Every city lives in the present between its past and future. Melaka stands today in between an image of its past as the ‘Venice of the East’ and projections of a future Dubai in the Straits of Malacca. By retracing the workings of local heritage affairs, the aim of this chapter is twofold. On the one hand, I will trace chronologically the normative evolution of historic conservation and heritage management in Melaka and Malaysia. On the other hand, I will introduce the major actors who will appear from time to time throughout this book. Rather than choosing simplistic divisions between the state, society, and the private sector, I present a more permeable combination of social actors through three metaphors: mouse-deer, white elephants, and watchdogs. I feel these metaphors offer a finer view of the way government institutions, civil society, and real estate developers interact, offering three peculiar visions of Melaka's cityscape: one that privileges a glorified Malaycentric past, another which envisions a futuristic spectacle, and yet another, which lobbies for a conscious preservation of urban heirlooms.

As shown in the previous chapter, Melaka's origin myth concerns the brave mouse-deer that outwitted Parameswara's hunting dogs. The mousedeer is retained as a symbol on the logos of local authorities, but also of the glorious past they want to revive. Replicas of the legendary mouse-deer stand in a roundabout between the Stadthuys and the river.