Renaming of St Paul Hill to Bukit Melaka must be based on actual state history, says activist

MELAKA: The local Portuguese community is able to accept the renaming of St Paul Hill to Bukit Melaka, if it is based on authentic historical evidence, says an activist.

Save the Portuguese action committee chairman Martin Theseira said anecdotal and imaginary pieces should not be used to rename a historic site.

"Sadly, the move to rename St Paul Hill is seen as politically motivated and not based on authentic history.

"My community wouldn't object to the renaming of the hill if it is based on the actual Melaka history," he said when interviewed on Saturday (July 30).

Theseira said he will continue to demand for professional findings on the history of the hill before the state government erects any signboards to rename the site.

He said historical experts assigned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) should be invited to provide findings whether there was a sultanate palace on the hilltop before the arrival of the Portuguese to Melaka in the 1500s.

"Even the Chinese historical records have not mentioned anything about a hilltop palace, but certain self-proclaimed local historians insisted there was a palace there and was destroyed by the Portuguese.”

He said remnants of the palace or artefacts linked to the sultanate should have been discovered if the site was at the hilltop during the period.

Theseira said recovering the relics would also back the move to change the name of St Paul Hill to Bukit Melaka.

He also said Melaka elders had shared the stories of the Sultan’s palace at the foothill of St Paul while the garden stretched until a hockey field that no longer existed at Bandar Hilir here.

"But no relics have been discovered until today to back up these claims," he said.

Theseira said the state government should get the input from various stakeholders in the state and not based solely on groups with certain interests.

"I don't understand the reason behind the abrupt move to rename the site when there is lack of consultations from various communities and stakeholders," he said.

Theseira was commenting on the move to change the name of St Paul Hill to Bukit Melaka that was confirmed in a written answer to Bandar Hilir assemblyman Lau Chau Yen during the state legislative assembly that ended on July 27.