ABSTRACT
The multi-ethnic Federation of Malaysia is comprised of thirteen states located at the southern end of the Malay peninsula and along the northern coastline of Borneo. Its strategic position halfway along the India-to-China sea trade route has exposed the indigenous population to a steady stream of inuences from the outside world – particularly the Islamic religion – but the arrival of the Portuguese in 1511 marked a crucial point in Malaysia’s history as they became the rst of three successive European colonial powers to occupy the country. Today, extant built heritage in the historically signicant port of Malacca clearly reects Arab, Portuguese and Dutch architectural styles while British design inuences can be seen in the buildings of George Town, Malacca’s late eighteenth century counterpart and the capital of Penang.
