According to the Malay Annals, Melaka was named after a tree. Parameswara, a prince from Palembang, was out hunting when he saw a pelanduk (mouse deer) kick one of his hound dogs. ... He named the place after the tree - pokok melaka (Indian gooseberry) - which he was resting under.

How was Melaka established?

The city was founded about 1400, when Paramesvara, the ruler of Tumasik (now Singapore), fled from the forces of the Javanese kingdom of Majapahit and found refuge at the site, then a small fishing village.

What is the difference between Malacca and Melaka?

MELAKA - "Malacca" will be known as "Melaka" from now on, says the Malaysian state government which has decided to cease the use of the more commonly Anglicised spelling of the state name.