UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF CONSERVING HERITAGE BUILDING IN MALACCA

Abstract

Abstrak
Pemuliharaan bangunan warisan boleh menjadi sesuatu yang mencabar. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk
memahami amalan-amalan semasa pemuliharaan bangunan warisan di bandaraya bersejarah Melaka.
Lapan siri temuramah pakar telah dijalankan di peringkat strategik, taktikal, dan operasi di Melaka,
Bandaraya Warisan Dunia. Peringkat strategik merupakan fasa yang melibatkan matlamat jangka panjang
dan arah fungsi organisasi kerja pemuliharaan di Malaysia. Kedua, tahap taktikal atau pengurusan,
proses menyampaikan keseluruhan fungsi kerja-kerja pemuliharaan di Malaysia. Ketiga, pada peringkat
operasi merupakan tahap pengoperasian kerja-kerja penyelenggaraan berkala dan pemuliharaan
bangunan-bangunan warisan. Responden-responden berpendapat bahawa semua Nilai-nilai Budaya
seperti sosial, sejarah, estetik, saintifik, dan ekologi telah digunakan sebagai amalan-amalan semasa
pemuliharaan bangunan warisan di Malaysia. Mereka juga menyatakan bahawa Nilai-nilai Budaya ini
telah digunakan sejajar dengan empat dokumen penting untuk proses pemuliharaan iaitu “Akta Warisan
Kebangsaan Malaysia”, “Outstanding Universal Values atau Nilai-nilai Universal yang Cemerlang oleh
UNESCO”, “Garis Panduan bagi Pemuliharaan Bangunan-bangunan Warisan “serta “Pelan Pengurusan
Pemuliharaan Bandaraya Melaka” dalam kerja-kerja pemuliharaan di Malaysia. Oleh itu, memahami
gambaran keseluruhan amalan-amalan semasa pemuliharaan boleh membawa kepada pembentukan
suatu model pemuliharaan bangunan Warisan yang teguh di Malaysia.

Abstract

Conserving a heritage building can be daunting. This developing study seeks to understand the current
practice of conserving a heritage building in the historic city of Malacca. A series of eight sessions of
interviews withexperts were conducted at three levels of conservation practitioners at the strategic,
tactical, and operational levels in Malacca, the World Heritage City. At strategic level, which is the first
level, is known to associate with the long-range aims and direction of the organisation’s functions of
conservation work in Malaysia. Secondly, the tactical or managerial level, which is concerned with
delivering the totality of functions of the conservation work in Malaysia. Thirdly, at the operational level,
which is responsible for the periodic and conservation maintenance work operations. The respondents
perceived that all Cultural Values which are social, historic, aesthetic, scientific, and ecological have been
used as the current practice in conserving heritage buildings in Malaysia. Thence, these conservation
practitioners have stated that they have been applying Cultural Values which are in accordance with
four vital documents which are “The National Heritage Act of Malaysia”, “Outstanding Universal Values
by UNESCO”, and “The Guidelines for Conservation of Heritage Building” and “The Conservation
Management Plan of Malacca” in conservation works in Malaysia. Hence, understanding the overview
of current practice of conservation practitioners can draw the development characteristics that led to the
robust model of conservation in Malaysia.