J. Albert Gamboa l February 24, 2023 l The Manila Times
MELAKA, Malaysia: Known as Malacca for more than six centuries, this port city’s official name was changed to Melaka in 2017. The Malaysian government under then-prime minister Najib Razak decided to use the Bahasa spelling instead of the Anglicized term for both the state and its capital that lie on the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula beside the Strait of Malacca.
Historical records show that Malacca Sultanate, the great Malay maritime empire, began in 1400, and was based in what is now Melaka City. Within years, its trading port became the center of regional commerce in Southeast Asia. The sultanate reached its height of glory in the early 1500s, with its territory stretching from southern Thailand to western Indonesia.
Then came a succession of foreign colonizers starting with Portugal in 1511, the Netherlands in 1641, Britain in 1824 and Japan in 1942. This was followed by a transition period of decolonization after the Second World War leading to independence in 1957 as part of the Federation of Malaya and subsequently under the federal constitutional monarchy of Malaysia in 1963. Today, Melaka is a Unesco World Heritage City that has found new life through its history and culture.
Among its famous sites that were visited last weekend by winners of the 2020-2021 Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards were the Ruins of St. Paul’s Church, the oldest Catholic Church in Southeast Asia built in 1521; Porta de Santiago, the gateway to the destroyed A’Famosa fortress; Jonker Walk at Chinatown; the 18th century Anglican Christ Church beside Stadthuys Museum; and the Proclamation of Independence Memorial containing artifacts preserved by the National Archives of Malaysia.
Now in its 16th year, the Bright Leaf Awards are given by PMFTC Inc. to outstanding and relevant agriculture stories in print, online and broadcast media as well as the most compelling photos in the agricultural sector. PMFTC and its overseas affiliates have invested about $8.1 billion into the research and development of smoke-free products, employing more than 400 world-class scientists, engineers and technicians in pursuing the commitment of Philip Morris International to deliver a smoke-free future.
Reclamation gone awry
One of the Najib administration’s flagship projects was Melaka Gateway, an offshore development that was launched in 2014 and supposed to open in 2018. It involved the reclamation of artificial islands in the Strait of Malacca with the support of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) program.
But the unfinished project has become a white elephant due to massive delays and strong public opposition ― including from Najib’s successor, Mahathir Mohamad, who was quoted by Forbes magazine saying: “We are very concerned because in the first place, we don’t need any extra harbor.”
A similar problem has cropped up in Manila Bay involving the Waterfront Manila Premier reclamation project that will surround the US Embassy compound along Roxas Boulevard. The proponent’s engagement of mainland Chinese dredging vessels has reportedly been a sore issue for the embassy’s security officials who take pains to heighten anti-espionage measures in their communication process.
Recently, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), an attached agency of the Department of Transportation, penalized foreign dredging vessels for suspicious activities in Philippine waters. This came after the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), an inter-agency maritime surveillance unit under the Office of the Executive Secretary, flagged Chinese vessels for allegedly operating illegally in Manila Bay and several rivers in Zambales province.
In its special report, the NCWC said Chinese workers had been operating outside their approved areas in violation of the special permit granted by Marina. According to the NCWC, the Chinese vessels were also operating without clearances from the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Subsidiaries of China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) are among the foreign contractors in several Manila Bay reclamation projects. A state-owned enterprise, CCCC is one of the OBOR builders that were blacklisted by the US State Department in 2020 for constructing islands in the contested waters of the South China Sea that includes the West Philippine Sea.
The Marcos administration should emulate Mahathir’s political will in taking a stand against what he calls “modern-day colonization.” A comprehensive review of ongoing reclamation projects is necessary to avoid the fate that befell the Melaka Gateway project.
*** The author is the chief finance officer of Asian Center for Legal Excellence and vice chairman of the Finex Ethics Committee. The opinion expressed herein does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions and The Manila Times. #FinexPhils www.finex.org.ph.