The A Famosa Building! :)

Next destination is the A Famosa Building! A Famosa is a Portuguese fortress located Jalan Kota, Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only remaining part of the fortress still standing. This place is one of the most popular Historical attractions.

Why A Famosa says "Anno 1670" when in fact a Famosa’s history dates back to 1511 after the Portuguese conquered Melaka, what is now known as Melacca Malaysia.

 The Portuguese in their quest for finding a trading route to India, established outposts like Macau and Goa. Then the Portuguese fleet commanded by Alfonso de Albuquerque set foot on Melaka Malaysia.

The Portuguese attacked and defeated the armies of the Melaka Sultanate. Of course the Sultanate didn’t give up trying to kick the Portuguese out again, so Alfonso de Albuquerque ordered to built the A Famosa fortress. 

It was built around a natural hill near the sea and managed to fend of attacks by the armies of Sultan of Melaka for over a century.Unfortunately for the Portuguese, the Dutch East Indian Company (abbreviated in Dutch to VOC) took over the trading routes and drove the Portuguese out of Melaka in 1641. 

The a Famosa fortress changed hands again in the early 19th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to keep it out of the hands of French colonizer Napoleon. Unfortunately for a Famosa: the British were wary of maintaining the fortification and ordered its destruction.

 

In the A Famosa building, there is even people selling stuffs like paintings, drawings, key chains, souvenirs and many more. So whenever tourist come to drop buy, they can but the things which they like there :) 

Did you know that in the A Famosa building, there is a cage where it is deep inside down? Take a look at the piture above. It is actually 6 feet inside deep. Well this cage is actually for people to make theur wish. You can just take a coin a wish with it then u put it inside the cage.Now that is something interesting right? :)

Constructed by the Portuguese in 1511, it suffered severe structural damage during the Dutch invasion. The plan by the British to destroy it was aborted as a result of the intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808.

This is the St. Paul's Church
St. Paul's Church: Constructed by the Portuguese captain, Duarte Coelho, this church was named "Our Lady of The Hill", but was later turned into a burial ground by the Dutch for their noble dead, and renamed "St. Paul's Church". Currently the church is part of the Malaccan Museums Complex. The body of St. Francis Xavier was interred here temporarily before it was taken to Goa, India.

  And that's me enjoying the amazing view of the historic building! You should come and visit here its the most amazing place in Melacca where u can experience the strong wind and the structure of the building! :D

 This is known as the "bamboo cannon". It is very famous in the past century for wars! It is big and dangerous where it can destroy the whole village with just one bullet.

A Famosa’s historical importance is that this fortress is the oldest remaining Portuguese building in entire Asia.

So if you want to come and visit here, you just need to pay RM 2 for adults! That is very cheap and u can experience it not only one museum but 2 museums and also A Famosa! :)

This amazing man that we found in the A Famosa building is just so talented. He can sing any song that u request for! No matter Malay, English, Chinese, Indian or even any language he can sing with full of passion! If u want to see him sing, come to A Famosa and experience his singing!  :)

The Yang di-Pertuan Muzeum Malacca state! :)

We also visited the Yang di-Pertuan Muzuem Melacca. This museum is located just next to the Melacca Democratic Government Museum. You can just walk while it will only take less than 5 minutes. History and development institutions Speaker of the State of Melaka is embedded in a beautiful building, formerly known as Seri Melaka. Before turned into a museum, this building serves as the official residence and office of the Speaker of the State until 1996. 

The main focus of the museum is on the role and contribution of the Speaker of Malacca from Lew Tun Leong Koh (first Governor) until the era of Tun Datuk Seri Utama Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob in leading states. The original use of the spaces in the museum maintained by showcasing a diverse collection of personally owned every President of the State.

This Muzuem is all about the living style of Yang di-Pertuan and all his honored that he got during his serving days. 

Take a look on the pictures below :) 

The look of the historic building.

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Entrance of the Muzuem

I was amaze with this big wooden table which is so unique in its own way. The table was long and was arranged with the plates, knives, forks, spoons, candles, flowers and many more! It was simply gorgeous and it has 10 chairs all together! The style of the decorating is more to the Portuguese style.

These are the costume for Yang-Dipertauan when visiting formal occassion. Their costumes are very heavy because too many badge and other things to put while wearing it for example the "keris" ( a small wooden knive for the royal represent his power-ness)

This are the style of His house. They followed and mix together the Melacca cultural structure and architecture in the house. For example the cabinets, frames, wooden furniture and many more!

These are also one of Yang di-Pertuan official costumes, Basically, He will have many types of costumes as He have to attend many formal occasion in the country and also out of Malaysia.

This car was kept beside of the Museum. The car was big, expensive and looking antique. This car was used by our very own Yang di-Dipertuan Melacca where ever he goes. So now it is kept there for people to see it and the car still look like a brand new car! :)

These are some of the honored that He got during his early days. Well it is uncountable! From here we know that he is a very active person and talented in his own way! He is a man with the "never give up heart"

This is the picture of Yang di-Pertuan Melacca and his wife before this :)

 

And yeah as I said, his honored and trophies that He got is uncountable! I was impressed when I get to see all his certificates and trophies. You shooul come and take a look too! It is a good experience for you to see it :)

 

A kris can be divided into three parts: bilah (blade), hulu (hilt), and warangka (sheath). These parts of the kris are objects of art, often carved in meticulous detail and made from various materials; metal, precious or rare types of wood, or gold or ivory. A kris's aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with around 150 variants), the pomor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 60 variants), and tangguh referring to the age and origin of a kris. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, but in the past, most had straight blades.

Take a closer look at the beautifully decorated table and they have on the table. The amazing chandelier was just above of the dinner table! It is so beautiful and I just love it. The chandelier have the combination of the European design.  

The Democratic Government Museum! :)

So next is the Democratic Government Museum. Melaka’s State Legislative Assembly where its foundation stone was laid on August 31st 1961 by former Governor Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Haji Abdul Malek bin Yusof S.M.N, D.M.K. The General Assembly Building, Melacca Legislative members gathered to discuss and passing local bills as well as the preparation of the annual state budget. 

State Legislative Assembly is chaired by a Speaker,who is elected by the members of the House. Legislative members are also elected by the people during the election period in five years, or after the dissolution of the Assembly. Those who have the rights to stand for election in Melacca residents and more than 21 years of age. Legislative Assembly in February 2000 had now been put in Ayer Keroh after the state government's decision to centralize the administration and official matters.

Many people have the mindset that Democratic Government Museum will be a very boring place that should be excluded from their traveling schedule but when you visit this museum, it is then that you'll learn how democracy in Malaysia works.You will also learn about the political struggles since the time before Malaysia gained independence to the evolution of what Malaysia is today.

Admission: Adults:RM 5.00
                   Children: RM2.00 

Located: At Melacca Town Jalan Kota

Take a look at those pictures below :)

This building, which is adjacent to the Governor's Museum was once the Malacca State Assembly Building and ceased to be used when the Government centred its business and administration including the State Assembly at Ayer Keroh.

This figures depict the four Malay Melaka authorities, the "Bendahara", "Laksamana", "Temenggung" and the "Penghulu Bendahari" documenting the contents of the Melacca Law and the Melacca Maritime Law prior to its presentation to the Sultan.

So these boards are telling us about the rules and regulations thats they have in Melacca. Some of them the people who are living in Melacca at that time, have to follow the rules for good and safety. It;s all related to the culture, the place, the importance of the government and also enemies.

The museum also equip the younger generations with knowledge of nationalism and rules & order of a country and choices made by any one countries in adopting their ideology towards achieving a grand civilization. Besides, its showcase Islam as a way of life and how the Malay society in Malaysia had successfully integrated the Islamic principles into nation-building that encourages peace, friendship, prosperity and loyalty as evidenced in the National Code.

Some of the scenes during the Japanese Occupational in Malaya from 1941-1945.

Today it is used as the Democratic Government Museum which exhibits information about the system of government, including the democratic system in Malaysia, which spans from the early years of her independence until today.

This uniform are for the "Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Melacca" Legislative Assembly made ​​up of His Excellency the President as Head of State of the State, the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly. Member of the Legislative Assembly consists of 28 people appointed by the federal constitution. Speaker of the State will hold a conference from time to time and will lead the conference. Member of the Legislative Assembly will be retained for 5 years if not dissolved during this period. Speaker of the State may dissolve the state assembly. Once dissolved, a general election must be held within sixty days from the date of dissolution.

This huge paper was found in the museum. This was actually presented front of the parliament during an important meeting long ago and it is now being a show case so people can see it how ir looks like. It is written in huge Jawi writing.

This is the chair that can be found in the parliament. This big chair is specially made for the Head (Speaker) of the Parliament to sit during the big meetings with the ministers.

The Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur is the symbol of democracy for our country. The parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia based on the Westminister System. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Represntatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament.

This picture shows that the King's that serves the Malaysian Government from generation to generation. Malaysia latest King now is The Yang di-Pertuan Agong  is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya  (now Malaysia) gained independence. A literal English translation of the title is "He who is made Lord". However, common alternatives are "King", "Monarch King", "Supreme King", "High King", "Supreme Ruler", "Paramount Ruler", "Supreme Head of State", "Supreme Head of the Federation" , "Supreme Head of State of the Federation" , "Supreme King of the Federation" or "High King of the Federation" . Malaysia is a constitutional mornarchy with an elected monarch as head of state. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is one of the few elected monarchs in the world.

The resistant movement by the locals against British colonization after the Japanese Occupational in Malaya.

The Museum (Literature Museum) ! :)

So after all those shopping at the Jonker Street, we move on to the next spot that is the museum! :D It was about 1:30 P.M. when we reached at the Melaka Museum. The Historical and Ethnography Museum is located at the Stadhuys at the junction of Jalan Kota and Jalan Gereja, Melaka. In front of the building, in an area known as Dutch Square, is the Victoria Water Fountain and the Tan Beng Seng Clock Tower built in the year 1886. 

The Historical and Ethnography Museum is on the second floor of the Stadhuys building. The museum portrays the lifestyle of the different communities and sub-communities that make up the population of Melaka - the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, the Portuguese, the Baba and Nyonya, the Chetti and Chitty communities. Among the exhibits on display are items used in traditional wedding ceremonies, kitchen utensils, musical instruments and collections of ancient porcelain ware. There are also collections of ancient weapons, stamps and various currencies. 

So there were three museums and all have its own characteristics and history telling. The first one that we went was the Literature Museum Melacca.The Museum of Literature is located at a building near the Stadhuys that used to house the Melaka State Development Corporation. The museums contains material pertaining to written historical records of Melaka, such as the 'Malay Annals', 'Hikayat Hang Tuah', 'Hukum Kanun Melaka' (Punishment Under Canon Law), the writings of Munsyi Abdullah and local Malay folklore. The museum also traces the growth of literature in Melaka from the period of the Melaka Sultanate to the contemporary literary scene. 

The exhibits also include graphic representations in the form of paintings based on events described in the Malay Annals and the execution of penalties as provided under the 'Hukum Kanun Melaka and copies of original handwritten historical manuscripts from many parts of the world. Traditional literary genres such as 'pantun', 'gurindam', 'nazam', and puisi (poetry) are also given due recognition. The gallery honouring national and local writers is very popular among visitors.

Here are some of the pictures :)

This is a big unique tree which located right outside of the museum. I belive that this tree is from many hundred years ago.

Right behind of me is one of the museum. The weather was perfect and the place was realy nice as it was located right up on the hill.

The entrance of the Literature Museum. Basically, the concept of the building was made up from an old tradisional house. 

Those statue was representing the actual people that came to Melacca many years ago to rule Melacca and also to make Melacca an entreport central.

Those pictures shows about a talented man that made up his name through his own books that he published.Abdul Samad bin Muhammad Said is a Malaysian poet and novelist who, in May 1976, was named by Malay literature communities and many of the country's linguists as the Pejuang Sastera receiving, within the following decade, the 1979 Southeast Asia Write Award  and, in 1986, in appreciation of his continuous writings and contributions to the nation's literary heritage, or Kesusasteraan Melayu, the title Sasterawan Negara.

This are some of his books that he wrote and became an attraction to the others to read it.

In the musuem, there were many bords that giving information abot A. Samad Said like where is he from, how did he manage to be a poetry and a book writer, his education, talents and many more. So in this way, the people all around Malaysian also the tourist weill get to know him more deeper and futher through these true facts.

And this was the "Sasterawan Negara" qoutes. Means, each of them have their own self slogan which brought them up to be the person that will serve the nation for a good reason.

This picture above is telling about the talented Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia's longest serving Prime Minister. His political career spanned almost 40 years.

"Wayang Kulit" is one of the very famous traditional shows here in Melacca! Wayang is a Javanese word for particular kinds of theater. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. Performances of shadow puppet heatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java, and by gender wayang in Bali.

These are some of the faces that are talented and have their own unique ways on how they became famous and known by the nations.

I eventually took a picture with the statue! :) Well the statue is actually a great figure that is hard working and tries to protect Melacca from enemies coming in.

Those are some of the old camera's that they take pictures or videos with it many years ago. More for the media side like news and shows. It is very big and heavy! Moreover, I'm glad that I can see those old big media camera's that was kept in the museum :)

Those are some pictures regarding the old books or journals that they found many years ago. It has lots type of culture language books and it is writter in their hand writing. For example, Jawi and Mandarin hand painting.

And that's us taking pictures of us together while looking in the museum for some history information! We had a great time in the museum while sharing lots of stories to the international students about our Malaysian history :)

 

That's the entrance of the first museum that we got into. Now we know lots of things about the amazing literature here and their figures :)