Phespirit goes to Malaysia
Malacca     March 2003

Before Phespirit checked out of Hong Kong, he spent his last day over the water in Macau; and when he subsequently checked in to Singapore, he spent his first day over the water in Malaysia, on a visit to the legendary city of Malacca (or 'Melaka', as the locals prefer).

Malacca is located on the west coast of Malaysia, about two hundred and twenty kilometres north of the narrow strait that separates Singapore from the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. By direct coach the journey from Singapore takes two to four hours, depending on rush hour traffic and border delays.

The story of Malacca, and the comings and goings of great trading empires, began when .....

• Malay traders brought prosperity and power to the Malacca Sultanate in the fifteenth century;
• in 1405, the Chinese, under Admiral Cheng Ho, arrived bearing gifts and promising protection;
• in 1511, the Portugese seized the city by force, just two years after coming in pursuit of trade;
• in 1641, the Dutch assumed charge after an eight month seige to secure their regional interests;
• in 1795, the British moved in as 'administrators' when the French army invaded the Netherlands;
• in 1824, the British took permanent control of Malacca in exchange for Bencoolen in Sumatra;

..... and so it stayed until the Japanese invaded during World War II. Malaysian independence followed.

The story of Phespirit in Malacca began with lunch at the Hotel Equatorial, followed by visits to .....

• the Chinatown district along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock to admire their long, narrow townhouses;
• the Portugese buildings of Bukit St. Paul: roofless St. Paul's Church and old Porta de Santiago;
• the Dutch colonial centre around the Stadthuys, where every building is painted a deep crimson;

..... and the British ..... well, it appears that the British erected no stone monuments in Malacca but that their legacy remains in the palm oil and rubber plantations around the highway to Singapore. All of these things together are what make Malacca such a unique place in Malaysia ..... in Asia ..... in the world.