Jonker risks losing its charm

A CHILDHOOD friend decided to bring his family for a trip to the iconic Jonker Street over one weekend, with the intention of showing his children Melaka’s historic attractions.

He made his trip to the heart of the historic city after many years of being away from the country due to his overseas working stints.

My friend walked along the riverside, passing a long row of spruced-up old shophouses, hoping to find at least one business outlet that still portrays Melaka’s beautiful past.

Alas, my friend called me on the first day of his trip to share his disappointment that Jonker Street, part of the core zone of Melaka’s Unesco World Heritage Site listing, has lost its nostalgic elements.

The Cheng Ho Cultural Museum along Lorong Hang Jebat is a building in Jonker Street dedicated to telling the story of the 15th-century Chinese admiral. — Filepic

He ranted about no longer being able to see shops selling lion dance paraphernalia, dried and pickled fruits, Chinese wine or prayer items that once dominated Jonker Street and were part of businesses that could be traced back several generations.

There are no longer shops selling traditional coffee, handmade appliances or herbal tea, or those that housed carpenters, silversmiths and blacksmiths that my friend used to see in the early 2000s.

I told some locals about my friend’s experience and they echoed the sentiment – that Jonker Street could affect Melaka’s heritage status following lack of control on ownership of old buildings within the Unesco heritage zone.

One of the locals told me that classic trades and cuisines like the Jonker Street curry chicken, Teochew restaurants and popiah stalls were no longer there.

Traditional undertakers, old-fashioned grocery shops, rattan-making outlets, wooden signboard carvers and tree-side (or outdoor) barbers are now history.

Old trades that thrived in the past have faded into oblivion, while there is little left to tell of Jonker Street being a busy trading hub since the 17th century and the city’s original Chinatown during the Dutch occupation.

Visitors lament that they no longer get to see traditional businesses featuring carpenters, silversmiths and blacksmiths operating at Jonker Street in Melaka.

Generations-old family businesses and age-old trades are now a rare sight in this place.

The only site where visitors can still cherish the history of a once-hectic commercial hub and its grand heritage is at Harmony Lane or Jalan Tokong.

There, old religious structures of the Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese temple, Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Hindu temple and Kampung Kling Mosque stand since time immemorial, as do the grandeur of the old Chinese Peranakan mansions.

There are dozens of old and heritage buildings along the street, but over the years, the traditional business operators have shifted, resulting in the conversion of many of these old building structures into cafes, convenience stores, exquisite gift shops, hotels and shops selling curios.

In recent times, owners of these heritage buildings have either rented out or sold their properties to big businesses that convert these lots to cater to contemporary lifestyles.

A random check along the street by StarMetro from June 20 to 22 showed that about 90% of the shops that used to house traditional traders no longer exist.

The identity of the street has evolved towards a new business strategy where the operating style caters to the current demand of the tourism market.

Locals feel that the cultural and historical legacies of Jonker Street will eventually vanish if the trend goes unchecked and without intervention from the state government to stop this over-commercialisation.

They also fear that the gentrification of the street will one day cause tourists to shun the site, as visitors can experience similar settings in other parts of the country.

Jonker Street is part of the country’s living heritage and a vital element of the local tourism industry.

It is also considered a cultural nuance of Melaka.

The change in socio-economic fabric and heavy commercialisation may cause Melaka to subsequently face the risk of losing its coveted Unesco World Heritage Site status.

Locals hope Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh will introduce a rent-control law and impose stringent conditions on the sale of these heritage buildings, especially to foreigners.

The authorities should also emphasise the importance of preserving Jonker Street as a unique heritage site that will continue to draw a huge number of tourists.