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Feature St. Peter’s Church is the oldest Christian church in use in Malaysia. It was built in 1710, during the Dutch occupation of Malacca by the perseverant Malaccan Catholic community. Until 1977, St. Peter’s was the church of the Portuguese Mission, under the jurisdiction of Macau. The Mission’s history and service to the people of Malacca goes back unbroken to the first Portuguese priest to arrive in Malacca in 1511. Thanks to the research of Father Manuel Pintado we know that between 1710 and 1977, 57 missionaries worked in St. Peter’s Church. To understand the historical significance of this site one must look back at the first encounter, face to face, between South East Asia and Europe. FROM 1511 TO 1710 : The birth of Christianity in Malaysia The history of this site began in 1511 when the Portuguese conquered Malacca. Their main aim was not to seize territory but rather to challenge Arab domination of the Indian Ocean, wresting control of the lucrative spice trade, and also to promote the Catholic religion. In fact, if it is true that every Portuguese in Asia was as a rule a trader, it is no less true that all were active or potential missionaries. As a centre of Christian radiation, naturally Malacca became dotted with numerous churches, chapels, convents and monasteries, which served as centres for hundreds of missionaries who preached in South East Asia and the Far East. Some of today’s annual religious events were first introduced by the Fathers of these convents. For example, the way in which Palm Sunday and Good Friday are celebrated in St. Peter’s today was introduced by the Augustinians in 1587. By 1613, Malacca had a wellestablished Christian community. According to Manuel Godinho de Eredia by then there were already 7400 Catholics in Malacca, most of St. Peter’s Church, Malacca COMPILED by FERNANDO JORGE, Badan Warisan Member, Lisbon, Portugal. Article courtesy of Badan Warisan Malaysia them of Chinese, and chiefly, Indian origin. To serve this growing population, Malacca had 8 parishes, 14 churches, 2 hospital chapels, 4 religious convents and some hermitages and oratories. After the Portuguese lost Malacca to the Dutch in 1641, Catholic worship was forbidden. The religious buildings that survived the siege were destroyed or used for profane purposes. But the Portuguese, Eurasians and other Catholics who decided to stay kept their faith alive and practised it underground. There were always Portuguese priests in disguise in Dutch Malacca to conduct masses, baptisms and marriages. Sometimes they were arrested, like the Portuguese Jesuit, Antonio Cardim, made prisoner in 1652. He questioned the fact that the Dutch tolerated mosques and other temples but not Roman Catholic churches. The truth was that the cold Calvinist Church found it difficult to compete with the emotional appeal of the Roman Church. On one occasion, in 1665, the Dutch discovered that no less than 1500 people had met secretly in a garden near the town to hear a Catholic mass. With the help of soldiers, they dispersed the Catholics and brought the images to the Fort where they were burned. In this context, a religious association formed by Dominican Fathers in 1554 - ‘The Confraternity of the Holy Rosary’ - played an important role in keeping the Catholic faith alive during the Dutch period. They also held their devotions secretly in private homes or up country. But in spite of the edicts against the practice of the Catholic faith, the Dutch generally tolerated the presence of Portuguese priests in Malacca. The Dutch regarded the Portuguese both as fellow Christians and as potential traitors. To be Roman Catholic meant being pro-Portuguese and anti- Dutch. The history of the Catholic community in Malacca was of an extraordinary survival: in 1669 there were about 2000 Catholics in Malacca, and by the 1700’s they still outnumbered the members of the Dutch Reformed Church by six to one. In 1702, religious freedom was proclaimed and in 1710, St. Peter’s Church, the first permanent Roman Catholic Church established after the Dutch conquest, was built. FROM 1710 TO ‘2010’ : From a new church to a heritage building In 1702, the Dutch gave the land where St. Peter’s Church stands today to Franz Amboer, recorded in documents as being a Malay with a Dutch-sounding name. The lot was located in Bunga Raya, at the time a suburb of Malacca: in a 1744 map, the road was already named ‘Weg nach Bongareyen’ (Road to Bunga Raya). Amboer, who converted to Christianity, subsequently donated the land to the Portuguese Fathers for the construction of a church. According to the historian F. M. Teixeira, Amboer had a descendant in Macau, a priest, who became the Chanter of the Macau Cathedral. We do not know the author of the plans of St. Peter’s Church. Its architecture has references to the churches built by the Portuguese in their colonies around the world. But we do know that the first priest of St. Peter’s was Fr. Domingos Monteiro sent by the Archbishop of Goa after a request in 1708. So, naturally the construction of the church followed certain features of churches already established in India. The rectangular plan has a main nave covered by a round timber ceiling supported by cylindrical columns. Two parallel naves add space, resulting in a large hall. This solution represents an adoption of an older typology, characteristic of Portuguese churches prior to the 16th century. From the 16th to 18th centuries the norm was the single internal space, known as ‘Igreja Salao’ (Hall Church). Compared with St. Paul’s Church, which is a perfect example of the norm, St. Peter’s Church follows an interesting old fashioned solution. The adoption of this model may have stemmed from its use in some other 16th century churches in Malacca such as the Parish Church of St. Thomas built in 1562 which also had rows of stone pillars. Nearby St. Peter’s Church and also around 1700, the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary built a new chapel, the ‘Ermida do Rosario’ which followed exactly the same model. Today, only ruins remain of this on the left bank of the Malacca river at Bunga Raya Road. The building of St. Peter’s Church changed over the centuries. Unfortunately, a proper survey or research to trace its evolution since it was first built has never been carried out. Probably around the 19th century some renovations were made, when some elements were modernized according to the ‘Gothic revival’ style: some of the windows and doors adopted Gothic arches. A marble plaque dated 1918, marking an important campaign of works, lists donations made by a great number of + 10 NEWSLETTER OF THE MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS
St. Peter’s Church, Malacca prominent local Straits Chinese, including Tun Tan Cheng Lock. In 1961, further works were carried out replacing the Indian roof tiles with the present Marseilles tiles. Some details that we should look for when visiting St. Peter’s Church: • The main altar is dominated by a pair of spiral Baroque columns, very common in Portuguese altars of the time. At the centre of the composition is the statue of St. Peter. The Crucifix deserves special attention: this ivory sculpture is a fine example of the art that developed in Asia under Portuguese patronage. These Indo-Portuguese works, commissioned to Indian artists in Goa, were widely appreciated in Portuguese society from the 16th to 18th centuries. • The stained glass windows in a ‘Gothic revival’ style at either side of the main altar are undated, but the left panel, depicting ‘S. Sebastian’, shows the words ‘L. H. Maumejeanh - Paris - Madrid’. • A Victorian iron spiral staircase was added to access the choir replacing a previous timber one. • The bell of St. Peter’s Church was cast in Goa, India by a family of renowned gun-founders - the Bocarros. The bell bears this inscription: “AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM / BENEDICTA TU IN MULIERIBUS SANCTA MARIA / PDIS B OES. A. 1608” (Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. Holy Mary. Pedro Dias Bocarro made it in the year 1608). F. M. Teixeira explains that these are the words of the Annunciation and therefore the (Contd. from Page 10) April 2003 Piling Works bell was most probably moulded for the Church of the Annuciation in Malacca (St. Paul’s Church). Taken from a previous Portuguese Church, it is a true symbol of the history of St. Peter’s: this almost 400-year old bell exemplifies, as Father Pintado said, the ‘survival through Religion’. A final word about the ‘Confraternity of the Holy Rosary’ established in 1554: although their chapel, mentioned above, is reduced to a neglected ruin, the ancient Confraternity is still alive. At the end of the 19th century they merged with St. Peter’s Church. Because they were a strong and wealthy organisation, they were given certain privileges, like to have the emblem of the rosary on the façade of St Peter’s, where it still stands today. The ‘Irmaos de Igreja’ (Brethen of the Church) as they are known today, have throughout the years guarded many traditions, such as the organisation of the unique Holy Week celebrations in Malacca. As Father Pintado mentioned, they are perhaps the oldest association in Malaysia, celebrating 450 years in 2004. As for St. Peter’s Church, it will celebrate 300 years of heritage in 2010. Selected Bibliography : Pintado M. - Survival Through Human Values, 1974, Malacca Weber M. - Dutch Malacca, 2001, Malacca Teixeira F. - Portuguese Missions in Malacca and Singapore (1511- 1958), 1986, Macau Thomaz L. - Early Portuguese Malacca, 1964, Lisbon Urban Planning in Saudi Arabia (Contd. from Page 9) EVALUATION & COMMENTARY The present system of town planning in the Kingdom has evolved over the past 60 years. Even though the process seems to be fragmented, one could observe continuity in these developments and a gradual progression in its development to address the rapidly changing development problems. Starting from the stage of Municipal and Road Statutes, the planning process has gone through the stages of gridiron pattern during 1940’s, master planning during 60’s, comprehensive urban and regional planning during 70’s and 80’s, reaching the stage of National Spatial Strategy and Structure Planning in the 90’s. Thus the entire national space is now subject to study to promote balanced development in all the regions as stipulated in the 5-Year Development Plans. There appears to be an effort to integrate vertically the planning programs at national, regional and local level thereby translating the national goals within spatial context. Whereas National Spatial Strategy covers the entire national space and structure plans cover all the urban centres and even some villages, the regional level is not yet covered comprehensively. All the previous studies, at this level, were only partial in their coverage. Now DMTP, MOMRA is launching a study to cover this level as has been done in case of structure plans. Another level, which is very significant from the point of view of implementation, is the detailed The Government has allocated a hefty RM1.6b for development projects in Putrajaya under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The allocation would allow the previously planned projects under the Eighth Malaysia Plan which were shelved due to financial local level. Structure plans provide the subregional context for the urban settlements but the issues of zoning, land uses etc. cannot be decided without detailed plans. The preparation of these detailed plans, in collaboration with the municipalities, has also been launched by the DMTP, MOMRA. Once this exercise is complete, the country will have an integrated planning system providing a comprehensive basis to make land use decisions at all levels. However comprehensive planning legislation is lacking to back the planning process and its implementation. Piecemeal legislation to cover various aspects of planning process cannot ensure effective results. STATISTICAL DATA Area 2,250,000 sq. km. Population 16,900,000 (1992 Census); 19,500,000 (1998 estimated) Density 7.51 inhabitants sq. km. Largest Province Eastern Province (726,059 sq. km). Largest Population Makkah (4,470,000 inhabitants*) Highest Density Gizan (52.02 inhabitants sq. km.*) *Based on 1992 Census *Note : This article was summarized by Muhammad Faris Abdullah. For full version, refer ISOCARP (1998), International Manual of Planning Practice (Third Volume), pp. 132-142; The International Society of City and Regional Planners: The Hague. Putrajaya gets RM1.6b for projects (NST, June 21st 2006) constraints, as well as new projects, to be undertaken. These include the construction of the steel mosque, housing and recreational facilities. Nevertheless, there is no allocation for reviving the monorail project just yet. NEWSLETTER OF THE MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS 11
Page 1 and 2: Berita Symposium On Knowledge Citie
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