Friday, November 23, 2012

MELAKA FORT WALLS BEING EXCAVATED

23rd. November 2012

Due to the discovery of the old Melaka forteress wall besides the Melaka River carpark, excavation works are currently being done. Red laterite blocks that form her foundations can be seen. This find is very encouraging to the historical past of Melaka where there was a wall surrounding the administrative centre of Malacca.

The British demolished the surrounding walls of Malacca by explosive gunpowder under Farquhar so as to destroy the defensive fortified walls forever. When Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, was recuperating in Malacca from the swampy conditions in Singapore then, he strongly objected to this demolition. He wrote a formal letter of protest against this to Lord Minto, Viceroy at British India in 1800s.

Due to Raffles intervention, the total demolition of Malacca fort was stopped. Unfortunately, only A Famosa was saved which we can see today.

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