The Straits of Malacca has been one of the world's most important shipping lanes for centuries. And still is. It's strategic importance is still relevant today as some 50,000 vessels carrying a quarter of the world's goods come through here. But gone are the old wind-powered ships and the coastal forts that were built to protect the port of Malacca. Instead, residential houses now line the coast which has been extended outwards as a result of land reclamation, and mega tankers and ships now ply these waters.