Housing developer Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd, which demolished a more than 1,000 years old candi in Lembah Bujang, Kedah, which sparked public outrage, said it was not aware of the structure's historical value.

"We had a site visit before land clearing started in September. We saw a stone structure (candi). We did not know what it was," the company's project manager Saw Guan Keat is quoted as saying in The Star today.

bujang valley 011213Following the demolitions, Saw said, the rubble of bricks and pebbles have been disposed of.

"If we had known the structure was a historical site, we would have not have cleared it," he said.

Saw added that he only learnt the significance of the candi after reading about it in the newspapers.

According to the report, Saw said his company had purchased eight lots of land from a previous housing developer after carrying out a land search with the Kedah Land Office on Jan 14.

"The company proceeded to buy the land in February. When we did another search at the Land Office on July 30, again, we did not find any encumbrance," Saw is quoted as saying.

He said a plan for a mixed development project submitted by the previous developer had been approved by the Sungai Petani Municipal Council and the state exco, between 1994 and 1995.

His company, Saw added, had merely taken over the project. He has lodged a police report on Nov 29, following the demolition of the candi.