'Significance devalued if Bujang Valley ruins moved'

MP SPEAKS DAP is surprised at the Kedah state government's proposal to relocate significant structures from the ancient Lembah Bujang civilisation that's scattered over a 200km square area, to a single site.

This is out of character as most archaeological excavations of an entire civilisation are done ‘in-situ', except when certain items such as vases or clay figurines are taken away for display in a museum.

Kedah Mentri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir (right) said it would be more practical to assemble the structures in one location, as the ruins and remnants from the oldest civilisation in the region were scattered "too far and wide".

But to move or remove them from the original site would risk the danger of detracting, diminishing and even devaluing the unique historical significance of the site chosen by the original inhabitants 2,000 years ago, that is known internationally as the Bujang Valley civilisation.

Let the experts decide whether this approach is sound and proper.

Mukhriz said that he wanted Kedahans to rest assured that Kedah's heritage as the oldest civilisation in the whole of Malaysia will be celebrated.

However there should be full accountability from Mukhriz for the tragic end of a pre-historic 1200 years-old Sri Vijayan Hindu temple (known as Candi No. 11) in the Sungei Batu area of Bujang Valley.
Richest archaeological site
Boasting a sprawling area of hundreds of acres, Bujang Valley is arguably Malaysia's richest archaeological site and world-renowned for the preserved cultural remains of ancient Buddhism and Hinduism as well as representing the beginning of early Malay civilisation.

What is now left of the Candi's immense historical value and significance, given its birth between the 11th and 13th century, is a piece of cleared land for a housing project.

The temple's disappearance was discovered and brought to public attention by Bujang Valley Study Circle chairman V Nadarajan and recently confirmed by Penang's Deputy Chief Minister II, P Ramasamy (centre in photo), who had earlier researched on the Chola presence in Bujang Valley.

Such destruction could have been avoided if the Merbok Land Office had monitored and notified the developer of the existence of this historical structure.

Not only was this not done, the developer was also given the greenlight to proceed with clearance of the site.

The sheer negligence and failure of heritage management by the Kedah state government has resulted in a senseless loss of heritage.

It is a black mark for Malaysia that fails to safeguard historical treasures for future generations when saving ancient historical monuments like those in Bujang Valley is a solemn duty imposed on the federal and state government.

The federal government must stop operating by remote control from air-conditioned offices in Putrajaya.

Instead funds should be given to set up heritage offices in states with rich archaeological sites such as Penang, Kedah and Malacca.

The Kedah state government should use this unfortunate episode to galvanise its efforts to draft out an archaeological heritage management plan to preserve their remaining historical structures and artefacts in the Bujang Valley.

I would suggest that the federal government take immediate steps to list Bujang Valley as a Unesco heritage site.

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LIM GUAN ENG is the Penang chief minister, secretary-general of DAP and Bagan MP. The views expressed in this article are his own.