MELAKA: The Melaka Museum Corporation (PERZIM) has pledged to preserve a recently discovered historic structure believed to be part of the old Melaka Fort bastion.
The site falls within the UNESCO World Heritage zone, prompting immediate conservation efforts.
PERZIM general manager Erne Hamsah assured the public that the area, located near Muzium Istana Melaka in Bandar Hilir, will be protected. The discovery was made during the construction of a car park, previously designated 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,“ she said.
The uncovered structure is identified as part of the original Melaka Fort, crucial to the city’s historical defence system. Authorities are assessing how best to display the monument to visitors while ensuring its structural integrity.
“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,“ Erne added. Environmental factors such as erosion and physical damage are also being considered.
The car park project will proceed with adjustments, halting only in areas where archaeological structures are found. “Construction work on the parking lot will continue, but only certain alignments will be stopped for now,“ she clarified.
PERZIM is preparing detailed plans for the state government’s review. The discovery, reported last month, revealed remnants of the original fort buried under later colonial-era fortifications by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. - Bernama