They use our name, heritage, but where’s our say: the Melakan-Portuguese dilemma
A gigantic reclamation project near the community’s coastal village has already damaged and affected the villagers’ age-old access and reliance on the sea. Much of the local culture, inherited over centuries, is on the brink of extinction as support from those in power wavers.
(The Vibes) – Hosting a panoramic view of the Melaka Strait, the now abandoned Lisbon Hotel is located at the seafront of the centuries-old Portuguese settlement in Melaka, a stone’s throw away from the famous Portuguese Square depicted on postcards.
Little known to many, the seemingly placid enclave is currently facing massive development, whose controversy encapsulates the dilemma faced by various traditional communities on the eve of the state election tomorrow.
A gigantic reclamation project near the community’s coastal village has already damaged and affected the villagers’ age-old access and reliance on the sea. Much of the local culture, inherited over centuries, is on the brink of extinction as support from those in power wavers.
The issues voiced by Portuguese activists in this regard mirror concerns of much of the local population of Melaka’s historic inner city, a section of which has been designated by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
“Whichever government comes in, we want open dialogue,” said concerned resident and activist Martin Theseira.
A prominent figure in the settlement, Martin said any government wishing to help the local heritage area must first consult the community.
“If you want to help us, let us have a say, let us participate,” he told The Vibes in Melaka recently.
Initially slated to be a cultural complex with a budget hotel, Lisbon Hotel was designed to feature lots that could accommodate small businesses such as cafes and handicraft stores.
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The project was also touted as an initiative to rejuvenate the settlement and draw more tourists. Martin recalled former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam’s claim when he was in power years ago that the hotel would “benefit the residents of the Portuguese settlement”.
However, the residents’ hopes of renting these lots for business ventures were dashed when the building was launched exclusively as a hotel.
Adding insult to injury, he said that the settlement’s community was left out of the running of the hotel.
“They use our name, our heritage, they want to capitalise on it,” he said. Any development, he stressed, will not succeed if it does not include the interests and makeup of the community.
After a few short years of operation, the Lisbon Hotel ceased operations and the building was subsequently leased to the Limkokwing Academy of Creativity and Innovation.
A check by The Vibes found the premises to be vacant. It is also understood that the building is not in use.
