KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Days after news broke of the destruction of the site of an ancient Hindu temple in Kedah, the government body tasked to protect the country’s heritage issued its first statement on the archaeology-rich Lembah Bujang, which is at risk of being turned into a housing and commercial district.
In the absence of its chief, Datin Paduka Prof Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid, who is abroad and has yet to respond to The Malay Mail Online’s e-mail queries, the National Heritage Department said it is studying whether or not to gazette the valley to preserve the remaining candi ruins there.
“The National Heritage Department is in the process of issuing a Monument Preservation Order under section 41 Act 645 (National Heritage Act 2005) so that there will be no further construction work at the site.
“The National Heritage Department is also in the process of studying the candi sites in the Bujang Valley area on whether there is a need to gazette the sites as heritage based on Act 645,” it said.
Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir took to Twitter earlier today, saying only 17 candi found in the area have been registered, though research has unearthed 127 sites with 90 candi in Lembah Bujang, said to be the oldest civilisation grounds in the country.
The first-term MB had also said the state government has appealed to the Tourism and Culture Ministry to gazette over 100 archaeological sites as national heritage sites, yesterday.
Director of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) Professor Dr Mokhtar Saidin, who leads a team that has excavated 46 sites in the area, called for a reconstruction of the candi on its original site.
He said there exists sufficient information and blueprints to allow the prehistoric structure to be reconstructed.
The candi in question had been restored once in 1974. The archaeology expert said the restoration commissioned by the then-Museum Department had been minor as the candi was only “naturally disturbed”, but it would require a complete reconstruction this time around.
The recent discovery of the demolition of candi number 11 at Sungai Batu, which is part of a giant complex of Hindu temples scattered throughout Lembah Bujang, has drawn the nation’s fury at the treatment of the country’s historical monuments.
Mukhriz had said the developer had obtained planning permission to develop the land back in 1993 but only started clearing works in August this year.
The recent archaeological research at Sungai Batu had revealed the existence of a civilisation there since the 5th century up to the 17th century.
Lembah Bujang is the richest archaeological site in Malaysia and research has so far has revealed 127 sites with 90 candi. Candi served as places of worship during ancient times and are often built with elements of Hinduism or Buddhism.
The demolition of candi number 11 was discovered by local historian Datuk V. Nadarajan and highlighted in local media by Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy on November 30.
