Heritage conservation: authenticity and vulnerability of living heritage sites in Melaka state

Melaka Historical City, together with George Town, Penang, were conferred the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (WHS) in 2008. One of the requirements in order to remain in the listing is a high degree of local community participation in its continued conservation. This is in order that the local communities who are regarded as stakeholders and custodians of the sites would actively participate in their protection. Similarly, living heritage sites in Melaka seek to recreate historical settings to simulate past time periods, thus providing visitors a glimpse of what it would be like to live in the past. Such sites call for the participation and involvements of the ethnic-specific group to shape and preserve its cultural heritage and identity. Living heritage sites can also be regarded as a way for the community to seek relevance especially in a multi-cultural society. However, authenticity is among the major concerns of the living heritage sites as well as other factors that they encountered in the face of modernisation and development that subsequently contribute to their vulnerabilities. The focus of this article is the living heritage sites in Melaka. The discussion is based on the study of the three living heritage sites in Melaka. The living heritage sites are Kampung Morten, Kampung Chetti and Kampung Portugis. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with various key individuals of the three communities as well as focus group discussions with members of the community. The study shows that although there are concerns that need to be addressed the informants believe that through the living heritage sites the community members are able to express their cultural identity, pride and knowledge to their younger members as well as share them with the society in general