Another tourist attraction in Malacca

MALACCA: Malacca Tourism Association (MTA) has expressed delight over the recent discovery of an ancient Portuguese bastion at Padang Nyiru here. The association said they were willing to work closely with the state government to conserve the site and to turn it to a top-tourist attraction for the city.

MTA president Madelina W.L. Kuah described the discovery as an intriguing piece of good news for Malaccans that would further accelerate the arrival of tourists to the state. Those in the tourism industry are extremely excited and willing to assist the state government and Heritage Department to preserve the site, she said.

Reminder: The Heritage department has placed a signage to indicate that research work on the newly found Bastion is ongoing.

It is learnt that archaeologists from the Heritage Department had begun research work at the site where the fort believed to be the remaining of St. Dominic bastion is buried underneath. St Dominic, fronting the Malacca river is part of the larger A’Farmosa fortress built by Portuguese to safeguard the interest especially evading attack from the sea.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam announced recently that the Federal Government had disapproved a proposed multi-storey car-park project at the site following the discovery of the bastion underneath the site. He said the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry has asked the state government to source for another alternative area after soil test at Padang Nyiru confirmed there was a fort with historical values buried underneath.

The site, neighbouring Malacca’s Little India and St Francis Church, is currently a car park managed by a private concessionaire. In 2007, parts of the bastion and the walls - an extension to the A’Famosa fortress left by the Portuguese were discovered during construction of the RM24.5mil Taming Sari viewing tower in Jalan Quayside next to Malacca River.

Following the find, the Federal Government issued a stop-work order to preserve the 17th century Dutch-era fortress and the 110m revolving tower project was relocated to another site. Middleburg Bastion, estimated to be 1.5km long, was a strategic military landmark in Malacca 250 years ago. It was built as an extension to the A’Famosa fortress left by the Portuguese.

A local relic collector from Tengkera said he noticed several officials from Heritage Department surveying the site about a month ago. The collector who requested anonymity said he went to the site in the hope of procuring some articafts after hearing that excavation work was being carried-out at the site. “I was told that they found a new fort while certain part of the remains were visible during the excavation at the site fronting a bank. I dont know the latest development but was told by the officials that they would soon cordon-off the area,” he said.

-thestar online.