Friday, August 04, 2006

Hometown Blues


Malaysia has been trying to get its “cities” of Malacca and Penang classified as a joint World Heritage site since 2001.

No, seriously.

Apparently, we didn’t get the memo on how the aim of identifying World Heritage sites via UNESCO is to “catalogue, name and preserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind.

Is it any wonder then, that five years down the road there is still no World Heritage listing in site?

Today, the Star reports that “Malaysia suspects that there are double standards when it comes to awarding World Heritage status to sites in Asian countries”.

Presumably sharing such suspicion, our Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage concludes faster than a speeding bullet train from KL to Singapore that “Asian countries need their own benchmark to evaluate heritage sites”.

Typical. Your gang dowan to play with me, done, I make my own gang. Hmmph.

I know!! Kan??

For the record, there are 830 World Heritage Sites. Of that, the bulk are in Europe and North America (407), but the region with the next most sites is the Asia Pacific (175), followed by Latin America – Caribbean (116), Africa (70) and Arab states (62). It might be instructive to remember that Asia includes most of the ‘stan (Pakistan, Uzbekistan, etc) countries.

Of greater pertinence – There are only 197 cities in the world with World Heritage status. Neither London nor Lisbon is on that list. Nor any American city. Nor is Goa (although its churches and convents are), nor Beijing nor Athens. If you haven’t fulfilled your quota of useful trivia today, go here. Don’t point out to me that there is a contradiction in terms in this paragraph, unless you realise that it’s actually an oxymoron.

Doesn’t anyone in government read National Geographic magazine?? In fact, every parent willing to pay however much it is to send a child to Gymboree to crawl or for whatever extra-curricular class is deemed necessary to keep up with the Kiasus these days ought to just subscribe to NatGeo instead. It’s only RM145 per year. Teach your kid something about existing on this planet for once.

Sorry, off-tangent rant.

I’ve only been to one World Heritage city. Florence, in Italy. Of the many reasons why I love that city, the most relevant for this discussion explains exactly why I’ve grown to hate going back to Malacca, my hometown.

I won’t go into Penang, which, despite having a better track record in heritage preservation, I think would still not by itself qualify against the criteria. Which is probably why UNESCO suggested that a joint application be made.

Despite its antiquity, Florence manages to exist as a modern city. The impetus of urban development is balanced with the preservation and celebration of its rich history, culture and architecture. The pride that Florentines must have, and deservedly so, in their city is apparent by the focus of civic life in the city’s ancient piazzas. There are no multi-storey glass & steel office buildings. It’s amazingly difficult to find a supermarket. Instead, there are the tabacci, alimentari, forno, macelleria – tobacconist, grocers, bakeries and butchers. Daily life takes place literally on the streets, on foot.

Sure, there are throngs of tourists and locals at every turn but you never quite lose that sense of wonder of how it must have been like in the Middle Ages or at the height of the Roman Empire as you walk its cobblestone streets. Visiting its museums and civic buildings is like walking through time. It’s the birthplace of the Renaissance and it shows.

The historical character of Florence is without doubt central to the daily lives of Florentines; it’s the epitome of a living heritage.

That’s the kind of league in which Malaysia imagines itself capable of playing. Any concerns that UNESCO or even our own Badan Warisan may have to the contrary is dismissed with typical Malaysia Boleh chest-beating.


Back in reality where you and me and the rest of the world - but not some people:- the leaders of the US, UK, Germany and Israel (again, I digress) - like to live, I can only look at the mess that is Malacca and wonder…hello??

Have you been to Malacca in the last 5 years?

Heritage buildings painted in nursery school monotone cartoon colours, uncontrolled (and brainless) development, bad traffic planning, traditional traders forced out of heritage buildings and replaced with cheap-trinket shops, dusty understaffed (qualified) primary-school standard museum exhibits, heritage zones being turned into what amounts to a pasar malam, destruction of heritage architecture, man-made irrelevant “attractions”, chicken rice-ball shops proliferating virus-like. The list goes on.

Padang Pahlawan, where Tunku Abdul Rahman uttered the words that gave birth to Malaysia (and inspired the phenomenon of “patriotic songs”), is being developed into some kind of mega mall because Malacca doesn’t have enough public spaces for kutu masyarakat to lean aimlessly on or over railings and spread cancer via second-hand smoke.


We break here for a community service announcement. Please note the difference between sarcasm and fact lest I be accused of causing the "public to lose faith in the nation’s economic policies". Cintailah Malaysia, sebab Keranamu Malaysia saya dapat menikmati pelbagai keselesaan dan kemajuan yang tak terhingga. End of announcement.


During the course of the field’s excavation, structures of the Portuguese-constructed Malacca Fort, A’ Famosa, were found. You’d think that these finds would be of immense archaeological value, given that up till this discovery it was believed that Porta Santiago was the only remaining structure after the fort was destroyed in 1807.

Development of the mega mall continues unabated, with the authorities generously allowing a mere 10 feet of buffer between the finds and the mall’s foundation.

Malaysia Boleh!

The Malacca in my memories no longer exists in reality. Given the thinking that led to the recent production of an academic document (guidebook, textbook, does its form even matter??) containing an... alternative... perspective of our country’s history, I would not be surprised if Malacca’s historical role as a true cultural melting pot is eventually glossed over in the education system.

I’m reminded of one of my favourite stories - Neil Gaiman’s Ramadan, a comic-book story written just after the first Gulf War in 2001. It tells of how a great Caliph barters with the Lord of Dreams to take his Baghdad, at the height of its Golden Age, into the realm of dreams. That way, the dream of the magical city of Baghdad would live on forever in the imagination of man. The Caliph couldn't bear the thought of his beautiful city falling into decline after the Golden Age, or worse, being forgotten.

Well, whose imagination has not been enriched by the tales of the Arabian Nights? Good call, Caliph!

On the last few pages of Ramadan, we discover that the Caliph's story is told by a beggar to a disabled boy in the bombed-out rubble of present day (in 2001) Baghdad. It ends with the boy picking his way through the reality of his life with a smile on his face and a head filled with visions of "towers and jewels and djinn, carpets and rings and wild afreets, kings and princes and cities of brass."

Pure genius. And so true, especially given the state that Baghdad is in these days.

I’d like to think that there’s more than just a few of us who will always pronounce Tengkera as Tranquerah, refer to Newcome Road, First, Second and Third Cross Streets, Bailey Bridge, Wolferston Road and in whose memories live the stories of pelanduks, the court of Parameswara, the warriors –Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat (whom I think was right) and the lesser Hangs, the princess - Hang Li Poh, the wise vizier - Tun Perak, the ambassador - Laksamana Cheng Ho, the original Peranakans and the conqueror - Alfonso de Albuquerque.

For us and some of the next generation (I only have hope enough to take a chance on just one generation, forget about future ones), there is this. Cover pictured here. Poignantly beautiful. I saw it at MPH once and leafed through.

The pictures are only more heartbreaking when you realise that the bygone world of Malacca only exists when captured in still shots.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was in Melaka en route to Muar early last month and it didn't have the same charm it had over 10 years ago (the last time I was there).

But I had the durian cendol next to the chicken rice ball place near the bridge near the red church building. Wah... damn syiok oh! The chicken rice wasn't too bad either.

Anonymous said...

"Cultural melting pot"

Perhaps that will really be removed from our history books, given how even visiting friends on their days of celebration is frowned upon these days. No melting pleae, we're purists!

Anonymous said...

I was in Malacca last December with an American friend who was visiting for the first time, and I couldn't agree with you more about the city. Does the Portuguese settlement still exist? It seemed like a wasteland when we visited. 2 positive things: As a tourist, it wasn't a great deal worse compared to a primary school trip I took about 15 years ago (and back then, I was already appalled by the cheap, horrendous A Famosa light show), and two, the food (well, just Bibik Neo) was heavenly.

I wish the authors of "Malacca: Voices from the Street" would go on a book tour. I heard that they took years to compile material (because streets and landmarks kept disappearing) and funded the project themselves because no one else was willing due to political reasons...

Anonymous said...

As a fellow Malaccan, I totally understand how you feel. So sad that my kids would not be able to see anything from my childhood...like the Padang Pahlawan where I used to play football with my brother that's now some ugly looking mall. Don't even get me started on the super idiotic idea of some town planner to paint the historical part of the town an unflattering red.*starting to froth at the mouth* Or the so-called preservation works of the beautiful Peranakan houses that totally defaced the original beauty of such houses.

I could go on and on but I shall not. I donch wanna get a huge migraine thinking about the "lost" Malacca that I used to know.

Anonymous said...

how true! i always feel like a tourist whenever i venture out of my home. and don't ask me to drive pls! the roads are always changing, i'll get sesat!

Anonymous said...

Just shocked that you're from Malacca too! If you're my classmate, I'm so gonna faint from the sheer shock.

But you're right about the idiotic town planners going about trying to refurbish everything. And doing it badly.

Paul

Anonymous said...

paul.. u what year and in which school?.. *kaypo mode on*

Anonymous said...

of cos u wun tell.. :P

Anonymous said...

ignore me.. i'm being bored..

Anonymous said...

It's really sad when the govt can only talk and talk but the implementation of policies and proper planning are lacking.

And it's not just happening in Melaka. It's the whole country. Just look at the stupid Arab Garden in Bukit Bintang.

Anonymous said...

Nut & Shryh - Yeah, I guess some aspects of the food is still ok. Bibik Neo is our favourite Peranakan restaurant! But it's increasingly difficult to find the quality of food that Malacca's always been famed for.

The tourism policy appears to suffer the typical Malaysian disease. So-so ideas, horrendous execution.

BJ & Sue - Exactly that. A visitor in our own hometown. V sad.

Paul - I salute you for being able to stay on there. Speaking of bad policy...what about the giant cockup that is the new Private Healthcare Regulations? It's a deterrent for you guys to go into private practice.

Btw, given your age sweetie I don't think we were classmates. :)

Biow - Umm... yes. :D

Derek - Heya! Havent seen you for while (my fault, it's my turn to email!). You mean that little space is called the Arab Garden? Goodness. Enjoy the comparative sanity of Singapore while you can my friend.

Anonymous said...

The last time I was in Melaka was more than 15 years ago. Or, thereabouts. Like Shryh, I was aghast at its state! That was my very first trip to the historical city and being a primary school kid, I was all excited about seeing sights that I've only read about in text books. I was disappointed.

I miss the food, though.

The cartoonlike buildings are EVERYWHERE. Come to Ipoh, I show you :P

Anonymous said...

I have that book... it's kept reverently still in its plastic cover.. hoping that one day, my kids will be able to see Melaka as I saw it.

Development happens... but now I tempted (if got the money to buy, refurbish and maintain) to buy up a whole row of shops/houses behind my ex- school Malacca High School. So beautiful.

Anonymous said...

suprisingly i found myself nodding to each word you wrote down here.

it's sad to see that they (the city hall, developers, money raking wanker) went one eye blind over heritage.