"Farewell Historic Malacca"

Mohd Ali Rustam

Big Wheel Keep on Turning, Proud Ali Keeps on Yearning

Malacca’s, [the up and coming “’Disneyland’ State of Malaysia”], soon to be erected RM 40 million Malacca Eye project will have several cheap and nasty features adjacent to it, to make it a ‘one-of-a-kind’ tacky theme park tourist attraction, and will add to the demise of the historic city of Malacca.

What ever happened to Historic Old Malacca and its bid to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam was quoted as saying that besides the 60 metre diameter wheel, (which is a cast-off from Taman Titiwangsa Kuala Lumpur), there would also be a 90 metre high water screen (whatever that my be) and entertainment rides.

"The wheel is scheduled to arrive here in September from Kuala Lumpur and would be operational by 18^th October 2008,” he told had reporters after officiating the ground-breaking ceremony in Malacca on Monday 9^th June 2008.

Mohd Ali reportedly also said a month of festivities along the Malacca River would be held to announce the Eye of Malaysia’s move from Kuala Lumpur to its permanent home in Malacca at a two hectare site on the reclaimed Kota Laksamana coastline next to a RM 24 million marina project.

Once operational, Ali said the wheel is expected to attract 700,000 visitors in a year.

(Wow! that's about 2,000 fare paying passengers per day, oh well, let’s wait and see how that visitor volume materialises.

The proposed marina will also perhaps be less successful than hoped for, as the waters off Malacca town are muddy and tend to silt up and become shallower with time. (I seem to remember a failed cruise ship jetty off Malacca Raya?)

Reclamation in the past has ruined the original coastline, and hence the unique character of Malacca, and many historical artefacts and historic Dutch, Portuguese and British sunken ships have been buried and lost forever, sadly this folly is still continuing to this very day.

The reclamation has caused significant changes in the natural equilibrium of the coastline, and increased rates of deposition and erosion have occurred at several areas along the coast even at great distances from the reclaimed areas.

The approximate alignment of the original coastline of Malacca can be seen drawn in red in the satellite image below. The reclaimed areas, some unused, and various unusable jetties can also be clearly seen.

The Malacca Waterfront [Google Earth image] (click on image for full size view)

Vanitas vanitatum, omnis vanitas

-Vanity of vanities, all is vanity