Ancient Forts in Malaysia

Due to its strategic position in South-east Asia, thestands as a testimony of the State's glorious past.
Malay archipelago had traded extensively withPerched atop Melawati Hill which provided a sweeping
merchants from Saudi Arabia, India and China evenview of the mouth of the Selangor River, the fort was
before the founding of Melaka in 1402. Later, when thebuilt during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim in 1782. The
Europeans expanded their influence in the 15th centuryDutch overran the fort in 1784, expanded it, and
in their quest to control the entreport trade as well asrenamed it Fort Altingsburg. Dutch cannons still maintain
sources of spices, they built forts on several locationsa lonely vigil over the sea. The hill is crowned by
in the Malay peninsula to protect their territories.Altingsburg Lighthouse dating back to 1907 which still
Though the Malay archipelago was never the sceneperform its original function. A gruesome relic is an
of any epic battle, Malaysia today has several fortsexecution block within the fort, which was used to
that have been left behind by both frontier adventurersbehead prisoners. There is also a poisoned well with a
and Malay sultans. So, let us take a stroll throughplaque explaining the legends behind it. A paved road
history...leads up to Melawati Hill and round it. On weekends
Arguably the most famous fort in Malaysia is Fortthe road is closed to vehicular traffic and visitors have
Cornwallis in George- town on Penang Island. Locatedto walk up. Attractions in the vicinity include the Kuala
at Jalan Kota and facing the Esplanade, it was built onSelangor Museum and the Royal Mausoleum - the final
the spot which Francis Light landed on the island inresting place of Selangor's Bugis sultans.
1786. To clear away the jungle, Light loaded a cannonOverlooking the bustle of Kuala Terengganu's
with silver coins and fired them into the jungle. In theirwaterfront is Bukit Puteri (Princess Hill), which rises 200
attempts to retrieve the coins, Light's men clearedmetres high. Near the Post Office at Jalan Sultan
away the undergrowth in record speed which allowedZainal Abidin, a flight of steps leads up to Princess Hill
for a palm stockade to be hastily erected. BetweenFort which was the scene of a succession dispute for
1808 to 1810, convict labour was used to erect athe throne of Terengganu. Built in 1830 and occupied
proper fort. A writer of Light's era recorded: "Fortby Sultan Mahmud, it was attacked by Baginda Omar
Cornwallis is in the form of a square each with ain 1839 who overthrew the sultan. The new sultan
bastion at the corners, each side being 150 yards long.rebuilt the fort - supposedly using honey to bind the
On each external face of the bastions, there arebricks-- and imported cannons from Spain and Portugal
embrasure in the ramparts for three guns. The moatto defend it. Among the artifacts found in the fort are
which ran round the fort was nine yards wide anda large brass bell called a genta, a flagpole and ancient
about two yards deep."cannons. In olden days, the brass bell was rung to
Today, the moat no longer exists, but several cannonswarn the populace of fires, of men running amok and
still stand at the ramparts. Among them is the famousto signal the breaking of fast during the month of
Seri Rembai cannon. Cast by the VOC (Dutch EastRamadan.
India Company) in Holland, it was given by the Dutch toJohor's most famous fort, unfortunately, is one of the
the Sultan of Johor in 1606. In 1616, the Sultan, includingleast visited in the country as it is fairly inaccessible.
the Seri Rembai cannon, was captured by theCalled Kota Johor Lama (Old Johor Fort), it sits on the
Acehnese and taken to Aceh. In 1795, the cannon wasbanks of the Johor River and was built in 1540 by
shipped by the Acehnese to Kuala Selangor as aSultan Alauddin Riayat Shah. In 1587, during the reign of
token of their alliance with the Bugis. In 1871, when theSultan Ali Jalia Abdul Jalil, the Portuguese led by Dom
British attacked Kuala Selangor, they took the cannonPaolo de Lima attacked the fort, which was defended
by steamer to Georgetown. At the Esplanade,by 8,000 Malay warriors, but failed to take it. Two
however, the crew threw the cannon into the sea asweeks later a second attempt by the Portuguese with
they considered it to be worthless. Several attemptsreinforcements succeeded in destroying it after nine
to salvage it failed. According to folklore, in 1808,days of brutal fighting. What remains of the fort today
Tengku Kudin, the Viceroy of Selangor, who was aare earthened ramparts covered with grass, which is
master of the black arts, ordered the cannon to riselocated eight kilometres from the Desaru road amidst
and it surfaced. Today, it is believed that barrena sleepy village. To get to the fort, take the
women who offers prayers to the cannon and putKota-Tinggi-Desaru road and turn right down a laterite
flowers in its barrel will conceive.track at Kampung Teluk Sengat. Then follow the
Apart from the British, the Portuguese had also leftsignposts through an oil palm plantation, which often
behind a famous fort as their legacy. Located in thehas blue kingfishers flying among the trees.
historic city of Melaka, the Portuguese fort ofIn Kuching, capital of Sarawak, the impressive Fort
A'Famosa was purportedly built in four months underMargherita resembling an English castle has never
the supervision of Admiral Alfonso d'Albuquerque inseen any battle. Built in 1879 by Charles Brooke, the
1511. The original structure encircled St. Paul's Hill but,first "White Rajah" of Sarawak, it commanded the
today, its remnant is the De Santiago (Santiaga Gate)river approach to Kuching from its locaiton at northern
with the coat of arms of the VOC atop its archway.bank of the Kuching River. The fort was named after
Amidst visitors clicking away with cameras,Margaret, Charles' wife, and during their stay there, the
Portuguese Eurasians peddle souvenirs and artists sellBrookes maintained sentries who would shout "All's
paintings under the shade of flame-of-the-forest rrees.Well" every hour from 8pm till dawn. In 1971, the fort
Legendary Malay writer Munshi Abdullah gave awas converted into the Police Museum. There is a
graphic description of its destruction in 1808 by thegood collection of weapons and armoury in the ground
British when they occupied Melaka during thefloor while the second floor displays police uniforms
Napoleonic Wars. He wrote: After about ten minutes,and communications equipment; the third floor is taken
the gunpowder exploded with a noise like thunder, andup with counterfeit currency, drugs and weapons
pieces of the Fort as large as elephants, and evenseized from the Communists during the Emergency.
some as large as houses, were blown into the air andA humbler fort built by Charles Brooke is Fort Sylvia at
cascaded into the sea. Some went right over the riverKapit. Dating back to 1880, it served to protect Kayan
and struck the houses on the other side...But what aand Kenyah tribes of the Orang Ulu community from
pity that a building as fine as this should be brought lowbeing attacked by Iban head-hunters. Made of
in an instant of time... For the Fort was the pride ofironwood, which is so dense that it does not float, the
Melaka and after its destruction the place lost its glory,fort now houses the Kapit Museum. Its interesting
like a women bereaved of her husband, the lustreethnographic displays include totem poles, murals, burial
gone from her face.huts and carvings.
In the coastal town of Kuala Selangor, Fort Melawati