A History of the Acheen Street Malay Enclave from Oral History Accounts

This article attempts to piece together a history of the Acheen Street Malay enclave based upon two sets of oral history interviews. The first was conducted in the 1980s by the Arkib Negara Malaysia (National Archives of Malaysia) and used extensively in a number of local publications. The second, conducted in 2010-11, was carried out by the researcher with a focus on assisting in the cultural mapping process helping the local community to document and interpret their own histories. Located at the heart of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Acheen Street Malay enclave is a unique and important example of an urban Malay village featuring an Arab Peranakan heritage two centuries in the making. Where possible, these oral history accounts have been verified with documented history, secondary source material and through discussions with the stakeholders. The article is divided into three sections: an introductory section describing the boundaries and origins of the Acheen Street Malay enclave; followed by a description of the history of Acheen Street based upon the memories of the community; and finally, a third section describing the significance of the site through a micro-history of the buildings and public spaces making up the enclave.