We arrived in Melaka City by car service, a roughly three-hour ride from Singapore, via a highway surrounded by forests. The city and the namesake Malaysian state of which it’s the capital, have been officially spelled “Melaka” since 2018, the state government preferring a Malaysian rather than anglicized version. Similarly, it’s the Melaka River that meanders through the center of town. Still, “Malacca” remains a common spelling outside Malaysia, especially when referring to the strategic Strait of Malacca, which we first saw from our hotel room.
As I’ve noted previously, Iran’s demonstrated ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, a calamitous outcome of the reckless war initiated by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, has raised new concerns about the vulnerability of international shipping at other chokepoints, particularly the Strait of Malacca, which is the shortest sea route connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, and a channel through which about a quarter of global seaborne trade, including 45 percent of seaborne oil, passes.
Indonesia’s finance minister recently commented about possibly imposing tolls on shipping, along with other nations along the waterway: “If we split it three ways between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that could be quite something, right?” After negative international reaction, he claimed he was joking. But a military build-up in the area is underway. Singapore has deployed stealth submarines, and Indonesia is reportedly preparing to deploy supersonic missiles built by India. China has long been worried about its dependence on the strait, referred to as the “Malacca dilemma,” and may be incentivized toward an assertive posture by indications of confusion in US policymaking.
Singapore, with a gleaming skyline, verdant roof gardens, and elaborate light shows, lived up to its reputation as a well-run, prosperous city; and the 18-hour flight from Newark solidified, for me, Singapore Airlines’ reputation as the world’s best. Melaka’s a pleasant city but a backwater by comparison, with a population around 600,000, a tenth of Singapore’s. Amenities can be limited. It took me a while to get Malaysian ringgits, eventually finding an ATM at the Public Islamic Bank. Pedestrian-friendliness is not robust; sidewalks are intermittent, often alternating with open irrigation channels. Our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, was comfortable, however, and had excellent staff.
Melaka was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, along with George Town, further up the Malay Peninsula. “The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible,” the inscription noted. Empires have been jostling over this trading hub for a long time. The Malay Sultanate of Melaka, formed in 1400, was conquered in 1511 by the Portuguese. The Malay Sultanate of Johor tried to drive them out but failed, but the Dutch, with the help of Malays, captured Melaka from Portugal in 1641. The British, however, took over in 1824, holding sway over the Malay Peninsula until Japan invaded in 1941. Malaysia became independent in 1957. (It initially included Singapore, but racial tensions between Malays and Chinese, and disputes over economics, resulted in Singapore’s expulsion and independence in 1965.) Melaka is about two-thirds Malay, one fifth Chinese, and five percent Indian. Sunni Islam is the main religion, followed by Buddhism and Hinduism.
After Melaka, we’ll be heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, by car, then flying to Thailand, where my son will participate in a geography competition. After that, we’ll visit Cambodia, including the temple complex Angkor Wat. Then back to Singapore for a long flight home, this time to JFK.
There’s significant tourism in Melaka, with Asian visitors outnumbering American and European ones. Taking a tour boat on the Melaka River is a popular activity, the width of the waterway and preponderance of restaurants on its banks reminding me of San Antonio’s Riverwalk. Attractions near the rivers include the Stadthuys, the old Dutch city hall, now an excellent history museum of the area’s diverse peoples and powers. Chinatown is also a major tourist draw, including shopping on Jonker Street. On the city’s outskirts, amid a largely empty stretch along the strait’s waterfront, is the massive Encore Theater, where we saw a live-and-immersive show about the area’s history. Near the theater, we stood on the shore of the Strait of Malacca, watching cargo ships move in the distance.