saying, what goes around comes around.

In 2006, Penang Museum Curator and conservationist, Khoo Boo Chia - The Sun, March 24, 06 - was removed from his post prematurely by the state executive in charge of culture and arts, a rising UMNO political stalwart himself. The museum under Khoo's tenure was besieged by calls to showcase more of the communities from Penang's mainland side, previously an UMNO powerbase. Few but loud disgruntled voices from their members also lamented about the SMuseum so-called 'over-emphasizing' communities from the Penang Island.

Further south, in Barisan stronghold state of Malacca, PERZIM, the state museum authority went a step further in galvanizing this prominent political establishment when it opened a dedicated UMNO Museum in the tourist belt in Banda Hilir.

A check revealed more bleak outlooks. Visitors to the Historical Museum in Stadhuys will be disappointed to find lopsided interpretations of the key political players and their contributions, in the historic state and also the country. Prominent role played by non- Malay communities in their collective fight for Malaya's Independence were overshadowed by the 'heroic' political struggles from their UMNO brethrens. Needless to say, the exhibitions on the state's colorful and vibrant minorities are best patronizing and mischieviously inaccurate.

Hopefully the change we are witnessing in Selangor marks a departure from the old ways where museums are merely a propaganda tool. Let set our sight to elevate museums into a reputable heritage cum historical establishment that all Malaysians can proud of.

Jun 16, 08

The Sunday Star - June 15, 2008

Khalid tells why Maimunah was removed

SHAH ALAM: The sudden termination of Maimunah Mohd Saidas Selangor Museum director was to give way to young and fresh ideas in its exhibition methods, said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday.

Commenting on the termination, he said the decision was made in consideration of the needs and demands of the future community.

On Friday, Maimunah said she had received a letter that stated her two-year contract with the museum, which had another five months to complete, was terminated on June 9.
State Secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud signed the letter.

State Islamic Affairs, Malay Customs, Infrastructure and Public Amenities chairman Datuk Dr Hassan Ali was reported as saying that Maimunah was not sacked or terminated but had to be removed as she had reached the age of 60.

Khalid said that although the contract was terminated early the state government could offer compensation to Maimunah.

Asked whether he thought a 60-year-old could no longer come up with fresh ideas, Khalid said: “Of course they can but naturally young people will have a 10-year plan while a 60-year-old has a one-year plan. I don’t want the museum’s officers to be its own artefacts,” he said.

2008/06/16

Talk On Malaysian History

2008-06-11T17:52:00.004+08:00

There will be a public lecture on Pre-history of Malaysia of Malaysia at 10 am on Sat. June 14,08.

Venue is at Dept of Museum Malaysia auditorium and key speaker is Datuk Dr. Adi Taha, archaeologist and former Director General of Jabatan Muzium. The event is organized together with Museum Volunteers Malaysia (MMVM). Admission is free. For registration. call 03 2282 6255 ext 206.

Bring Back The Trams To Penang

2008-06-10T19:20:00.002+08:00

Article from - The Sun -June 4, 2008
Diana Chin mailto:Chinnewsdesk@thesundaily.com

GEORGE TOWN (June 4) : Citizens groups in Penang have initiated a lobby to have the billion-ringgit monorail project replaced with a tram system in the state. The movement stems from an increasingly popular notion that the monorail is far too costly and would bring about adverse effects to the heritage streets and green landscape of Penang.

'Penangites for Tram' campaign coordinator Anil Netto explained that investment required for developing a tram network would be much lower than for constructing the monorail.
"The tram is a more substantial choice as we can revive the system based on already existing old tram lines that Penang used to have, thereby eliminating excessive additional costs," he said.
Netto said trams would blend in with George Town’s heritage and greenery, while the monorail would obstruct views of buildings and mar the attractiveness of the island.

He said a good tram system would also encourage people not to drive private vehicles within the town area, allowing them to save following the increase in fuel charges.
"If we give the people a better alternative in public transport, there will be less traffic congestion and more parking spaces in town," he said.

As the roads of Penang are narrow, they suited the concept of the trams, he added. The campaign is currently being supported by 25 bloggers and websites.

Heritage writer Khoo Salma Nasution noted that the Penang Island Municipal Council was the first local government to introduce electric trams in the inner city in the early part of the last century.

"People think the tram is a thing of the past, but they are wrong because it is actually the thing of the future," she said. "It is clean, energy saving and user-friendly not to mention fast, efficient and also cheap." She said the tram could provide an iconic identity for Penang and help revitalise the heritage of the inner city.

Khoo, who published a book titled ‘Penang Trams, Trolleybuses & Railways: Municipal Transport History 1880s-1963’,said trams could also help traffic calming in Penang’s roads.
Aliran and Penang Heritage Trust activist Ahmad Chik said the campaign is calling for a traffic master plan for Penang that would include feasibility studies for trams as compared to monorails and underground transit systems.

Conquer This Culture Coup.

2008-06-09T19:12:00.005+08:00

THE new Peranakan Museum in Singapore has opened its doors to visitors (The Star, April 24) and, judging by the success they have had with the Asian Civilizations Museum, it is a safe bet to say that this museum, housed in an old school, will generate the same excitement among history buffs and tourists.

Singaporeans can be forgiven if they show a glint in their eyes over this museum, but it is no laughing matter for the Malaysian Government.

The Malaysian Ministry of Unity, Cultural, Arts and Heritage and the Museum
Department must confront this culture coup earnestly. Heritage-loving Malaysians are disappointed that invaluable Peranakan artifacts are now in the hands of foreigners and we should demand that Malaysia adopt a more proactive stance to champion local heritage.

Malacca, Penang and Kelantan were some of the early points of entry for Chinese immigrants who came here to work. They subsequently assimilated with the locals to form this unique culture we have come to call Peranakan, or the not-so-politically-correct term – Baba and Nyonya.

Singapore or Temasik was then just the occasional pirate hideout. Thus, it is not ridiculous to stake claim that Malaysia is the rightful birthplace of the Peranakan heritage.
Countless theses and study papers from local and foreign universities have been done on the community’s unique racial composition and highlighted the role its members play in Malaysian society.

Whatever the festive occasions, the Peranakan are exemplified for their multi-racial outlook and multi-cultural practices.

There is a popular Baba and Nyonya Museum operated by Chan Kim Lay and family in Malacca. It is a favourite with tourists who are willing to pay top dollar to see first-hand the culture, decorations and architecture associated with the Peranakan.

In the late 90s, there was talk about a Jabatan Museum project to build a similar Peranakan Museum along Heeren Street in Malacca. Nothing came out of it and as we all know now, Singapore has beaten us to it.

It is not an exaggeration if we consider this seemingly “oversight” a tip of the iceberg.
We have new archeological finds and reveal fascinating insights about the A Famosa fortress and its two unearthed Portuguese bastions in Malacca. Yet Jabatan Muzium’s and the state government’s enthusiasm is found wanting.

Lembah Bujang with its 1,000-year-old candis around Gunung Jerai are left neglected, although conservationists have acknowledged that Lembah Bujang is in the same league with Angkor Wat and Borobodur.

However, no proper recognition or planning is forthcoming and this historical treasure is just accorded a brief mention in a tour itinerary, if at all.

Malaysians should not lament that Malaysia has no historical attractions to offer. The Ministry responsible for our heritage and culture must be bold enough to embrace the wealth that our multi-cultural and multi-racial society has to offer.

April 24, 08

Bukit China Now A Heritage Zone?

2008-06-05T18:52:00.005+08:00

In an unprecedented turnabout by Malacca authority, Bukit China and the 10,000 or more graves are now considered worthy of being accorded heritage site. This latest announcement must be music to the souls from the largest Chinese Cemetery outside of China and now they can rest in peace.

This latest twist of event is a remarkable departure from an earlier hostile policy to ‘redevelop’ Bukit China in the mid 80s initiated by the then rising UMNO stalwart and former CM, Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik. This controversial and elaborate scheme calls for the remains of the graves to be exhumed and the entire hill leveled to spur Malacca property markets. Centuries old cemeteries will be replaced with hotels and shop lots. A multilevel pagoda will also be built to house the urns of the deceased and served to remind Malaccans of the sanctity of this burial site.

There were uproars among the Chinese communities and the many living descendents who feared such a move has devastating impact on family fengshui and their future well being.

Opposition politicians from DAP won rousing support and its leader Lim Kit Siang was hailed as hero when he confronted the government on this massive plan. History also showed that locals voiced their displeasure by voting out the Chinese representatives from the ruling component parties in the election in the following year. Following this thrashing at the ballot box, wisdom won the day and the political masters were quick to heed the clear message about the Chinese community.

Owner of the Bukit China, the Chen Hoon Teng Temple and monks then spearheaded a clean up project to make the cemeteries more accessible to the Malaccans. Soon, Bukit China became the favorite jogging site for health enthusiasts. Some well concerned individuals contributed time, sweats and money to green up the entrance leading to the climb to the hill top.

Soon, Bukit China too became Malacca’s scout troopers’ favorite venue. After night fall, countless young scouts were ‘ordained’ here especially after they have successfully ’subjected’ themselves to a test of faith within a stone throw away from the cemetery.

While the latest call from current CM Ali Rustam goes a long way to safeguard Bukit China from wanton development, at least for the time being, one can’t help wondering if these are part of a shrewd political maneuver to win back the hearts of the minority in the country following the 12th General Election.

Malaysians are too familiar with too many instances when promises were broken even before the inks dry.

The on-off development curse that lingers around Bukit China is an example of the complexity that brews out of political necessity but if it is allowed to go ahead will surely have far reaching consequence on the community and Malacca’s unique position as the Malaysia’s foremost cultural melting pot.

The real fear is that Bukit China may again become the pawn of flicked politicians whose agenda is not revealed till the damages have come irreversable.

June 5, 2008

Related Reading

The Star -Thursday June 5, 2008

Bukit China now in Malacca heritage zone

MALACCA: The state’s well-known historical landmark, Bukit China, has been included in Malacca and Penang’s joint bid for listing as a World Heritage Site next month.

The decision to bring the 256ha hill within the state’s conservation buffer zone comes into immediate effect following a recommendation by the United Nations International Council on Monuments and Sites to include it as part of the listing effort.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the hill was deemed to have historical value and significance dating back to the 15th century Malacca Sultanate.

“Besides being recognised as the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China, the hill is also the site of the ruins of a 16th century Portuguese monastery,” he said after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday.
With this, Mohd Ali said, the buffer zone to protect the state’s 235ha core heritage zone in the heart of the old city would be enlarged to 1,049ha from the previous 793ha.

“This will mean that the hill will now be preserved. Any proposed development must now obtain approval from the relevant conservation agencies,” he said, adding that the World Heritage Council would sit in Quebec, Canada, next month to decide on the joint bid.

“It has taken eight years for us to prepare the dossier for submission to the World Heritage Council in Paris and there’s a good chance that we can succeed,” Mohd Ali said.

He said the state would receive recognition as “Malacca and George Town Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca” if successful.

Secret Weapon to Keep Our Borders

2008-06-05T13:40:00.000+08:00

The fight for Pulau Batu Putih (PBP), or Pedra Branca as Singapore prefers it, was over even before lawyers could face it off in The Hague.

Malaysians had apparently embarked on a ‘war path’ without the one vital ammunition which could have delivered the knockout punch on their opponents from across the causeway. Chief negotiator and Ambassador-at-large Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Mohamad revealed the futile search for the correspondence from the British to the Johore Temenggong seeking approval to build the Horsburgh Lighthouse.

This fruitless effort was revealed in the Malaysian Parliament (The Star, May 26, 08) when lawyer cum opposition politician Karpal Singh put the government to task for the loss of PBP. He claimed it was ‘foolhardly to have the case before ICJ” without this solid piece of material.

The missing piece of the 19th. century document proved to be the coup de grace in our argument that the rocky islet was indeed historically ours. It was the vital material to support the claim that the crown colony’s presence in the rocky isle was at the courtesy of Johorean court. Other parliamentarians too joined in the fray and some of their favourite punching bags were the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the National Archives (Arkib Negara).

A backbencher not wanting to be outdone during the heated debate, even go so far to attribute the PBP loss to the lackadaisical attitude from the Unity, Cultural, Arts and Heritage Ministry in living up to its reputation as the guardians of Malaysia’s heritage. Imagine the ministry’s costly oversight in securing and preserving historical documents has now manifested into permanently deleting part of our southern border off from the map.

While there are now frantic calls to preserve documents, maps and relics pertaining to our litoral heritage before more islands are lost, they have come too late for PBP.

At hindsight, these developments could have taught us the valuable lesson to consider another perspective on how best we can safeguard our sovereign integrity. Policymakers no longer can justify protecting our shores by going on shopping spree and spending our hard earned ringgit on military hardware.

Similarly, they must adopt fresh approach to meet our defensive needs and look at threats from a whole different angle. When we finally arrive at this juncture, the future solution to prevent encroachment to our territory lies not in the billions we spent on the Sukhoi or Scorpene, but the fight is waged closer to our hearts and minds, by protecting our heritage.

Therefore, it is not too far stretched to argue that our vibrant and rich history could well be the preferred armament to avoid more geopolitical skirmish. Perhaps it is not too late yet for Malaysians to come with terms that our fight to settle future disputes and defend our territorial rights begins with the first step to Arkib Negara and the quality and the volume of its heritage collections.

In this new playing field, conservationists, museum curators and historians would join ranks with army generals and panglima in assuming the role of safeguarding our national sovereignty.

Heritage will be the weapon of choice to keep Malaysian borders intact.

New Look For Malaysian Heritage?

2008-06-05T13:26:00.000+08:00

The purported guardians of the Malaysian heritage will soon find themselves tasked with redefining the appropriate context for a country with the new political awakening. This scenario may be the direct result from the recent 12th General Poll which saw the country’s minorities voicing their discontent through the ballot boxes. Key amongst their woes is the feelings that the minorities are systematically sidelined from the mainstream of Malaysia’s political, economical, and educational sectors.

Nevertheless, it is perhaps timely too that calls made by those who won in the elections championing the fight for justice and equality in the political arenas should entails similar voice calling for greater representation in matters constituting minority cultural heritage and their historical contribution to this nation. Only through an earnest and strong effort brought forth by this new political reality can the fate of minorities in Malaysia see light at the end of the tunnel.

This noble quest will offer deserving minorities and their forefathers whose forgotten sacrifices made through the generations be recognized and accorded the rightful place in Malaysian History.

Visit Muzium Negara and the State Museums in this country (with the exception of a handful like in Penang), and you are bound to be confronted with a dire situation where exhibit highlights on minorities’ history, culture and social economical involvement is almost non existence and if they are, the exhibits are mere patronizing and left you with a foul after taste.

Nothing is more infuriating when you come face-to-face with minority related exhibitions that sorely lack research and depths, and insult our intelligence. State Museum Boards in Melaka, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, are in my view the top culprits in marginalizing minority communities in their choice of exhibits. PERZIM of Melaka for example, has over the years founded and built more than ten separately themed museums. A few were runaway success with tourists flocking for ample photography opportunity yet none focus any significant feature on the state’s rich and diverse communities like the Peranakan and the Portuguese.

Recent development in Singapore is another great concern to Malaysians who love our heritage. While Malaysia profusely claims to be the cradle of Baba and Nyonya heritage, the recently launched Peranakan Museum in downtown Singapore opened its door to a few surprises. Featured prominently in its main collection and a pride of its curator is the jaw dropping ancestral Baba Nyonya wares and artefacts from Penang!

This event is tantamount to a Cultural coup and should serve as an alarm to our heritage amnesia guardians. Malaysians can ill afford to have its priceless heritage sold to the highest bidder and let it fell into foreigner’s hands. We must seek answers on why and what happened to the much hyped Jabatan Muzium dan Ankuiti initiative in the 90s to have the Malaysian version of a similar Peranakan Museum in the Malacca historical enclave.

This dreadful situation is also compounded by a band of cultural chauvinists who has for too long guilty of ignoring the historical development in this country. Instead, these self appointed cultural and heritage gatekeepers perpetrated historical interpretation that borders cleansing of the country multi ethnic composition.

Perhaps it is appropriate that we demand a different breed of dedicated historians and conservationists who value and ready to embrace the multi racial and multi religious components of our Malaysian Heritage. They will boldly tackle new role as the heritage and history vanguards to take diversity and historical accuracy in Malaysia to greater heights.

In these 'new' Malaysian museums, they will showcase revolutionary interpretations of our diversity and history. They will be the undisputable establishment and the perfect platform to unify and to usher in a new era of mutual understanding and learning from one and other for all Malaysians.