THE journey to have Malacca Historical City being recognised as a World Heritage Site, in a joint recognition with George Town, was one long difficult journey.

The effort almost came to an untimely halt when the first application to the World Heritage Centre Unesco for Malacca and Penang to be made World Heritage Sites was rejected on technical grounds.

But the cities did not give up and made changes to the original submission.

In Malacca, the World Heritage Site core zone covers:
- St Paul's Hill civic zone with St Paul's Church, Porta de Santiago (A Famosa) fortress and the Stadhuys complex;
- the residential and commercial areas of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street), Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Walk) and adjacent streets, including Harmony Street; and,
- Sungai Melaka.

Tomorrow, Malacca and George Town will receive the letter of authority on their new status at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

Difficult as it may have been, getting the World Heritage Site status is only the beginning.

Malaccans and the state government would have to make a concerted effort to protect this heritage.

The state has initiated the Malacca Heritage Trust which will supervise the restoration and preservation of heritage sites.

Chaired by Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam and advised by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, the trust will consist of representatives from the state executive council, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry and leaders of several heritage-related NGOs.

The NGOs include the Jonker Walk Community, the Malacca Chitty Community, the Baba and Nyonya Community, the Portuguese Settlement, Masjid Kampung Hulu and various Hindu temples.

"I believe that we have done much and adhered to requirements set by Unesco to put Malacca on the World Heritage List.

"Now, there is a bigger challenge ahead. It is vital that we take steps to ensure we are not delisted in future," Mohd Ali said.

He said a number of programmes for restoring and maintaining heritage sites had been planned, with the people expected to provide feedback on them.

"They can log on to Malacca E-Portal and send in their comments and ideas through e-aduan," he said, adding that the state also wanted residents of the listed sites to participate in the programme.

Mohd Ali said all future developments at the World Heritage Site core and buffer zones would come under the scrutiny of the state government through the Heritage Area Management and Action Plan.

Under the plan, Mohd Ali said a six-pronged strategy had been outlined, including increased enforcement in the heritage zone, strengthening the function and role of the Conservation Unit of Malacca Historic City Council, including setting up a database on the premises, facilities and activities in the area and also to restructure the traffic management system at the heritage zone to reduce traffic jams.

"We are also looking at ways to improve and expand the pedestrian walkway in the heritage zone and also to implement a tourist management plan, to ensure their stay in the state is comfortable.

"The state will also be roping in members of the public and non-governmental organisations to better understand the needs of the tourists and for us to get a better understanding on the heritage conservation aspects and the interest of the future generation," he said.

He said Malacca was one of the symbols of the glorious periods of Malaysian history.

"The recognition given to us is a testament that we have managed to preserve the rich heritage from 500 years of trading and cultural contacts with the East and West.

"It is a journey from the early stages of this history, originating in the 15th century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods, beginning in 1511.

"This award would surely place Malacca among the well known cities in the world," said Mohd Ali.

"We have preserved history in the state while we move to become a fully developed state by 2010. This is a balance which is difficult to achieve but we have managed to do it... not just to do it but to be successful in doing so," he said.