Middleburg Bastion opening

More picture of the opening here.

Now Middleburg Bastion already officially open. The official opening was done one 4th April 2010 by Minister of Culture and Communication Datuk Seri Rais Yatim. At the ceremony the Minister also launching ‘Alam dan Budaya ‘ Books and Banda Hilir. The Minister through Heritage Department (Jabatan Warisan) also have acquire the HSBC building, opposite the Bastion Middleburg with RM2 million cost.

Bastion Middleburg was once an observation tower or a fortress built in 1660 by the Dutch colonial. The bastion was an effort by the Dutch to control the threat from Straits of Melaka. The ruin was found by Department of National Heritage (Jabatan Warisan Negera) when conducting an archeological studies about Melaka Fort structure. The rebuilding of the Bastion starting on November 2007 with the cost of RM4.4 million.

The book, ‘Alam dan Budaya’ features Poems about Niah Cave Heritage. A collections of poems from the poets of Malaysia, Thailand, Kemboja, United Kingdom, Rusia, China and Korea contain in the book. Also at the ceremony, National Laureate Profesor Muhammad Salleh andThe 5th Earl of Cranbrook, Datuk Sri Lorf Medway declaim a poem.