Group demands USM halt Bujang Valley talk over ‘Hindu-Buddhist agenda’

Group demands USM halt Bujang Valley talk over ‘Hindu-Buddhist agenda’

GEORGE TOWN: A Malay NGO has urged Universiti Sains Malaysia to cancel an international conference on the ancient Kedah Tua civilisation, claiming that it promotes a Hindu-Buddhist narrative of Malay history.

Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) claimed that the conference would push a false interpretation of history, particularly the religious origins of Kedah Tua.

He claimed that early civilisations in Kedah believed in one God and that local rulers in Kedah Tua had been converted by Arab traders long before Hindu or Buddhist influence.

Members of Pekida and Gabungan Hak Bela Insan held a protest against the conference outside USM’s entrance after Friday prayers.

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They objected to the focus on Sungai Batu, also commonly referred to as Bujang Valley, where past excavations revealed the ruins of what some archaeologists identified as Hindu temples.

Yakqub dismissed the notion that the Bujang Valley temple ruins indicated early Hindu influence, claiming they did not resemble Hindu shrines.

“We went to Bujang Valley and looked at the structures. They’re just square pillars, not like Hindu temples,” he said.

He questioned the presence of foreign academics as speakers in the conference, specifically pointing to a keynote speaker described as a French-born professor who had once been a Buddhist monk in Thailand.

“Why is a white Buddhist scholar the keynote speaker? Why is the panel full of foreigners from Indonesia, Cambodia and India?” he asked.

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He accused USM of sidelining Malaysian scholars, saying respected archaeologist Mokhtar Saidin was only added to the list of speakers after pressure from Pekida.

Yakqub said Pekida’s demands were for the conference to be cancelled and a public debate on Kedah’s history to be held between the group’s own “experts” and “orientalist” scholars.

He also threatened to lodge a police report if the conference goes ahead.

USM deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) Narimah Samat said the university received a letter on the conference from Pekida last month and would address the issue internally.

“We welcome participation from all parties and are open to holding academic discussions on the matter,” she said.

Narimah said the conference is being held in collaboration with the national heritage department and other institutions, in conjunction with the country’s Asean chairmanship.

Asked if the event would be called off, she declined to comment and simply reiterated that the matter would be brought up internally.

Azlan Amran, USM deputy vice-chancellor (industry and community network), said the event was grounded in research and was not biased towards any race or religion.