• St. Peter’s Church - St Peter’s Church in Melaka is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic church in Malaysia.

From 1511 until 1641, while under Portuguese rule, Malacca was described as a Christian town with a Roman Catholic church or chapel in every street. In 1618, there were 7,400 Christians in Malacca with 14 churches and two chapels.

In 1641, Malacca fell to the Dutch who, being predominantly Protestant and anti-Catholic, set about demolishing Portuguese churches and persecuting the Catholic population of the city.

Priests were forbidden to preach. What must the local Malay population here have thought about these two groups of Europeans who were so mean to each other despite being strangers in a foreign land so far from home, and both professing to belong to a superior culture?

During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Holland and Portugal found themselves fighting on the same side as part of the Grand Alliance.

As a result the Dutch eased up on their persecution of Catholics in Malacca and a Dutch Catholic called Franz Amboer was given permission to donate land for the construction of St Peter’s Church which, as the date on the bell tower suggests, was finished around 1710.

• Bottled water
• Lunch

• Alcoholic beverages

Melaka’s history commenced in 1403 with the arrival of Parameswara, an exiled Hindu Prince from the Sri Vijaya Kingdom in Sumatra. Upon converting to Islam, he adopted the title of Raja Iskandar and became the inaugural ruler of this nascent kingdom, marking the early days of the Sultanate of Melaka.

Over time, Melaka flourished as a bustling maritime trading hub and attracted the interest of various foreign powers.

In 1511, the Portuguese, led by Alfonso de Albuquerque, conquered Melaka and ruled it for 130 years. The Dutch took over in 1641, governing for 154 years, followed by the British in 1824, who remained in control until the nation achieved independence.

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