Centuriesoldtempleruinsin Bujang Valleyfurtivelydestroyed

BY OPALYN MOK DECEMBER 1, 2013

Lembah Bujang in the Merbok district of Kedah has more than 50 ruins of candi or temples with Hindu or Buddhist influences like this one. Pictures b K.!. "oi

#!"$#! %"&'( )ec * Prehistoric ruins at an archaeological site in Bujang +alle some *(,00 ears old were secretl demolished b a land de-eloper( a Penang lawmaker said esterda ( e-en as Badan &arisan Mala sia seeks to list the historical spot as a .nesco world heritage site. /onfirming the matter with The Malay Mail Online( Penang )eput /hief Minister 00 Prof )r P. $amasam said he was shocked to disco-er the ruins of candi 1tomb temple2 site number ** dug up from its spot near 3ungai Batu and cast aside in a pile of debris. %he candi was located at 3ungai Batu and it was demolished b the de-eloper( who is clearing the land for de-elopment( more than a month back( he told The Malay Mail Online after he -isited the site esterda .

4ccording to the Penang lawmaker( he recei-ed reports of the demolition last week and decided to -isit the site to -erif if the were true. %his particular candi is hidden from sight behind an old oil palm estate so the de-eloper probabl demolished it first before clearing the oil palm trees( he said. Lembah Bujang( in the Merbok district of Kedah( is well5known as the richest archaeological site in Mala sia( with more than 50 ancient candi at the site. Most of the candi are in ruins( and some ha-e been reconstructed and mo-ed to a site near the Bujang +alle 4rchaeological Museum. "thers( including candi number **( were rebuilt at their original sites. %he ruins of these candi and other archaeological disco-eries unearthed in this area date back more than ,(000 ears. %he destro ed e6ample( candi number **( is belie-ed to ha-e been built between the **th and *7th centur ( according to research b historian )r Mohd 3upian 3abtu. "utraged that such an ancient and significant archaeological site was not onl unprotected but also allowed to be dug up to make wa for de-elopment( $amasam said he will be writing to Badan &arisan Mala sia to seek action against the de-eloper and the authorities complicit in the destruction. 0 learnt that the Merbok land office had gi-en the de-eloper the go5ahead to clear the land because there were no historical sites( so the land office should also be held accountable for this( he said.

Lembah Bujang is the richest archaeological site in Mala sia.

$amasam also said the Lembah Bujang 4rchaeological Museum officials he spoke to appeared to ha-e their hands are tied as the had no authorit to stop the de-eloper. "nl Badan &arisan can do something and the Kedah state go-ernment should also do something as we are talking about an important historical site that should be preser-ed and protected( he said. %he destruction of candi number **( rebuilt on its original site back in the *890s b an archaeological team( was chanced upon b a scholar who happened to be in-estigating the historical -alle . 4 researcher( )atuk +. 'adarajan( who is conducting a stud on the Lembah Bujang site( is the one to disco-er that the candi was demolished and had lodged a police report to stop the de-elopers but nothing happened( the Perai state assembl man said. 0 learnt that the Merbok land office had gi-en the de-eloper the go5ahead to clear the land because there were no historical sites( so the land office should also be held accountable for this. )r P. $amasam Pointing out that Badan &arisan Mala sia was planning to appl to .nesco for Bujang +alle to be listed as a heritage site( $amasam said it onl made

sense that it should be doing e-er thing to protect the site instead of ignoring this. 0n Penang( we do e-er thing in our power to protect our heritage sites because #eorge %own is a .nesco world heritage site( so how could the Kedah state go-ernment allow this to happen to the oldest archaeological site in the countr : he asked. Bujang +alle is home to the oldest man5made structure recorded in 3outheast 4sia a cla brick monument nearl two millennia old. !6ca-ations on the site ha-e also unco-ered jett remains( iron smelting sites and relics with Hindu and Buddhist influences that point towards a Hindu5 Buddhist kingdom that traces as far back as **0 /!. %he site has been the centre of research b -arious historians( archaeologists and uni-ersit students in the past two decades. 5 3ee more at; http;<<www.themala mailonline.com<mala sia<article<centuries5old5temple5 ruins5in5bujang5-alle 5furti-el 5destro ed=sthash.f> l,93m.dpuf