Melaka Museum Board to probe vandalism claims at St Paul’s Church

MELAKA: The state Museum Board (Perzim) will probe claims of vandalism at St Paul’s Church - the oldest church ruins in South-East Asia - in Bandar Hilir here.

Perzim chairman Datuk Akramuddin Abdul Aziz said various officials, including Melaka Historic City Mayor Datuk Shadan Othman, would visit the site on Tuesday (May 2).

"I have arranged an official visit to the site and check on the claims as well as the situation at the hilltop," he said when contacted on Monday (May 1).

Traders at the hilltop historical icon said vandals have sprayed the wall of St. Paul's Church with ink and other materials.

One of the vendors Muhammad Daniel Abdullah, 53, said serious remedial measures should be initiated to stop such vandalism.

"The act of defacing the site has been happening for sometime now," he added.

Another vendor, who wished to be identified only as Ian, said the site had been left neglected for a long time.

"The staircase leading to the hilltop has also damaged and there is no proper lighting here," he said.

A tourist from Johor Baru, Kenneth Siva, 44, said the site must be preserved as an tourist and historical icon.

"There must be more closed circuit television (CCTV) devices and stricter enforcement," he said.

On Feb 5, a seasoned tourism stakeholder highlighted that St Paul’s Church is showing signs of deterioration.

Friends of Melaka Museums chairman Shaukani Abbas said shrubs are enveloping part of the church and that there was also an incident where a small part of the stone ruins had collapsed but luckily no tourists standing below were hurt.