Lembah Bujang – Demolishing history?

The recent demolition of a temple in the archeologically rich Bujang Valley has upset a segment of the public and placed authorities in a spot. BFM Radio interviews Farish Noor and V Nadarajan.

The candi number 11 in Bujang Valley, in this 1996 photo courtesy of Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum. The candi, or tomb temple, is said to have been demolished to make way for development. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, 3 December 2013.

Featuring:

Sharaad Kuttan | Aziff Azuddin | John Miksic (National University of Singapore) | Mokhtar Saidin (Universiti Sains Malaysia) | V. Nadarajan (Bujang Valley historian) | Farish A. Noor (Nanyang Technology University)

7 December 2013

“To progress into the future one needs a past to progress from,” said Farish A. Noor, a Singapore-based Malaysian academic. The recent demolition of a temple – Candi 11 – in the archeologically rich area called the Bujang Valley has inflamed segment of the public and placed authorities in a spot. Archeologists John Miksic and Mokhtar Saidin, as well as historians, Farish A. Noor and V. Nadarajan, explain how these ancient monuments – and their apparent neglect – reflect larger questions of national identity.

To listen to the podcast, click here and then push the slider right to start from 14:00.

About Farish Noor

Farish A Noor, an Aliran member, is Associate Professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies RSIS, Nanyang Technological University Singapore. - ALIRAN