Pulau Melaka Shipwreck Site Gazetted As Restricted Zone

MELAKA, Nov 6 (Bernama) — The Melaka government has gazetted the area where wooden fragments believed to be part of a ship’s hull, estimated to be over 1,200 years old, were discovered on Pulau Melaka, as a restricted zone to facilitate excavation works by the National Heritage Department (JWN).

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the gazettement is to prevent trespassing by unauthorised parties and to ensure that all artefacts found in the area are preserved, allowing for proper conservation efforts to be carried out.

“This area will remain a restricted zone until the exploration work is completed, as this is not only a valuable site for Melaka but also for the country.

“This discovery is significant in our efforts to correct historical narratives that have long been guided by previous records. Many of our historical facts may have been altered,” he told reporters after visiting the excavation site.

Also present were State Tourism, Heritage, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman and JWN director-general Mohamad Muda Bahadin.

Commenting further, Ab Rauf said the state government will request allocations from the federal government to ensure that excavation work on this national asset can be carried out on a larger scale, allowing for more findings to be uncovered.

“The excavation work is expected to take a long time as it involves numerous processes and many parties, including exploration teams, archaeologists and historians. It will certainly require sufficient funding.

“We will also assist in terms of budget and extend full cooperation to JWN, the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim), as well as research teams from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) to ensure that this mission proceeds smoothly,” he said.

He said the artefacts and historical findings will be thoroughly studied to verify their age and historical background before being displayed to the public in museums under Perzim.

Earlier, it was reported that a wooden plank, believed to be part of a ship’s hull found on Pulau Melaka, could open a new chapter in Melaka’s historical and maritime narrative, predating the arrival of Parameswara.

The ship is believed to be a noble-owned vessel aged between 1,200 and 1,300 years, far earlier than Melaka’s official history, which began around the year 1262 or the 13th century.

The excavation also unearthed porcelain fragments and coins believed to date back to the era of Sultan Mahmud Shah.

— BERNAMA

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