6. CASE STUDY TWO: MALACCA MUSEUM CORPORATION

With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Malacca demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century.

The town constitutes a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. (UNESCO 2008)


6.1 Introduction


The second case study was undertaken with Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM) which is currently managing Malacca Maritime Museum (MMM) and eighteen other state-owned museums in Malacca. Staff members from this state government cultural tourism corporation were interviewed face-to-face. As an organisation involved directly with cultural tourism products and services, the Malacca Museum Corporation’s experience can provide insights regarding the transformation of cultural institutions, particularly museums, when adopting modern technology and ideas in order to become competitive in the global market.

The chapter opens with outlines about the second case study interview for this research, followed by a comparison of PERZIM and the Museum of Vancouver (MoV). Similar to Case Study One, seven themes are identified to answer the first research question. The findings of the interviews, secondary data, and quotes taken from document analysis will be used to answer research questions two, three and four. Finally, a chapter conclusion will be delivered.


6.2 Comparison between Malacca Museum Corporation, Malaysia and Museum of Vancouver, Canada


In this section a comparison between PERZIM, Malaysia and MoV, Canada (formerly known as Vancouver Museum) will be presented. Research on MoV was done based on document analysis, while research on PERZIM was done through face-to-face interviews and document analysis. The similarities and differences between the two museums are presented in the next section.


6.2.1 The development of Malacca Museum Corporation (PERZIM)

PERZIM is a Malacca state government corporation that manages all the state’s museums and heritage sites (refer Appendix 10).

Realising their lack of other natural resources, the state government paid special attention to developing the tourism industry as their major income, and cultural tourism is one of their focuses. PERZIM has many plans in line with the ICOM mission to become a non-traditional museum by implementing new ideas and upgrading the museum via such means as relaunching their light and sound program, opening at least another three museums outside Malacca city in 2010, and curating a cultural parade show.

Although the state government is searching for other resources for their economic growth —for example, from the agricultural sector — tourism remains their main focus. Due to its small size
and limited natural resources, the state’s dependency on the tourism industry is unavoidable (Cartier 2002).

The tourism industry has been the most important income for Malacca for the past twenty years, and is fully supported by the state government. Not only have their heritage sites been fully utilised, but their minority ethnics such as the Baba Nyonya, Chetti and Portuguese are used as tourism attractions for the state. As a result, all ethnic groups are given fair attention in the state government tourism planning. However, the issues of unfair treatment to certain ethnic groups, particularly minorities, have continuously been raised in Malaysia. A multiethnic country like Malaysia will always have this issue. Analysis made by the Malacca state government on the evolution of the tourism industry that took place in Malaysia and Asian region in the 1980s, revealed that heritage tourism alone was not sufficient to attract tourists (Cartier 2002). Thus, the state is not only promoting and developing their heritage buildings and places, but also education, entertainment, and minority ethnics. Importantly though, other states in Malaysia such as Kedah, Kelantan and Perak, have more interesting cultural resources than Malacca, which through poor management, and a less pro-active state government, has led to cultural resources not being fully utilised. This has created resource
wastage, and a loss of potential income.

Another contentious issue in Malaysia lies among the minority ethnic groups, who claimed they were not given enough attention in the development, although local authorities denied these allegations. For example, in a state like Penang that is populated largely by Chinese, any Malays living in the island state feel that Malay history has not been considered and thereby largely ignored (Mohamed 2006). Other states with a majority population of Malays, Chinese and Indian minorities feel similarly ignored. Issues including whose culture to promote, authentic versus staged culture (Mohamed 2006), and commercialisation of culture (O’Connor 2007) have caused heated debate among the academic sector, cultural activists and local people. Further, another group of cultural activists feel that most of the heritage buildings in Malaysia are colonial buildings. These activists disagree with the idea of preserving and promoting the colonial past and culture. Thus, the question of whose culture
should be promoted as the main feature remains a contentious issue in promoting cultural tourism in Malaysia. Postcolonial tourism has been utilised by many countries in the world because it attracts a greater number of tourists, particularly from the west. Malacca‘s major tourist attractions are mainly postcolonial buildings.

An anti-colonisation group criticised the building of the Flor De Lama replica, arguing that it represents a symbol of high respect for Portuguese colonial power and history in Malaysia. This group also criticized PERZIM when they introduced a new feature that saw museum staff wearing the traditional costumes of colonial countries (Portuguese, Dutch and English) that used to rule Malaysia, and allowed the visitors to take photos with them. Of course, new ideas or changes will always invite debate, and there will always be at least two camps in any new development. This process occurs in any development because there will always be positive and negative sides. Rather than support the commercialisation of cultural resources, this study’s stance is that they should be promoted with caution so that any misconceptions can be avoided or minimised.

Heritage buildings and places owned by private companies and individuals have to find independent means to finance their properties. The government can only provide limited assistance to them, and in most cases only moral guidance and support. In many cases, building owners cannot always generate enough income to preserve them, especially considering Malaysian weather. Thus, some owners may end up selling if they receive an attractive offer. Subsequently, the purchase of these properties often leads to the demolition of heritage buildings to make way for other development projects. Through tourism activities, these owners may have a chance to generate their own financial resources rather than depending too much on the government. Through the tourism industry, specifically cultural tourism, these private owners can generate their own financial resources. The balance between development and local sensitivity is very important. The stakeholders should take
into consideration the best way to tackle these problems and issues.

The efficiency and determination from the Malacca state government in developing and promoting cultural tourism contributes in a major positive way to their economy. Hopefully, the active role played by PERZIM in developing and promoting their products and services, will encourage other museums in Malaysia to become more proactive. If they fail to keep up with the changes and remain stuck in their traditional roles, their existence will be less attractiveand it might be harder to sustain their place in the market.


6.2.2 The development of the Museum of Vancouver

MoV (known as Vancouver Museum until 2008) has a long history that dates back to the Art,   Historical and Scientific Association’s first exhibition in November 1894. By 1905, more than
10,000 people had signed their guest register, and the museum received continuous public donations for its collection. In 1922, the museum accepted the first remains of a mummified child from a tomb in Luxor, Egypt from Dr. George Kidd. After that, visitor numbers significantly increased, particularly between 1939 until 1945. This influx of visitors meant that the most valuable collections of the museum were removed to an underground vault for safekeeping. In 2008, the museum announced a major shift in strategy that would see the institution become a physical reality and as an idea. They would use cross-disciplinary approaches, and engage the community in dialogue about contemporary issues. The following year, the museum changed its name to MoV to reflect their new vision. This latest transition was underpinned by a new vision and strategic plan for 2008-2011, which would hold a mirror to the city and lead provocative conversations about its past, present and future. In their
strategic plan they identified four strategic priorities:

1. Secure their financial and operational stability;

2. Develop exhibitions and programs that interpret Vancouver through a broad range of disciplines, put history in a contemporary context, and provoke debate and discussion about the city;

3. Enhance their visibility and reputation; and

4. Develop a more inclusive and collaborative approach to community involvement in the Museum
(Museum of Vancouver 2010).

Today, the MoV is the largest museum in Canada (Butler 2002, 8); its website shows the museum has incorporated interactive exhibits and programs for the last twenty years. Also, the function of the MoV is as more than just a cultural institution. They also offer services to the public such as food and beverages, meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), rental space and gift shop facilities. These products and services show that MoV is more financially independent, and fully autonomous in making their decisions. Further, MoV’s board of directors have differing educational background and fields of expertise. Also, the museum programs and organised activities are diverse in order to cater for various groups of people and interests. This diversity shows that MoV is positioning themselves not just as a museum, but as a diverse institution with many roles and functions. This is the latest trend that is taking place among museum institutions, particularly in developed and developingcountries.

Museums need a contemporary image in order for them to remain competitive. From an
architectural perspective, Erickson (1994) states that among a number of functions, museums reside with the bureaucratic elite of a cultural institution in the curatorial machinery of modern architecture. MoV is a real-world example of this statement. In today’s rapid evolution of creativity and technology, the roles and functions of museums have become more challenging and not limited to those functions identified by Erickson. However, this study will not discuss further the functions and roles of the modern museums. For further information please refer to Butler (2007).

Although MoV’s user-friendly website is with rich information about the museum, there is no statistical information regarding patronage. Nevertheless, being the largest museum in Canada and one of the four most important, this study assumed that attendance is significant.

This is also based on its location in Vancouver, one of the most populated cities in the country.


6.2.3 Comparing Malacca Museum Corporation and Museum of Vancouver

PERZIM management is currently shifting their role from a traditional mode to become more
educational, and focussed on R&D and entertainment for all their visitors. PERZIM has been among the first state government organisations to apply these changes in Malaysia. Few museums in Malaysia are taking these steps, and perhaps that is one of the reasons the number of visitors to PERZIM museums in Malacca increases every year compared to the other museums in the country. Museums in Malaysia have been lagging in terms of new changes and applications or functions. While PERZIM museums have over the past ten years adapted their new approach, the museums in the United States have, for instance, been doing the same thing since 1970s. In their mission statement, the American Association of Museums (AAM) aims to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy and service. Also, they are dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a major part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievement of the human experience, past, present and future. This mention of human experience in their mission, means that experience plays an important role in the establishment of a museum. Also, under their code of ethics, the AAM states that their common interest is to make a “unique
contribution to the public by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the things of this world”
(AAM 2010).

MoV (2010) offers products and services that focus on educational programs for children, youth, and families. This is similar to what MMM is doing, however MoV is more advanced in this area; they have connected their school programs to the provincial curriculum in workshops, and activities for students aged from five to fifteen. MoV also has their own blog to give updates about the latest events at the museum.

Since the history of MoV is longer than MMM, their collections, products and services are more diverse than those of MMM. Also, they have a different management style because MoV is not administered by a government corporation or agency. MoV is a money-oriented institution when compared to MMM, which charged minimal entrance fees (RM 2 per entry to visit one museum complex). MoV also:

• Charges entrance fees for their visitors from $ 8.00 dollars;
• Is privately owned;
• Has many activities and programs for their visitors; most of which charge fees; and 
• Have other side-products and services to generate income to their museum such as rental space for MICE activities, F&B, and a gift shop.

Cleary’s (2006) PhD thesis identifies four different types of culturally and politically valid contemporary museums: modern museums; modernist museums; post-museums; and new museums. Earlier, Hooper-Greenhill (2000, 150) identified three categories of museums (modern, modernist and post-museums), and it is significantly possible for Cleary’s new category to expand in the future. The modern museum according to Cleary (2006) maintains the traditions of display, investigative research and public instruction through accepted collection acquisition and exhibition practises. MMM and most PERZIM museums are most likely to fall under this category. Modernist museums position themselves by employing architecture as an attention-seeking strategy, but essentially not changing their developmentby-accumulation collection model. Since the early-1990s, museum architecture has received wide attention in the literature, due to the close link between architectural designs and culture.

The third category of “post-museums” considers postmodern criticism and becomes more pluralistic and complex in their construction of history. Only a small number of PERZIM museums can be regarded as post-museums, since they are categorised and operated as a government corporation, and abide by all the rules and regulations set by the government and UNESCO. With their full autonomy and financial sources, MoV is more likely to fall under this category. The fourth category of “new museums” is commemorative and non-inclusive, and are created for and maintained by a small elite, essentially to reposition its own history as central.

Based on Cleary’s classifications, this study categorises PERZIM’s museum, particularly MMM, as a “modern museum”, and MoV as a “post-museum”, with both also having characteristics of as “modernist museums”. For example, MMM has the Portuguese Flor de Lama replica (Fig. 6.3), while MoV (Fig. 6.2.3) has modern architecture and a crab sculpture fountain. Architecture has played a major role in marketing cultural tourism for the past decade. More buildings are adapting cultural elements and symbolisation in their design, including the buildings of MMM and MoV. As institutions for cultural preservations and restoration, it is substantially important for the museum buildings to be represented by the collections in their public image. In the case of architecture, this study believes that MMM has managed to portray its image as a maritime museum, while MoV portrays itself as a modern and diverse museum.

Figure 6.2.3: Museum of Vancouver
(Museum of Vancouver 2010)

In terms of modern applications, MMM lags behind MoV. However, MMM does not have to be like MoV in all aspects because their approach and formation are different. Both institutions have their strengths (also weaknesses), and cater for a different group of visitors or markets.

The strength of MMM lies in its focus on colonial history and a multi-cultural environment, while the strength of MoV lies in its long-established history, and a variety of functions and roles (refer Appendix 11). Based on their strengths, it is wise for both institutions to concentrate on further developing these strengths rather than to try to develop something unfamiliar. Not only can this be risky, but it involves the investment of money and time when success is still unsure. Both museums need to keep up with the changing expectations and desires of visitors, and at the same time maintain their primary role to educate the public and preserve their culture. Perhaps in the future, their roles and functions might be different from now, but presently they should maintain their uniqueness, and at the same time be aware of the changes taking place around them. This study has identified some similarities and differences between the MMM and the MoV.

Malaysia was focussed on their multi-cultural and multi-faith attractions even before they gained their independence from the British in 1957. The multi-cultural and multi-faith images are the primary topic among Malaysia’s top politicians when they discuss Malaysia’s position in the global market. The Malaysian government works hard to maintain this globally unique resource. Since there is an ongoing cultural revolution all over the world, Malaysia has to find new ideas to sustain their place in the global market. To date, more countries—such as Australia, Canada, US and UK—are claiming to be multi-cultural. Based on their collections, artefacts, activities and programs, MoV and MMM have long emphasised a local cultural influence. Since both countries are promoting multi-culturalism as part of their image to the world, this element has been employed by both museums. Therefore, the multi-cultural image may not be unique to Malaysia in the future.

A combination of cultural tourism and modern technology could generate new attractions to enable Malaysia to enter the global market. In consideration of this, the Malaysian government is working towards making the public aware of the significant potential of creative economy for the country. All ministries in Malaysia are talking about adapting these two aspects in their administration as well as their products and services. At the same time, private companies in the country also are taking an active part in these sectors. However, they need to become more independent, particularly with regards to finance, as the government cannot supportthem forever.


6.3 RQ1: What are the main operational issues for Malaysian creativeeconomy enterprises?

Figure 6.3a: Port De Lama Replica Ship in Malacca
(PERZIM 2010)

This study interviewed the Malacca Maritime Museum curator Mohd Shukry Abdullah at the Royal Navy Museum in January 2010. Other interviews were conducted with museum staff members on the same day around the Malacca Museum Complexes in Malacca city. The first interviews were with the “front lines” of the Malacca Maritime Museum at the Port De Lama replica ship, followed by the General Manager of PERZIM at his office, and the last interview was with the curator of all eight museums at Historical Museum office.

Seven themes best categorise the answers from the PERZIM respondents. Tables and
exhibits are used whenever required.