Recently Unearthed Kota Melaka Alignment Will Be Preserved - PERZIM

MELAKA, July 15 (Bernama) -- The Melaka Museum Corporation (PERZIM) has assured that the area where a historic structure was discovered, and believed to be part of the old Melaka Fort bastion situated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage site zone, will be preserved.

Its general manager, Erne Hamsah, gave this assurance following the construction of a car park in front of Muzium Istana Melaka in Bandar Hilir, which was previously categorised as Taman Larangan (Forbidden Park).

"Conservation work has already started with the appointment of conservators and archaeologists to carry out studies at the excavation site, while the parking lot construction, supervised by the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB), is being reorganised following the discovery of the historic structure.

"We will indeed preserve (the site) because among the structures identified is the old bastion that is important in the history of Melaka's defence.

"We are also reviewing how the monument can be revealed to visitors without affecting the stability of the structure, seeing that there are many factors that need to be taken into account, including the environmental elements such as erosion and physical damage,” she said.

She told reporters this after the "Warisan Santai” Programme of the 17th Melaka World Heritage City anniversary celebration in conjunction with the Duyong state constituency's ‘Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat’ (WRUR) programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Duyong, Hang Tuah Village here today, which was officiated by Duyong assemblyman Datuk Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem.

Elaborating on the car park project being developed, she said that only some of the alignments involved with the archaeological structures will be temporarily halted.

“Construction work on the parking lot will continue, but only certain alignments will be stopped for now, namely areas where the old city structure has been identified, while the rest will continue without affecting the heritage area.

"PERZIM is also preparing the plans and the next measures to be presented to the state government,” she said.

Last month, Bernama reported that the excavation at the base of the Taman Larangan stairs, located in front of the Melaka Sultanate Palace in Banda Hilir, uncovered a structure believed to be part of the original fort, which was later buried beneath new fortifications built by the Portuguese and later upgraded by the Dutch and British during the colonial period.

-- BERNAMA