Table White Paper on Bujang Valley

Gerakan man wants the Kedah government to conduct a full inquiry into the destruction of the ancient site and table a white paper in the state legislative assembly

GEORGE TOWN: A Gerakan division has slammed Kedah assemblyman Tajul Urus Mat Zain for claiming that the government’s move to gazette Bujang Valley land would result in loss of votes.

Tanjung division vice-chairman H’ng Khoon Leng said Tajul Urus, Tanjung Dawai representative, was negative in his opinion.

H’ng said the valley, if preserved, conserved and developed correctly, had a potential to become a world heritage tourism destination.

He called on the National Heritage Department (NHD) and Kedah government to gazette the historical site and structures immediately.

“Kedahans must accept historical facts. They should allow the land to be gazetted. Tajul Arus views are negative. He is being pessimistic,” H’ng told a press conference at the Penang Gerakan office today.

He called on the Barisan Nasional Kedah government to conduct a full inquiry and table a White Paper on the destruction of an ancient candi (temple tomb) in Bujang Valley.

He said technical and operational weaknesses that allowed the shocking demolition of an icon of Bujang Valley ancient civilisation must be identified and addressed.

He also urged the state government to take appropriate and deterrent actions to punish those who were found to have abused their power or guilty of negligence.

“No stone must be left unturned to clear up the mess. A White Paper should be tabled at the state legislative assembly,” said H’ng.

Malay-Hindu kingdom

Last month developer, Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd, demolished historical artifacts of a 1,200-year-old Hindu temple tomb to pave the way for a new township project to be developed on the heritage site.

The temple site was among 90 temple tombs unearthed at ancient sites by archaeological research works started way back in 1930s.

A proposal was submitted in 1987 under a working paper entitled, ‘Bujang Valley and Kuala Kedah Fort – Proposals for a Master Plan’, by John Sanday for Unesco’s World Heritage Listing.

The developer claimed ignorance of the historical value of the demolished ancient structure and its remnants that archaeologists and historians say dates back to the 8th Century.

Bujang Valley was part of a Malay-Hindu kingdom called Kadaaram covering abut 1,000 square miles stretching from Kota Sarang Semut and Jeniang in Kedah to Bukit Mertajam in mainland Penang.

Located near Merbok, Kedah, Bujang Valley covers an area of approximately 224 sq kms between Gunung Jerai in the North and Muda River in the South.

The Malay-Hindu kingdom, which began in the 1st Century AD, was arguably the oldest Malay civilisation in Southeast Asia, pre-dating Malacca.

It was a Malay-Hindu kingdom until the 12th Century when its Hindu king converted to Islam and started a Sultanate.

Gerakan Tanjung also urged the Kedah government to commission a feasibility study to set up a special area plan for the Bujang Valley.

H’ng also wants the state government to undertake a full inventory of all historical structures and artifacts across Kedah, particularly in Bujang Valley.