Erroneous Melaka Tour Guide recalled

Melaka Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Melaka) has recalled all tourist guidebooks due to errors found in the guidebook.

“We acknowledge there were glaring mistakes in one of our guidebooks (Melaka The Guide) and have taken immediate action to rectify the errors and discontinue the circulation of related materials.

“We have posted an apology on our Facebook page for the oversight,” an unnamed senior official from Tourism Melaka said, reported The Star.

The official said Tourism Melaka plans to summon the guidebook publisher to clarify the source of historical facts printed in the promotional material.

Additionally, they intend to issue a show-cause letter to the publisher.

“We view the matter seriously,” he added.

This controversy started when French historian Serge Jardin, currently residing in Melaka, posted a detailed list of inaccuracies he discovered in the guidebook on Facebook on June 9.

He wrote, “Please, Tourism Melaka, you shouldn’t treat tourists like they’re stupid, thank you.”

He outlined 10 errors found in the guidebook and provided the correct information as follows:

#1– “The Emperor bequeathed Hang Li Poh to Sultan Muzaffar Shah.” (She married Sultan Mansur Shah);

#2 – “The arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century under Alfonso de Albuquerque …” (1511 is the 16th century);

#3 – “… the Portuguese ruled for the next 150 years.” (1511 to 1641 is 130 years);

#4 – “… the European invasion back in the 14th century.” (1511 is definitively the 16th century);

#5 – “After independence, a colonial building was built by the British which was known as Melaka Club.” (The new Malacca Club was built in 1912);

#6 – “Melaka celebrating 750 years in history” (1400 to 2024 is 624 years);

#7 – “Queen Victoria’s Fountain was built in 1901 to commemorate Her Diamond Jubilee.” (It was built in 1904 to commemorate the death of a Great Queen, as Her Diamond Jubilee was commemorated in 1897);

#8 – “In 1574, St Francis Xavier died in a ship.” (He died in 1552 on Sangchuan Island, China);

#9 – “Melaka Stamps Museum” (It has been definitively closed for four years already); and

#10 – “Poh San Temple was built in 1754 at the foot of Bukit Cina.” (It was built in 1795).He noted that his list includes only a few corrections, as there are numerous other alleged errors.

“Just to name a few, not mentioning mistakes about Cheng Ho, A Famosa, Porta de Santiago, the museums and the Dutch bastions, St Paul Church and Cheng Hoon Temple, etc. Is there somebody in charge?” he asked.