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Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
located in the southern region of the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, next to the
Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
. Its capital is
Malacca City Malacca City ( ms, Bandaraya Melaka or ') is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81. ...
, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
since 7 July
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. The state is bordered by
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
to the north and west and
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
to the south. The
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of
Tanjung Tuan Tanjung Tuan (formerly known as Cape Rachado as named by the Portuguese, meaning 'broken cape') is an area in Alor Gajah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is an exclave of Malacca adjacent to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The cape is well know ...
also borders Negeri Sembilan to the north. Its capital
Malacca City Malacca City ( ms, Bandaraya Melaka or ') is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81. ...
is southeast of Malaysia's capital city
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
, northwest of Johor's largest city
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru (), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia,along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite of the city-state Singapore. T ...
and northwest of Johor's second largest city,
Batu Pahat The Batu Pahat District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, south of Segamat and Tangkak District. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram. Geography ...
. Although it was the location of one of the earliest
Malay sultanate Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
s, namely the
Malacca Sultanate The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parameswa ...
, the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state is the ''
Yang di-Pertua Negeri In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri ( in Malay) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a Ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in constrast to a Ruler () which is a constitutional title give ...
'' or Governor, rather than a
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
. Malacca is noted for its unique history and it is one of the major tourist destinations in Malaysia. With a highly strategic state position for international trade routes, Malacca was once a well-known international trade centre in the East. Many traders anchored in Malacca, especially traders from
Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
, China and India, traded at the port of Malacca and from there were born many of the descendants and tribes that exist in Malacca to this day. A great diversity of races and ethnicities have long existed among the local community reflecting its history. Malays,
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
, Indians, Baba Nyonya, Kristang,
Chitty The Chitty, also known as the Chetty or Chetti Melaka, are a distinctive group of Tamil people found mainly and originally in Melaka, Malaysia, and in Singapore where they migrated to in the 18th and 19th centuries from Melaka, who are also kn ...
and Eurasians are significant ethnic groups living in the State of Malacca in the present day.


Etymology

The state's name dates to a popular legend surrounding the founding of the sultanate preceding it by Parameswara who sought to find a new spot to establish his new kingdom after fleeing
Singapura Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
fallen by the
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
army. As the story goes, Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river during a hunt, when one of his dogs cornered a
mouse deer Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only f ...
. In self-defence, the mouse deer pushed the dog into the river. Impressed by the courage of the deer, and taking it as a propitious omen of the weak overcoming the powerful, Parameswara decided then and there to found an empire on that very spot. He named it 'Malacca' after the tree where he had just taken shelter at, the
Malacca tree ''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla, from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical a ...
( ms, pokok melaka). This story shows remarkable similarities with and was probably adapted (as some historians argued) from folk-tales from
Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...
, Sri Lanka, and
Pasai The Samudera Pasai Sultanate (), also known as Samudera or Pasai or Samudera Darussalam or Pacem, was a Muslim harbour kingdom on the north coast of Sumatra from the 13th to the 16th centuries CE. The kingdom was believed to have been founded ...
, Sumatra (both of which pre-date Malacca). The "Malacca tree" was taken as a basis for the species ''Phyllanthus emblica'' named by
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
in 1753 through Latinising its original
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
name ''amalaka'', to which the species have since been planted as ornamentals in various state attractions. However, some researchers like those of the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia speculate that the legendary name-giving tree may have been the species '' Phyllanthus pectinatus'' more endemic to Malay Archipelago forests which does resemble ''P. emblica'' superficially yet both it and the latter have no geographical overlap between them. Another account on the origin of the naming of Malacca elaborates that during the reign of Muhammad Shah (1424–1444), the Arab merchants called the kingdom 'Malakat' (Arabic for 'congregation of merchants') because it was home to many trading communities. One theory suggests, as mentioned in Suma Oriental by Tomé Pires, that it is derived from the Javanese terms melayu or mlayu (to steadily accelerate or to run), to describe the strong current of a river in Sumatra that today bears the name Sungai Melayu ('Melayu river') which was later possibly adopted to be Melaka as denoting a place for the fleeing prince.


History


Sultanate of Malacca

Before the arrival of the first
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
, Malacca was a fishing village. Malacca was founded by Parameswara, also known as Iskandar Shah. He found his way to Malacca around 1402 where he found a good port—it was accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the
Malacca Straits The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
. In collaboration with allies from wandering
proto-Malay The term Proto-Malay, which translates to ''Melayu Asli'' (aboriginal Malay) or ''Melayu Purba'' (ancient Malay) or ''Melayu Tua'' (old Malay), refers to Austronesian speakers, possibly from mainland Asia, who moved to the Malay peninsula and ...
privateers of the Straits called the ''
orang laut The Orang Laut are several seafaring ethnic groups and tribes living around Singapore, peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian Riau Islands. The Orang Laut are commonly identified as the Orang Seletar from the Straits of Johor, but the term may ...
'' ("sea-people"), he established Malacca as an international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade. In 1403, the first official Chinese trade envoy led by Admiral Yin Qing arrived in Malacca. Later, Parameśwara was escorted by
Zheng He Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
and other envoys in his successful visits. Malacca's relationships with
Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
granted it protection from attacks by
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...
and
Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
. Malacca officially submitted to
Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
as a
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
. This encouraged the development of Malacca into a major trade settlement on the trade route between China and India,
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, Africa and Europe. In Malacca during the early 15th century,
Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
actively sought to develop a commercial hub and a base of operation for their treasure voyages into the Indian Ocean. Malacca had been a relatively insignificant region, not even qualifying as a polity prior to the voyages according to both
Ma Huan Ma Huan (, Xiao'erjing: ) (c. 1380–1460), courtesy name Zongdao (), pen name Mountain-woodcutter (會稽山樵), was a Chinese voyager and translator who accompanied Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven expeditions to the Western Oceans. Ma ...
and
Fei Xin Fei Xin (; - after 1436) was a member of the military personnel of the fleet of the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He, known as the author of a book about the countries visited by Chinese ships. Biography Little is known about Fei Xin's life. His ...
, and was a vassal region of
Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...
. In 1405, the Ming court dispatched Admiral
Zheng He Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
with a stone tablet enfeoffing the Western Mountain of Malacca as well as an imperial order elevating the status of the port to a country. The Chinese also established a government depot (官廠) as a fortified cantonment for their soldiers. Ma Huan reported that Siam did not dare to invade Malacca thereafter. The rulers of Malacca, such as Parameswara in 1411, would pay tribute to the Chinese emperor in person. In 1431, when a Malaccan representative complained that Siam was obstructing tribute missions to the Ming court, the Xuande Emperor dispatched Zheng He carrying a threatening message for the Siamese king saying "You, king should respect my orders, develop good relations with your neighbours, examine and instruct your subordinates and not act recklessly or aggressively." The early kings of Malacca—Parameswara, Megat Iskandar Shah, and Sri Maharaja—understood that they could gain
Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
's protection through skilful diplomacy and thereby could establish a strong foundation to their kingdom against Siam and other potential enemies. Chinese involvement was crucial for Malacca to grow into a key alternative to other important and established ports. To enhance relations,
Hang Li Po Hang Li Po () was reported to be a Chinese princess sent by the Ming Dynasty to be wed to Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah (r. 1456–1477), according to the Malay Annals, which is a UNESCO heritage document and the principal source of historical inf ...
, according to local folklore, a daughter of the
Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
Emperor of China, arrived in Malacca, accompanied by 500 attendants, to marry Sultan Manshur Shah who reigned from 1456 until 1477. Her attendants married locals and settled mostly in
Bukit Cina Bukit China (Malay: "Chinese Hill"; Chinese: 三宝山) is a hillside of historical significance in Malacca City, the capital of the Malaysian state of Malacca. It is located several kilometres to the north from the historical centre of Malacca ...
. "In the 9th month of the year 1481 envoys arrived with the .....Malacca again sent envoys to China in 1481 to inform the Chinese that, while Malaccan envoys were returning to Malacca from China in 1469, the
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...
attacked the Malaccans, killing some of them while castrating the young and enslaving them. The Malaccans reported that
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
was in control of Champa and also sought to conquer Malacca, but the Malaccans did not fight back, because they did not want to fight against another state that was a tributary to China without permission from the Chinese. They requested to confront the Vietnamese delegation to China which was in China at the time, but the Chinese informed them since the incident was years old, they could do nothing about it, and the Emperor sent a letter to the Vietnamese ruler reproaching him for the incident. The Chinese Emperor also ordered the Malaccans to raise soldiers and fight back with violent force if the Vietnamese attacked them again.


Colonial era

In April 1511,
Alfonso de Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...
set sail from
Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
to Malacca with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships. They
conquered Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
the city on 24 August 1511. After seizing the city
Afonso de Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...
spared the
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
,
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
and Burmese inhabitants but had the Muslim inhabitants massacred or sold into slavery. It soon became clear that
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
control of Malacca did not also mean that they controlled the
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
trade centred there. The Malaccan rule was severely hampered by administrative and economic difficulties. Rather than achieving their ambition of dominating Asian trade, the Portuguese had disrupted the organisation of the network. The centralised port of exchange of Asian wealth had now gone, as was a Malay state to police the
Straits of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
that made it safe for commercial traffic. Trade was now scattered over a number of ports among bitter warfare in the Straits. The
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...
spent several months in Malacca in 1545, 1546, and 1549. The Dutch launched several attacks on the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
colony during the first four decades of the seventeenth century. The first attack took place in 1606 under the command of Dutch Admiral
Cornelis Matelief de Jonge Cornelis Matelief de Jonge (c. 1569 – October 17, 1632) was a Dutch admiral who was active in establishing Dutch power in Southeast Asia during the beginning of the 17th century. His fleet was officially on a trading mission, but its true inten ...
who laid siege to the town with the help of his Johor allies. He engaged the Portuguese armada which had been sent from Goa to offer armed relief to the besieged port. On 14 January 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in an effort to capture Malacca, with the help of the Sultan of
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
. The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798 but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance on
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
(
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
) and
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
as their administrative centre. However they still built their landmark, better known as the
Stadthuys The Stadthuys (an old Dutch language, Dutch Dutch orthography, spelling, meaning city hall) is a historical structure situated in the heart of Malacca City, the administrative capital of the state of Malacca, Malaysia in a place known as the ...
. In the Dutch era the building was white, the red paint is of later date. Malacca was ceded to the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
in the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-D ...
in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra. From 1824 to 1942, Malacca was under the rule of the British, first by the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
and then as a
crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
. Due to dissatisfaction with British jurisdiction over
Naning Naning (Chinese: 南宁) is a district and a former chiefdom in northern Malacca, Malaysia. It was founded in 1370 by the Prince of Minangkabao, Sutan Jatang Balun or known as Datuk Parpatih Nan Sebatang (The Only One Land Lord). It is part of ...
,
Dol Said Dol Said or in full Dato' Abdul Said was a 19th-century Malay leader of an area called Naning, which was then part of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. He opposed taxation by the British's taxation policy in the area and refused to pay it whic ...
, a local chief, fought the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in
a war ''A War'' () is a 2015 Danish War film, war drama film written and directed by Tobias Lindholm, and starring Pilou Asbæk and Søren Malling. It tells the story of a Danish military company in Afghanistan that is fighting the Taliban while trying ...
from 1831 to 1832, which resulted in a decisive British victory. It formed part of the
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...
, together with
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
. Malacca went briefly under the rule of
Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
in 1942–1945 during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.


Post colonial era

After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
became part of the
Malayan Union The Malayan Union was a union of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administratio ...
on 1 April 1946, which later became the
Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...
on 1 February 1948. The declaration of independence was made by the first Prime Minister of Malaya,
Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
, at Padang Pahlawan on 20 February 1956, which eventually led to the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957. On 16 September 1963, Malaysia was formed with the merger of Malaya with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, and Malacca became part of it. On 15 April 1989, Malacca was declared a historical city. It was then also listed as UNESCO
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
since 7 July 2008.


Geography

The state of Malacca covers an area of . It sits upon the southwestern coast of the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
opposite
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
, with the state of
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
to the north and west and
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
to the east. Malacca is situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the west coast, south of
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
and commands a central position on the
Straits of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
. With the exception of some of its small hills, Malacca is generally a lowland area with average elevation below 50 meters above sea level. The peninsula of
Tanjung Tuan Tanjung Tuan (formerly known as Cape Rachado as named by the Portuguese, meaning 'broken cape') is an area in Alor Gajah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is an exclave of Malacca adjacent to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The cape is well know ...
(formerly known as Cape Rachado) is an exclave of the state, situated on the coast of Negeri Sembilan which it borders to the north. The major rivers within Malacca include the Malacca, Linggi and Kesang rivers.
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
(Sungai Melaka) roughly runs through the centre line of the state from north to south,
Linggi River The Linggi River ( ms, Sungai Linggi) is a river in Malaysia which flowing through the states of Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. It starts from the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range, in an area known as Kampung Jerlang, Pantai in Seremban District, f ...
acts as the western border of Malacca with
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
, while
Kesang River The Kesang River ( ms, Sungai Kesang) is the border river between Johor and Malacca states in the nation of Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and fe ...
acts as the eastern border of Malacca with
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
. Malacca has thirteen islands off its coast, with Besar Island being the biggest of all.


Climate

The climate of Malacca is hot and humid throughout the year with abundant rainfall, highest between September and November. Daytime high temperatures range between and nighttime lows around .


Urban and suburban areas


Government

Malacca is one of only four
Malaysian states The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (''Negeri'') and 3 federal territories (''Wilayah Persekutuan''). States and federal territories Elev ...
without hereditary monarchies, despite being the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, as the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state of Malacca is the Governor ( ms,
Yang di-Pertua Negeri In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri ( in Malay) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a Ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in constrast to a Ruler () which is a constitutional title give ...
), who is appointed by the King of Malaysia ( ms,
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
). The present Governor of Malacca,
Ali Rustam Tun Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd. Ali bin Mohd. Rustam ( ms, محمد علي بن محمد رستم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 24 August 1949) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca ...
, assumed office on 4 June 2020. In practice, the Governor is a
figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...
whose functions are chiefly symbolic and ceremonial. The Malacca state government has its own executive council and legislature, but they have relatively limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal government. According to the
Malaysian Federal Constitution The Federal Constitution of Malaysia ( ms, Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia) which was promulgated on 16 September 1963, is the supreme law of Malaysia and contains a total of 183 articles. It is a written legal document which was preceded ...
, the state may legislate on matters pertaining to Malay customs, land, agriculture and forestry, local government, civil and water works, and state administration, whereas matters that fall under the joint purview of both state and federal authorities include social welfare, wildlife protection and national parks, scholarships, husbandry, town planning, drainage and irrigation, and public health and health regulations.


Executive and Legislature

Malacca's state legislature is the unicameral 28-seat State Legislative Assembly, the highest authority in the state which decides on policy matters. The State Executive Council is responsible to the assembly and comprises members who are appointed every five years by the political party or coalition in power. The State Government is headed by the
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
, appointed by Yang di-Pertua Negeri from among the State Legislative Assembly members of the governing party or coalition. The Chief Minister presides over a meeting of State Executive Council ministers weekly at the Chief Minister's office. The
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
's Department is responsible for the overall administration of the state, as well as its political interest. The current Chief Minister is
Sulaiman Md Ali Datuk Seri Utama Haji Sulaiman bin Md Ali ( ms, سليمان بن مد علي, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 20 December 1965) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 12th Chief Minister of Malacca since March 2020 and M ...
from the
United Malays National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
(UMNO). The administrative complex is located at
Seri Negeri complex Seri Negeri complex ( ms, Kompleks Seri Negeri) is a state secretariat building complex located in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, Malaysia. It houses the offices of the chief minister (Block ''Bendahara''), cabinet ministers, speaker of the state assembly ...
in
Ayer Keroh Ayer Keroh is a town situated in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the seat of the state government since 2006, being the home of the state secretariat building complex – Seri Negeri complex and one of a few towns which formed t ...
. It houses the
Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
's office, the State Legislative Assembly, the State Secretariat office and the official residence of the Governor.


Departments

* Malacca State Treasury and Finance Department * Malacca State Mufti Department * Malacca Syariah Judiciary Department * Office of Lands and Mines Malacca * Malacca Town and Country Planning Department * Malacca Islamic Religious Affairs Department * Malacca Irrigation and Drainage Department * Malacca Public Works Department * Malacca Social Welfare Department * Malacca State Agriculture Department * Malacca Veterinary Services Department * Malacca State Forestry Department


Statutory bodies

* Malacca State Development Corporation * Malacca Customary Land Development Corporation * Malacca Foundation * Malacca Museum Corporation * Malacca Public Library Corporation * Malacca Islamic Religious Council * Malacca Biotechnology Corporation * Malacca Green Technology Corporation * Malacca River And Coastal Development Corporation * Malacca Housing Board


Local governments

Malacca has four
local governments Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
(one city council and three municipal councils), which regulating traffic and parking, maintaining cleanliness and drainage, managing waste disposal, issuing business licenses, and overseeing public health, provision and maintenance of urban infrastructure. The state is also divided into three administrative districts, each is headed by a district officer. The lands and district office in each district deals with land administration and revenue. * Historical Malacca City Council administers most of
Melaka Tengah District Melaka Tengah District (Central Malacca) is one of the 4 administrative districts in Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Masjid Tanah District to the north-west, Alor Gajah District to the north and Jasin District to the east. The capital of the stat ...
. * Alor Gajah Municipal Council administers most of
Alor Gajah District Alor Gajah District is one of the three administrative districts in Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Tampin District, Rembau District and Port Dickson District (including exclave of Tanjung Tuan) in Negeri Sembilan to the north and borders Jasin Dist ...
. * Jasin Municipal Council administers most of
Jasin District Jasin District is one of the three administrative district in Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Tangkak District of Johor to the east, Tampin District of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Alor Gajah District and Melaka Tengah District to the west. Th ...
. * Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council is in charge of
Hang Tuah Jaya Hang Tuah Jaya is a planned area in the Malaysian state of Malacca created by its government as the state's administrative centre and smart city with economical, social, infrastructural and recreational developments. It was launched by the fif ...
municipality, which consists of the northern part of Melaka Tengah District, the southeastern part of Alor Gajah District and the western part of Jasin District.


Economy

Despite being located in a land without any significant natural resources, the economy of Malacca dates back more than 500 years, due to its strategic location. As the centre of the all important spice trade, Malacca attracted many colonial powers to engage wars to control it. Port of Tanjung Bruas, located in
Tanjung Kling Tanjung Klingon is a mukim and town in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. Infrastructures Tourist attractions Gallery File:Puteri Beach Night Market.JPG, Puteri Beach night market File:Hang Tuah Mausoleum.jpg, Hang Tuah's tomb ...
, was constructed in late 1970s and commenced operations in early 1980s to provide port facilities and services to the local business communities and to handle the exportation of hinterland goods as well as the importation of raw materials. Container ship handling services began in 2019, with MV West Scent became the first container vessel to dock at the port.
Port of Kuala Sungai Linggi The Port of Kuala Sungai Linggi, or Sungai Linggi commercially known as Linggi International Floating Transshipment & Trading HUB (LIFT-HUB), is a transshipment area for liquid bulk transshipments and break-bulking from western regions such as the ...
, commercially known as Linggi International Floating Transshipment & Trading HUB (LIFT-HUB), is a transshipment area for liquid bulk transshipments and break-bulking located offshore of
Linggi River The Linggi River ( ms, Sungai Linggi) is a river in Malaysia which flowing through the states of Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. It starts from the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range, in an area known as Kampung Jerlang, Pantai in Seremban District, f ...
in the
Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...
. It was gazetted in 2006, covers an area of 154 km2 (45 sq mi) and is among the largest designated
Ship-to-ship cargo transfer ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operation is the transfer of cargo between seagoing ships positioned alongside each other, either while stationary or underway. Cargoes typically transferred via STS methods include crude oil, liquefied gas ( LPG or LNG ...
area in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.
Sungai Udang Sungai Udang is a mukim and town in Melaka Tengah, Malacca, Malaysia. It is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Tangga Batu. Education }) or alternatively known as MARA Junior Science College or MJSC. The school is located on a 19 ...
houses the PETRONAS Malacca Refinery Complex consisting two refining trains, established in 1994 and 1999 and owned by PETRONAS Penapisan (Melaka) Sdn. Bhd. and Malaysian Refining Company Sdn. Bhd. respectively. The total capacity of the refinery is 270,000 barrels of oil per day. The Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in
Ayer Keroh Ayer Keroh is a town situated in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the seat of the state government since 2006, being the home of the state secretariat building complex – Seri Negeri complex and one of a few towns which formed t ...
which was opened in June 2003 is the leading commercial centre and the centre for meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) which plays an important role in the development of trade in Malacca. On 20 October 2010 an event was held to announce that Malacca had met the benchmark of 'Developed State' as set out by the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries ...
and a declaration of "Melaka Maju 2010" (Progressive Malacca 2010) was made. , service sector contributes to the largest share of economy in Malacca accounted for 46.9%, followed by manufacturing (43.5%), agriculture (6.5%), construction (2.9%) and mining (0.1%). In terms of number of workforce, , there were 275,000 people working in the industrial sectors, 225,000 people working in the service sectors, 35,000 people working in the entrepreneurship sectors and 12,300 people working in the agricultural sectors. Malacca has successfully opened itself up to foreign investors since the early 1970s. By 1997, the state has registered a total investment of over MYR16 billion. In 2014, the state achieved a total MYR4.4 billion worth of investment, in which MYR1.8 billion came from foreign investors. In 2013, Malacca had a GDP of MYR22,646 million with GDP per capita of MYR34,109. It had 3.2% GDP growth in 2013. Inflation rate in 2012 was 1.6%. , the Malacca State Government has an outstanding MYR861.7 million of loan to the
federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
. In 2014, the state government's reserve amounted to MYR206.61 million. The unemployment rate in 2014 was 0.9% or around 3,500 people. The state has a relatively well-educated population, with a youth literacy rate of 99.5% as reported by Malaysia Millennium Development Goals Report 2015. Currently there are 23 industrial areas which are centred along the edges of the city proper in suburbs which include Ayer Keroh, Batu Berendam, Cheng, Taman Tasik Utama and Tanjung Kling. While outside Malacca City, industrial areas include Alor Gajah and Sungai Udang. There are around 500 factories in the state which come from Germany, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, United States etc. For
small and medium-sized enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...
, a number of estates have been established by the state government. In 2016, Malacca became the safest place to live in Malaysia. The state crime rates dropped by 15.5 per cent in 2017 with 3,096 cases recorded compared to 3,663 in 2016. Malacca recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 8.1% in 2017, the second highest in the country after Sabah. Services sector remained the main contributor to the state’s economy at 44.8% of GDP. The GDP per capita also expanded 11.2% to RM46,015 in 2017, surpassing the national-level figure of RM42,228. The State Socioeconomic Report 2017 published on 26 July 2018 reported that Malacca was the state that recorded the lowest unemployment rate in 2017 with only 1.0 percent.


Energy


Power generation

Malacca houses three power stations, namely the 330 MW
Tanjung Kling Power Station The Tanjung Kling Power Station is one of the oldest power stations operating in Malaysia. It went into commercial operation on 6 August 1999 and is located in Tanjung Kling, Malacca. The station is a thermal combined-cycle gas turbine plant. Se ...
in
Tanjung Kling Tanjung Klingon is a mukim and town in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. Infrastructures Tourist attractions Gallery File:Puteri Beach Night Market.JPG, Puteri Beach night market File:Hang Tuah Mausoleum.jpg, Hang Tuah's tomb ...
and 440 MW Telok Gong Power Station 1 and 720 MW Telok Gong Power Station 2 in
Telok Gong Telok Gong (Malaysia) is a Malaysian town in Alor Gajah District (a district of Malaysia), Melaka, Malaysia. This village in Malaysia is located near Masjid Tanah town which is also in Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast A ...
, with a total installed generation capacity of 1,490 MW.


Green energy

On 16 December 2013, the Malacca State Government unveiled the draft 8,000 hectares special area called the Melaka World Solar Valley in Rembia,
Alor Gajah ) , pushpin_map = Malaysia Malacca#Malaysia West , pushpin_mapsize = 300px , map_caption = Alor Gajah Town in Alor Gajah District (left)Alor Gajah District in Malacca State (right) , subdivision_type = Country , subd ...
applying solar energy as the primary alternative in all municipal activity sectors. By 2020, the government-run 7,248ha Melaka World Solar Valley aims to power most of the daily activities of manufacturers, housing developers, farmers, and other stakeholders. Recently, a public-private partnership installed 100,000 LED street lamps along the Alor Gajah–Melaka Tengah–Jasin (AMJ) highway, which will improve road safety and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.


Water supply

Water supply-related matters in Malacca is administered by Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (Malacca Water Company Limited) which is headquartered at Malacca City. It was established on 1 July 2006 after it was upgraded from its predecessor Malacca Water Corporation ( ms, Perbadanan Air Melaka). The company is also responsible for the maintenance and delivery infrastructure of clean water in the state. Currently, there are three dams located in Malacca supplying its residents with water, which are Durian Tunggal Dam in
Alor Gajah ) , pushpin_map = Malaysia Malacca#Malaysia West , pushpin_mapsize = 300px , map_caption = Alor Gajah Town in Alor Gajah District (left)Alor Gajah District in Malacca State (right) , subdivision_type = Country , subd ...
, Jus Dam and Asahan Dam in Jasin. The fourth dam, Jernih Dam, will be constructed in Taboh Naning in Alor Gajah and expected to be completed by 2018. There are three major
retention basin A retention basin, sometimes called a wet pond, wet detention basin, or stormwater management pond (SWMP), is an artificial pond with vegetation around the perimeter and a permanent pool of water in its design. It is used to manage stormwater r ...
s in the state, which are Kesang Satu Lake, Kesang Dua Lake and
Ayer Keroh Lake The Ayer Keroh Lake ( ms, Tasik Ayer Keroh) is a lake in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Malaysia. History Until 2019, the lake used to be the place for watersport activities. Facilities The lake offers various activities such as sailing, canoeing, boat ri ...
. Raw water is supplied from the
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
,
Kesang River The Kesang River ( ms, Sungai Kesang) is the border river between Johor and Malacca states in the nation of Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and fe ...
and Gerisik River. Daily water consumption for Malacca is 500 million litres and each resident consumes 220 litres per day, higher than the national average of 180 litres per day. The Malacca State Government signed an agreement with Johor State Government on a water supply agreement in 1993 and additional water supply agreement in 2013. Another water supply agreement is planned to be signed with
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
in the future.


Demographics

Malacca has an estimated population of 931,210 with an average annual population growth of 2%. , 27% of the population aged below 15 years old and 8% aged above 60 years old. The ethnic composition of Malacca as of 2015 is 66.8% Malays (552,700), 1.4% other Bumiputras (11,500), 26.0%
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
(215,000), 6.2% Indians and
Chitty The Chitty, also known as the Chetty or Chetti Melaka, are a distinctive group of Tamil people found mainly and originally in Melaka, Malaysia, and in Singapore where they migrated to in the 18th and 19th centuries from Melaka, who are also kn ...
(51,400) and 0.6% others (4,800). Malacca has small communities of Kristang, Dutch Eurasian and
Temuan The Temuan people (Temuan: ''Uwang/Eang Temuan'', Malaysian: ''Orang Temuan'') are a Proto-Malay ethnic group indigenous to western parts of Peninsular Malaysia. They can be found in the states of Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Malac ...
people.
Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...
community in Malacca is generally divided into two, which are the Temenggong custom and the Perpatih custom. The remaining traditional Malay village in Malacca City is the Morten Village. Jonker Walk is the Chinatown area of Malacca. It was once known for its antique shops but have since turned into a well-known tourist destination that features clothes, food and crafts. The Peranakan people in Malacca show unique features, such as furniture, porcelain, crockery, style and food. Their culture is showcased at the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. Indians in Malacca are predominantly Tamils, many of whom used to work at the rubber plantation. However, many of them now work in the jewellery, fabrics, retailers, merchants and money lender sectors. Many of them reside in Little India, Malacca, Little India. There is also Chitty Village for the minority
Chitty The Chitty, also known as the Chetty or Chetti Melaka, are a distinctive group of Tamil people found mainly and originally in Melaka, Malaysia, and in Singapore where they migrated to in the 18th and 19th centuries from Melaka, who are also kn ...
people which houses the Chitty Museum. Besides, small number of Malaysian Malayali, Malayalees who speak Malayalam language, Malayalam and Telugus who speak Telugu language, Telugu exist among the Indians in Malacca. All Malaysia Malayalee Association, Malacca Kerala Samajam is an association that represents the Malayalam language, Malayalam speaking community in Malacca. A branch of Malaysian Telugu, Telugu Association Malaysia is situated in
Ayer Keroh Ayer Keroh is a town situated in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the seat of the state government since 2006, being the home of the state secretariat building complex – Seri Negeri complex and one of a few towns which formed t ...
to represent the Telugu language, Telugu speaking community in Malacca. A sizeable number of Punjabis, Punjabi Sikhs residing in Malacca, and Sikhs from Malacca and abroad congregate in the gurdwara (Sikh temple) situated in Jalan Temenggong. They celebrate the Guru Nanak's birthday and Vasakhi new year annually. A Kristang people, population of Portuguese descent, who speak a Portuguese creole, are the descendants of colonists from the 16th and 17th centuries. Even to this day, many of the traditions originating with the Portuguese occupation are still practised, i.e. "Intrudu" from Portuguese word "Entrudo" (a water festival that marks the beginning of Lent, the Catholic fasting period), "branyu" (traditional dance), "Santa Cruz" (a yearly Festival of street celebrations). Many of them settle down around the Portuguese Settlement, Malacca, Portuguese Settlement area, which has a population of about 1,200 residents. The Orang Asli, indigenous people, mostly ethnic
Temuan The Temuan people (Temuan: ''Uwang/Eang Temuan'', Malaysian: ''Orang Temuan'') are a Proto-Malay ethnic group indigenous to western parts of Peninsular Malaysia. They can be found in the states of Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Malac ...
is relatively small. They generally reside in rural settlements, the edge of the woods and along the coast facing Malacca Strait. Malacca houses the Aborigines Museum in
Ayer Keroh Ayer Keroh is a town situated in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the seat of the state government since 2006, being the home of the state secretariat building complex – Seri Negeri complex and one of a few towns which formed t ...
.


Language

Malacca is a multi-linguistic state. Malaysian language, Malaysian is the official language of Malacca and is used in the government and public sectors. English is widely used in the business and tourism sectors. A Malayan languages, local Malay, known as Malaccan Malay is a unique variety of Malay spoken within the state of Malacca. It has its own distinct pronunciation and vocabulary compared to the rest of Malaysia. Other minority languages such as Southern Peninsular Malaysian Hokkien, Hokkien, Mandarin language, Mandarin, English language, English, Malaysian Tamil, Tamil, Malayalam language, Malayalam, Telugu language, Telugu, Punjabi language, Punjabi, Kristang language, Kristang (Portuguese-based creole languages, Portuguese creole) and various Malay trade and creole languages, Malay-based creoles such as Baba Malay and Malaccan Creole Malay are also spoken. The Temuan language is commonly spoken by Orang Asli within Malacca.


Religion

According to the 2010 census, the population of Malacca is 66.1% Muslim, 24.2% Buddhist, 5.7%
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 3.0% Christians, Christian, 0.4% of unknown affiliation, 0.2% non-religious, 0.2% Taoism, Taoist or Chinese folk religion, Chinese religion follower, and 0.2% of followers of other religions. Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 91.6% of the Chinese population in Malacca are identified as Buddhists, with significant minorities of adherents identifying as Christians (6.7%), Chinese folk religions (0.7%) and Muslims (0.4%). The majority of the Indian population are Hindus (86.3%), with a significant minorities of numbers identifying as Christians (6.6%), Muslims (3.4%) and Buddhists (2.8%). The non-Malay ''Bumiputera (Malaysia), bumiputera'' community are predominantly Christians (46.8%), with significant minorities identifying as Muslims (24.2%) and Buddhists (12.0%). As the Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, definition of a "Malay" in the Malaysian constitution requires that the person professes the religion of Islam, all Malays are necessarily Muslims.


Education


Primary and secondary education

Up to 2018, there are 237 primary schools and 77 secondary schools in Malacca. Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Yok Bin, Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Of The Infant Jesus (2), Sekolah Kebangsaan (P) Methodist (2) and Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Of The Infant Jesus (1) is the high performance primary school in Malacca while for secondary school is Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC), SBP Integrasi Selandar, Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Selandar and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Sharifah Rodziah. The Malacca High School is one of the premier schools in Malaysia and is the second oldest recorded school in the country after Penang Free School in
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
. The Ministry of Education of Malaysia enrolls students based on their Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3). One branch of centre for juvenile convicts, Henry Gurney School, is located in Telok Mas. This centre runs rehabilitation programs for male juvenile offenders. Malacca has four international schools – the KYS International School, Melaka International School, Malacca Expatriate School (MES) and UUM International School Melaka, staffed by expatriate teachers, which specialise in teaching Cambridge International A Levels and cater for both the local and expatriate communities.


Higher education

Institutions include: *Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). *Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campuses that are located at Lendu, Malacca City and Jasin. *Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM) in Bukit Baru is the foremost institution for medical education in the state. *Multimedia University (MMU) at Bukit Beruang. *Malaysian Maritime Academy (ALAM) at Kuala Sungai Baru. *Malaysian Han Studies (MAHANS) at
Hang Tuah Jaya Hang Tuah Jaya is a planned area in the Malaysian state of Malacca created by its government as the state's administrative centre and smart city with economical, social, infrastructural and recreational developments. It was launched by the fif ...
. There are several institutions that offer nursing education: Institut Kesihatan Sains & Kejururawatan Pantai, Institut Sains Kesihatan Dan Kejururawatan Mahkota, Kolej Kejururawatan & Kesihatan Nilam, and Kolej Perubatan Komplementari Melaka. Institut Kesihatan Sains & Kejururawatan Pantai is linked to Pantai Hospital at Ayer keroh while Institut Sains Kesihatan Dan Kejururawatan Mahkota is linked to Mahkota Medical Centre. Skill-Tech Institute provides training in agriculture, homestay, biotechnology, ranching, aquaculture, estate supervision, landscaping, and food processing. It has two branches in Machap, Durian Tunggal and Taman Tasik Utama, Ayer Keroh. Part-time study is available at Open University Malaysia (OUM), while those who wish to obtain an academic diploma can enroll at University of Malaya Centre for Continuing Education (UMCCE) at Sinar College. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) lectures and examinations are provided at Sinar College at Malacca City. Sinar College is the only institution in the state that offers complete accounting education. Sinar College is the only approved training centre for tourism courses. Other academic institutions include International College of Yayasan Melaka (ICYM) and Melaka International College of Science and Technology (MiCoST). The state government of Malacca provides financial assistance mainly in the form of loans to local citizens via Malacca Education Trust Fund (TAPEM). Among the facilities provided by TAPEM are Higher Education Loan, Minor Scholarship/Incentive Scholarship for Secondary School, and School Assistance to Primary School Students.


Public libraries

The very first library in Malacca was the Khutub Khanah Melaka (later renamed Henry Gurney Memorial Library), which was established in 1881 and was located at the
Stadthuys The Stadthuys (an old Dutch language, Dutch Dutch orthography, spelling, meaning city hall) is a historical structure situated in the heart of Malacca City, the administrative capital of the state of Malacca, Malaysia in a place known as the ...
. The library was moved to Hang Tuah Hall in 1966 and renamed the Malacca Library ( ms, Perpustakaan Melaka). In 1975, the Malacca Public Library Corporation Bill was enacted to establish the Malacca Public Library Corporation ( ms, Perbadanan Perpustakaan Awam Melaka, PERPUSTAM). The corporation headquartered in the main library, was later established in 1977, with the enforcement of the Enactment which was amended in 1993. The main library moved again to its current location at Bukit Baru, which was inaugurated on 4 November 1996. Apart from the main library, there are also public libraries at district level, as well as town and village levels.


Health care

Malacca houses a number of government and private hospitals and health clinics, as well as hundreds of private clinics. The location of medical institutions are located all over the state of Malacca, either in urban or rural areas, providing uniform and equitable healthcare to the residents. Health-related affairs in Malacca is governed by Malacca State Health Department by providing basic health service to the residents and oversee all government health facilities in the state among hospitals, community polyclinic, rural health clinics and clinics. Malacca is also a popular place for health care and medical tourism for Indonesian people from
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
due to its close proximity to the state, followed by
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. In 2014, Malacca received over 500,000 tourists for medical tourism-related purpose. Government hospitals in Malacca are Malacca General Hospital and Jasin District Hospital, while private hospitals are Putra Hospital, Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh, Mahkota Medical Centre and Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre.


Culture

Each group upholds their tradition and it is reflected in their food, religion customs, festivals, culture, design, application, jewellery and handicrafts. Among the unique Malacca culture is Dondang Sayang which is recognized by UNESCO. Dondang Sayang is a traditional Malay art still practised in Malacca by four communities: the Malay, Baba Nyonya, Chitty and Portuguese communities. The practice combines elements of music (violins, gongs and tambourines or the tambour), songs and chants, and features melodious strains of poetry. Also known as love ballads, the songs are used by communities to convey feelings of love and give advice on special topics such as love and kindness. For food, Malacca received recognition from the World Street Food Congress for Nyonya Siamese Noodles (34th) and Coolie Street Satay (43rd). The various street dishes and delicacies of Malacca include (but not limited to) ''satay celup''; rice ball, chicken rice balls; duck noodles; ''wonton noodles, Malacca-style wonton noodles''; ''laksa, nyonya laksa''; ''pai tee'' (also known as ''pie tee'' and top hats); ''ayam pongteh''; ''asam pedas, asam pedas with fish''; Portuguese grilled fish and seafood; ''fishball lobak''; coconut shake; ''cendol, nyonya cendol''; ''putu piring''; and ''kuih, nyonya kuih''.


Street art

Penang started the street art trend in Malaysia and Malacca soon followed suit with their River Art Project in 2012. Water has always been a big part of Malacca’s history. It was once one of the world’s most important trading ports, so it also makes sense that Malacca start the street art with the buildings beside the river. To boost the art landscape in Malacca, nine artists came together to paint their works on the walls of historical shophouses along the river in Jalan Kampung Hulu. Known as ProjectARM, these artworks are designed to highlight the beauty of Malacca. The murals depict the artists representation of Malacca and include a colourful mosaic painted on the walls of Kiehl’s store.


Sports

Sports-related affairs of Malacca are governed by the Malacca State Sports Council ( ms, Majlis Sukan Negeri Melaka) under the Malacca State Government. Another governing body of sports in Malacca is the Department of Youth and Sports ( ms, Jabatan Belia dan Sukan Negeri Melaka). Malacca is home to several football stadiums, such as Hang Jebat Stadium, Hang Tuah Stadium and Tun Fatimah Stadium. Built in 1954, Hang Tuah Stadium is the oldest stadium in Malacca. Established under the Malacca Stadium Corporation Enactment of 2004, the Malacca Stadium Corporation is the entity that manages stadiums in Malacca which started its operation on 16 September 2004. There is also a motorsport racetrack in Durian Tunggal named the Melaka International Motorsport Circuit. Melaka International Bowling Centre in Ayer Keroh with 52 lanes is the largest bowling centre in Malaysia. There are four golf courses in Malacca, namely Ayer Keroh Golf and Country Club in
Ayer Keroh Ayer Keroh is a town situated in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the seat of the state government since 2006, being the home of the state secretariat building complex – Seri Negeri complex and one of a few towns which formed t ...
, Orna Golf and Country Club in Bemban and Tiara Melaka Golf and Country Club in Bukit Katil and A'Famosa Golf Resort in Simpang Ampat, Malacca, Simpang Ampat. Golf-related paraphernalia in Malacca is showcased at the Malacca Golf Gallery. Malacca was the host venue for the 2010 Sukma Games held on 10–19 June 2010. Malacca also has a football team known as Melaka United representing Malacca in the Malaysian football league. The Melaka United football team won the first Malaysia Premier League title in 1983, in addition they were the champion of the third division of the Malaysia football league, Malaysia FAM League, FAM League Cup, in 2015 before won the second Premier League title a year after it. Melaka United uses the Hang Jebat Stadium in Krubong as their home ground with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.


Tourism

Tourism is a booming industry in Malacca. It is a popular travel destinations for
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
ans during the weekends. Malacca has adopted as its slogan, "Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia" ("''Melawat Melaka Bererti Melawati Malaysia''"). There is a tourist map provided by Malacca. In 2017, the state recorded 16.79 million tourist arrivals, the highest number to date. Despite been a small state spanning 1,644 km2, Malacca has been a destination of choice for travellers from China,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. During the first six months (January–June) 2018, over 8.73 million tourists were recorded visiting Malacca which is over seven percent compared to 8.14 million tourists for the first six months of 2017. It showed an increase of 599,037 tourists. The increase was contributed by the increase of domestic tourists to Malacca which was more than 72,000 or 1.36 percent. For domestic tourists, five states reportedly visited the most are from Selangor,
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
,
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
, Terengganu and
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
. Most of these tourists love to enjoy grilled fish and ''asam pedas'' in Malacca. In addition, foreign tourist arrivals also experienced a sharp increase of more than 520,000 or 19.03 percent. Travellers from five countries recorded the highest rates are China,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Indonesia, South Korea and
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. In recent years, Malacca has received numerous international accolades. The city has been listed by several publications, including Forbes and Lonely Planet, as one of Asia's and World's Top Travel Destinations. Malacca listed as one of 10 Best Destinations in Malaysia by Tripadvisor. Waze App recognized Malacca with 'The Best City to Drive In' Award. Globally, the historic city is ranked ahead of other major metros like Sydney, Lisbon, and Barcelona. The city also has been recognised by HuffPost as 15 of the Best Street Art Cities. In addition, Time publication placed Malacca as one of the best places to live and retire.


Tourist attractions

Malacca has numerous historical places and buildings. In order to preserve those sites, numerous museums have been built to preserve those legacies. Most of the museums in the state are managed by Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM; ms, Perbadanan Muzium Melaka). Museums in Malacca are Aborigines Museum, Agricultural Museum (Malaysia), Agricultural Museum, Melaka Al-Quran Museum, Malacca Al-Quran Museum, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Beauty Museum, Cheng Ho Cultural Museum, Chitty Museum, Royal Malaysian Customs Department Museum, Customs Department Museum, Democratic Government Museum, Education Museum, Melaka Forestry Museum, Malacca Forestry Museum, Governor's Museum, History and Ethnography Museum, Melaka Islamic Museum, Malacca Islamic Museum, Kite Museum (Melaka), Malacca Kite Museum, Melaka Literature Museum, Malacca Literature Museum, Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum, Malay and Islamic World Museum, Malaysia Architecture Museum, Maritime Museum (Malaysia), Maritime Museum, Royal Malaysian Navy Museum, Navy Museum, People's Museum, Malaysia Prison Museum, Prison Museum, Pulau Besar Museum, Melaka Stamp Museum, Stamp Museum, Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum, Submarine Museum, Toy Museum (Melaka), Toy Museum, Tradition and Custom Museum, Melaka UMNO Museum, UMNO Museum and Malaysia Youth Museum, Youth Museum. The other historical buildings and structures are A Famosa, Fortress of Malacca, Alor Gajah British Graveyard, Bastion Middleburg, Dutch Graveyard, Hang Jebat Mausoleum, Hang Kasturi Mausoleum, Hang Li Poh's Well, Hang Tuah Mausoleum, Hang Tuah's Well, Malacca Light, Malacca Warrior Monument, Portuguese Well, Proclamation of Independence Memorial, St. Paul's Church, Malacca, Ruins of Saint Paul's Church, St. John's Fort, Saint John's Fort,
Stadthuys The Stadthuys (an old Dutch language, Dutch Dutch orthography, spelling, meaning city hall) is a historical structure situated in the heart of Malacca City, the administrative capital of the state of Malacca, Malaysia in a place known as the ...
, Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba Memorial and Tun Teja Mausoleum. There are also galleries displaying various aspects of life in Malacca, which include, Melaka Chief Minister’s Gallery, Chief Minister’s Gallery, Demang Abdul Ghani Gallery, Melaka Folks Art Gallery, Folks Art Gallery, Melaka Gallery (Malaysia), Malacca Gallery, Gallery of Admiral Cheng Ho, Macau Gallery Melaka, Macau Gallery, Malacca Art Gallery, Melaka Bee Gallery and Malacca House. Theme parks, education centres, resorts and zoos in Malacca are A' Famosa Resort, Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex, Malacca Bird Park, Malacca Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary, Malacca Crocodile Farm, Malacca Planetarium, Malacca Wonderland, Malacca Zoo, Mini Malaysia and ASEAN Cultural Park, Pirate Park and Taming Sari Tower. Malacca has natural-related tourist sites, such as
Ayer Keroh Lake The Ayer Keroh Lake ( ms, Tasik Ayer Keroh) is a lake in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Malaysia. History Until 2019, the lake used to be the place for watersport activities. Facilities The lake offers various activities such as sailing, canoeing, boat ri ...
, Bukit Batu Lebah Recreational Forest, Tanjung Tuan, Cape Rachado, Garden of Thousand Flowers, Klebang Beach, Malacca Botanical Garden,
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
, Malacca Tropical Fruit Farm, Paya Laut Linggi Recreational Forest, Pengkalan Balak Beach, Puteri Beach, St. Paul's Hill, Saint Paul's Hill and Sungai Udang Recreational Forest. Malacca has also hot springs, namely Gadek Hot Spring and Jasin Hot Spring. Malacca is a multi-religious society, therefore various worshiping places can be found around the state, namely Cheng Hoon Teng, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Melaka Chinese Mosque, Chinese Mosque, Christ Church, Malacca, Christ Church, Kampung Hulu Mosque, Kampung Kling Mosque, Poh San Teng Temple, Xiang Lin Si Temple, Church of St. Francis Xavier, Malacca City, Saint Francis Xavier Church, St. Peter's Church, Malacca, Saint Peter's Church, Malacca Straits Mosque, Straits Mosque, Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, Al Azim Mosque, State Mosque and Tranquerah Mosque. Public squares in Malacca are 1Malaysia Square, Alor Gajah Square, Ayer Keroh Square and Jasin Square. Some night markets can be found along Jonker Walk in Chinatown during weekends evening and along Puteri Beach in
Tanjung Kling Tanjung Klingon is a mukim and town in Melaka Tengah District, Malacca, Malaysia. Infrastructures Tourist attractions Gallery File:Puteri Beach Night Market.JPG, Puteri Beach night market File:Hang Tuah Mausoleum.jpg, Hang Tuah's tomb ...
. In total, there are around 87 night markets around Malacca. During the Ramadan, Islamic fasting month, special night markets are opened along many major roads throughout the month.


International relations


Cultural exchanges


China

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


Cuba

In June 2007, a gallery named Casa Cuba was opened in Peringgit under the initiative of the Cuban embassy in
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
and situated in the former senior government officer's residence during British Malaya. The gallery showcases various forms of art by Cuban artists, such as paintings, lithographs and ceramics.


Indonesia

In February 2013, the Melaka Gallery (Indonesia), Melaka Gallery in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, Indonesia was officiated by List of Governors of Jakarta, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo and List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam.


Twin towns and friendship cities

Malacca first started twinning in 1984 with the city of Lisbon, Portugal and it is now Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with or established as a friendship city with the following cities:


Transportation


Air

Malacca International Airport (IATA: MKZ, ICAO: WMKM) (formerly known as Batu Berendam Airport) is an airport located in Batu Berendam, Malacca, Malaysia. The airport serves the state of Malacca, as well as northern Johor, with links to Pekanbaru and
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...


Railway

There are currently two Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway stations in Malacca, which are the Pulau Sebang/Tampin railway station, Pulau Sebang/Tampin Station in Pulau Sebang,
Alor Gajah ) , pushpin_map = Malaysia Malacca#Malaysia West , pushpin_mapsize = 300px , map_caption = Alor Gajah Town in Alor Gajah District (left)Alor Gajah District in Malacca State (right) , subdivision_type = Country , subd ...
and Batang Melaka railway station, Batang Melaka Station in Batang Melaka, Jasin. There were railway tracks from Pulau Sebang to Malacca City before World War II, but these were dismantled by the Japanese for the construction of the Burmese Death Railway. On 10 October 2015, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) commuter service has introduced a new route, shuttle service between Seremban-Sebang/Tampin-Gemas station. A 1.6-km line of Melaka Monorail was launched in October 2010, served the route along the
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
. Due to several technical glitches months into its operation, the system was left idle in 2013. However, in June 2015 the Malacca State Government decided to revive the project. On 4 December 2017, Melaka Monorail has re-operate with enhanced safety features such as lightning-prevention devices and the addition of a rescue vehicle to attract wagons in the event of a technical problem. The previous incident is believed will not recur as tests had been performed for two months before re-operation. The Melaka Monorail operating hours are 10.00 am to 10.00 pm on weekdays and continued until 12.00 midnight on Saturdays and Sundays.


Water

Daily ferries run from Malacca to the Indonesian cities of Bengkalis, Dumai and Pekanbaru departing from Harbour Master's Jetty. Regular boat services to Big Island, Malaysia, Big Island depart from mainland Malacca in Umbai. Several jetties around the state, such as in Merlimau, are used by fishermen. Two existing container ports in Malacca are the
Port of Kuala Sungai Linggi The Port of Kuala Sungai Linggi, or Sungai Linggi commercially known as Linggi International Floating Transshipment & Trading HUB (LIFT-HUB), is a transshipment area for liquid bulk transshipments and break-bulking from western regions such as the ...
and Port of Tanjung Bruas.


Road

Travelling to Malacca by bus is favored by most people. This is because Malacca is well connected to the PLUS Expressways, PLUS highway via three major exits. The Ayer Keroh exit at the North–South Expressway (Malaysia), North–South Expressway is the main entry to Malacca, connected by Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Ayer Keroh highway to
Malacca City Malacca City ( ms, Bandaraya Melaka or ') is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81. ...
. There are two additional exits along the North–South Expressway, namely the Simpang Ampat and Jasin exits. The Jalan Syed Abdullah Aziz, Syed Abdullah Aziz Road or Malacca Coastal Highway roughly connects the western and eastern sides of Malacca separated by the
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
through the Malacca Coastal Bridge. It is also easy to access Malacca by bus because Malacca has three main bus hubs such as Melaka Sentral, Alor Gajah Sentral and Jasin Sentral. The location of the bus stations are based on their districts, Central Melaka District, Melaka Tengah,
Alor Gajah ) , pushpin_map = Malaysia Malacca#Malaysia West , pushpin_mapsize = 300px , map_caption = Alor Gajah Town in Alor Gajah District (left)Alor Gajah District in Malacca State (right) , subdivision_type = Country , subd ...
and Jasin. The Melaka Sentral bus station, combined with taxi terminal, serves cities around Peninsular Malaysia and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. The Panorama Melaka bus is the public bus serving Malacca City and major landmarks. Efforts are also being undertaken to promote pedestrianisation and the use of bicycles as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Dedicated bicycle lanes are being built on several main roads in this historic city. Many of the heavily decorated cycle rickshaws (Malay language, Malay: ''beca'') equipped with sound system can be seen on the streets in Malacca. Most of them are used to bring tourist around the town for sightseeing. The average size can accommodate two average adult with probably a child.


Media


Art of culture and entertainment

Malacca is a popular filming location for domestic and international film production companies with the presence of various tourist attractions and historical remains. Iconic Bollywood artist, Shah Rukh Khan described Malacca as beautiful and said he would return for acting and holiday in the state. The films and the music videos published in Malacca include: * 1987 - Tragic Hero (film), Tragic Hero, starring Andy Lau. Part of this Hong Kong movie was filmed in Malacca. * 1999 - Entrapment (film), Entrapment, starring Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kee Thuan Chye, Malaysian actor. Part of the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie was shot at
Malacca River The Malacca River ( ms, Sungai Melaka) which flows through the middle of Malacca City in Malacca, Malaysia, was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The river starts from the foothills in the neighbouri ...
. * 2001 - One 2 Ka 4, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff. * 2008 - Singaporean drama series The Little Nyonya, starring Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu. * 2011 - Don 2, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. Malacca Prison were among the filming set of the Bollywood movie. * 2013 - ''Suami Aku Ustaz,'' starring :ms:Ady Putra, Ady Putra, Nora Danish and Izzue Islam. The filming is fully carried out at several locations in Malacca. * 2016 - Kabali (film), Kabali, starring Rajinikanth. Malacca Contingent Police Headquarters and Sungai Udang Prison were filming sites for Kollywood. * 2016 - :ms:Ayda Jebat, Ayda Jebat's ''Pencuri Hati'' music video (dangdut version). * 2017 - Malaysian drama series ''Hikayat Cinta Si Pematah Hati,'' starring Alif Satar. * 2018 - Malaysian telemovie ''Aku Nazmi'' starring :ms:Jay Iswazir, Jay Iswazir, :ms:Ayda Jebat, Ayda Jebat and :ms:Sheila Rusly, Sheila Rusly * 2018 - Malaysian drama series Mr. Grey, starring Fendi Bakry.


Radio

The available FM radio stations in Malacca, both government (including Malacca-based Melaka FM) and commercial, are as listed below.


Notable people

;Experts and Academicians *Shirley Geok-lin Lim, award-winning novelist, writer and Professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara. *Suhaimi Sulaiman, news anchor and experienced media strategist in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. *Ahmad Maarop, Tan Sri Dato' Sri Ahmad Maarop, tenth Court of Appeal of Malaysia, President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia. ;Film, Television and Music *Amar Asyraf, actor. *Anuar Zain, singer and a multi award-winning artist. *Aubrey Suwito, Malaysian pianist, keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and producer. *Christopher Lee (Malaysian actor), Christopher Lee, actor. *Remy Ishak, actor. *Resh (Malaysian singer), Resh or Reshmonu, singer-songwriter. *Ziana Zain, pop singer-songwriter, model, entrepreneur and actress ;History: *
Dol Said Dol Said or in full Dato' Abdul Said was a 19th-century Malay leader of an area called Naning, which was then part of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. He opposed taxation by the British's taxation policy in the area and refused to pay it whic ...
, 19th-century Malay people, Malay leader of an area called
Naning Naning (Chinese: 南宁) is a district and a former chiefdom in northern Malacca, Malaysia. It was founded in 1370 by the Prince of Minangkabao, Sutan Jatang Balun or known as Datuk Parpatih Nan Sebatang (The Only One Land Lord). It is part of ...
, which was then part of Malacca on the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
. *Ee Tiang Hong, Malayan poet of Chinese ancestry. *Hang Jebat, closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah. *
Hang Li Po Hang Li Po () was reported to be a Chinese princess sent by the Ming Dynasty to be wed to Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah (r. 1456–1477), according to the Malay Annals, which is a UNESCO heritage document and the principal source of historical inf ...
, fifth wife of Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah (reigned 1456 to 1477). *Hang Nadim, very young Malay boy of great ingenuity who saved Temasek, now called Singapore, from attack by shoals of a species of swordfish named todak; attacks which cost many indigenous Malays their lives. *Hang Tuah, legendary warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. *Munshi Abdullah (Abdullah Abdul Kadir), Malayan writer, was a Malacca-born Indian munshi of Singapore and died in Jeddah, a part of the Ottoman Empire. *Panglima Awang (Enrique of Malacca), native of the Malay Archipelago who participated in the Portugal, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan's mission in the 16th century to sail around the world. *Zainon Munshi Sulaiman, Tan Sri Hajjah Zainon Munshi Sulaiman, historic Malaysian politician, teacher and an independence campaigner. *Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Dato' Sir Tan Cheng Lock, (one of the founding fathers of modern
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and the founder of the Malaysian Chinese Association). *Tun Ali of Malacca, fourth bendahara, or prime minister of the Malaccan Sultanate. *Tun Perak, fifth bendahara, a Malay rank similar to a prime minister, of the Sultanate of Malacca. *Tun Perpatih Putih, sixth bendahara of the Sultanate of Malacca. *Tun Mutahir of Malacca, bendahara of the Malaccan Sultanate. *Tun Fatimah, well-known
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n heroine and daughter of Tun Mutahir of Malacca, Tun Mutahir the Malaccan bendahara who lived during the 16th century. ;Politics: *Betty Chew, wife to Lim Guan Eng, former Minister of Finance (Malaysia), Minister of Finance of Malaysia (2018-2020). *Chua Tian Chang, Malaysian politician and former Member of Parliament for the Batu constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from March 2008 to May 2018. *Liow Tiong Lai, Dato' Seri Liow Tiong Lai, former Minister of Transport (Malaysia), Minister of Transport of Malaysia (2014-2018) and Minister of Health (2008-2013). *Ahmad Hamzah, Datuk Wira Haji Ahmad Hamzah, Malaysian politician and is the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Jasin constituency in the State of Malacca. *Devan Nair, Malacca-born third President of Singapore and appointed by Parliament on 23 October 1981. *Goh Leong San, Malaysian people, Malaysian politician. *Kerk Kim Hock, Malaysian people, Malaysian politician and the fourth secretary-general for the Democratic Action Party (DAP). *Koh Nai Kwong,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n politician of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). *Lai Meng Chong,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n politician from the town of Machap Baru in Malacca state. *Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Malaysian people, Malaysian politician. *Md Sirat Abu, Malaysian politician and a former Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Bukit Katil constituency in the state of Malacca. *Shamsul Iskandar Md. Akin, Malaysian politician. *Tan Siew Sin, son of Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Dato' Sri Tan Cheng Lock, Malaya's (later Malaysia's) first Minister of Commerce and Industry, Finance Minister for 15 years, and third president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA, later Malaysian Chinese Association), a major component party of Alliance and later National Front (BN) coalition. *Abu Seman Yusop, Tan Sri Datuk Seri (DR.) Abu Seman Yusop, Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Masjid Tanah constituency in the state of Malacca from 2004 to 2013. *Tun Abdullah Mohd Salleh, 5th Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia, serving as Chief Secretary from 1 October 1976 to 31 December 1978. *Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (1982-1994). *Mohd Zin Abdul Ghani, Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Zin Abdul Ghani, List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (1994-1997). *Abu Zahar Ithnin, Allahyarham YAB Datuk Seri Abu Zahar Ithnin, List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (1997-1999). *Mohd Ali Rustam, Tun Seri Setia Haji Mohd Ali Rustam, List of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca, Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka (2020-now) and List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (1999-2013). Malacca River Cruise which is also known as Venice of the East was inspired by him. His contribution of ideas also in the construction of Malacca Straits Mosque and Taming Sari Tower. *Idris Haron, Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Haji Idris Haron, List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (2013-2018). He has been leading the project to redevelop Big Island starting with electricity supply to the Big Island and upgrading Sekolah Menengah Agama Dan Tahfiz Al-Quran Pulau Besar Melaka In March 2018, Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Idris Haron has been awarded the Malacca State Sports Icon Award. *Adly Zahari, Haji Adly Zahari, List of Chief Ministers of Malacca, Malacca Chief Minister (2018-2020). ;Sports: *Amirul Hadi, Malaysian former professional football player. *Azman Adnan, former Malaysian footballer. *Badrul Hisyam Abdul Manap, Malaysian competitive runner. *Ching Hong Aik, Malaysian former footballer. *Rabuan Pit, Datuk Rabuan Pit, former Asian sprint king. *Dollah Salleh, former Association football, footballer and football coach. *Elena Goh Ling Yin, Malaysian Racewalking, race walker. *Farderin Kadir, Malaysian footballer who mainly plays as a striker but can also plays as an attacking midfielder for Melaka United. *Goh Liu Ying, Malaysian professional badminton player. *Goh Soon Huat, badminton player from Malaysia. *Julia Wong Pei Xian, badminton player from
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. *Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Malaysian sprinter. *Lim Teong Kim, retired Malaysian football player and formerly an assistant coach of Bayern Munich U-19 Team. *Mirnawan Nawawi, former field hockey player. *Mohd Suffian Abdul Rahman, Malaysian former football player. *Mohizam Shah Dawood Shah, Malaysian former football player. *Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Malaysian professional footballer who plays as centre-back. *Norizam Ali Hassan, Malaysian former footballer who played as striker. *Ong Kim Swee, Malaysian football manager and former footballer. *Robert Braddell, historic English cricketer. *Adam See, See Kok Luen, Malaysian footballer who currently plays for Melaka United FC in the 2020 Malaysia M3 League. *Shukor Adan, Malaysian footballer who is currently playing for Kuala Lumpur. *Soh Chin Aun, Malaysian national football player from Malacca alongside the late Mokhtar Dahari and R. Arumugam. *Mohamad Norza Zakaria, YH Dato' Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, President of Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and also hold the post of President of Commonwealth Games Association of Malaysia. ;Others: *Abdul Razak Mohd Yusof, police senior officer, martial artist and one of the national heroes from the Royal Malaysia Police 69 Commando of the Pasukan Gerakan Khas. *A. Samad Said, novelist and poet. *Danny Lim, Malaysian writer, journalist and photographer. *Sukumari Sekhar, women's and children's rights activist.


See also

*Portuguese East Indies *British Straits Settlements *
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...


References


Citations


Sources

* * https://www.academia.edu/4302755 * https://www.academia.edu/4302722 * https://www.academia.edu/4302783 * * * * * * "Popular History of Thailand" by M.L. Manich Jumsai, C.B.E., M.A. * *


External links


Official Melaka Tourism Action Council website

Official Malacca government website

Malacca Tourist Attraction

Tourism Malaysia – Melaka

Malacca Guide
{{Authority control Malacca, Peninsular Malaysia States of Malaysia States and territories established in 1948 1948 establishments in British Malaya Strait of Malacca