Epilogue of a Blessing and a Curse

Chapter 7 considers the potential of ethnographies of World Heritage cities by retracing the experience of Melaka in juxtaposition with a number of other studies of Asian World Heritage cities, especially those located in East and Southeast Asia. A further analysis on urban transformation around other heritage villages expands the previous reflection on patrimonial hierarchies, inequality, and World Heritage exclusions. The chapter ends with a postscript, which introduces queries for future research. Substantial questions stem from the unprecedented, if brief, power shift from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Harapan.