BWM Talk Series: Melaka’s UNESCO Listing At Risk? by Serge Jardin

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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia

Date : 24 May 2025
Time : 10.30 am
Location : Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Fee : RM20 per person (non-members), Free for BWM members

Light refreshments will be served.

Click HERE to register.

About The Talk
Join us as Serge takes us on a personal journey through two field studies: an occupational typology of Jonker Walk from 1994 to 2025 and an analysis of public information boards designed for tourists. He will examine the transformation of Jonker Walk from a vibrant historic enclave to a site increasingly shaped by mass tourism, highlighting the shift from its recognition as a World Heritage Site to its commercialization in line with World Tourism Day. Serge will explore the rapid erosion of Old Melaka’s social fabric, questioning whether the current trajectory endangers its heritage status. With parallels drawn to George Town, he will address possible future scenarios— will Melaka be in the UNESCO’s Danger List or even face delisting? This talk invites reflection on the challenges of heritage conservation in the face of relentless tourism-driven change.

About The Speaker
Serge Jardin is a memory smuggler. He was born in France, Centre-Val de Loire Region. He holds a Master degree in History from University of Paris and a Bachelor degree in Geography from University of Orléans.

After a stint as a teacher, he discovered the tourism industry, and travelled extensively around the world. In Malaysia for almost forty years, he worked as tour leader, tourist guide, travel agent and hotelier. Married to a Melakan, he is today living in old Melaka.

Serge had written and published the following books:
2010: Rêver Malacca
2013: Malaisie, un certain regard, with Sylvie Gradeler
2014: Malacca Style, with a Melakan photographer, Tham Ze Hoe
2021: Diary of a French Missionary, Penang during the Japanese Occupation.
2023: French Memories of Malaysia, Literary Excursions and Fortuitous Encounters
2024: Jean Guidon de Chambelle, Voyage to the Great Indies (1644-1651) (an., ed., tr.)

Today, he is busy with Factual Accuracy of Melaka History and Setting the Records Straight.

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