Kota Melaka MCA protests proposal to change St Paul's Hill to Bukit Melaka

The St. Paul's Hill Complex. -filepic

MELAKA: Kota Melaka MCA is objecting to any attempts to change the name of St Paul's Hill here to Bukit Melaka.

Its vice-chairman Datuk Ronald Gan said St Paul's Hill should remain as what it has been known all this while.

"It's ridiculous to propose that the name of the historical icon be changed. Are we going to change the name of the replica of Portuguese galleon Flor de la Mar at Bandar Hilir too," he asked.

Gan said local historians are also up in arms over the proposal by the Melaka Museum Authorities to have the name changed.

"The rationale given by the museum authorities is that the hill was known as Bukit Melaka before the Portuguese occupation of Melaka. If we want to talk about history then it's fair for Melaka to preserve its Hindu/Buddhist past without concealing any facts," he said when interviewed here on Wednesday (July 15).

Gan said he was told that the current state government was not in favour of the proposal and added that it is still under review.

"I hope Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali would intervene and stop such attempts," he said.

St Paul's Hill is the site of St Paul's Church, which was built in 1521.

The church is believed to be the oldest Catholic structure in Malaysia and South-East Asia.