Badan Warisan Malaysia is deeply concerned to read reports about the willful and intentional demolition of one of the 8th century remnants of ancient temple tombs at the Sungai Batu estate in Kedah.

It is alarming that only some of these monuments in the Sungai Batu area of the Bujang Valley have been gazetted in 2012 under the National Heritage Act, while numerous others in the area remain without any legal protection.

Unless there is  a rigorous management and protection regime coupled with swift and punitive actions implemented by the official custodians of our nation’s heritage, the destruction of our country’s heritage will continue and we will only be able to stand helplessly by. This loss undermines the rich character and texture of our cultural history which is important to all Malaysians.

We urge Jabatan Warisan Negara and the state government of Kedah to immediately put measures in place to halt the needless destruction of this ancient archaeological site and to accord these invaluable assets the necessary protection.

We believe that this archaeological site has enormous potential and outstanding values to world history and culture and that steps should be taken quickly to inscribe it on the Tentative List as a World Heritage Site before more monuments fall prey to further furtive and irresponsible acts of destruction.

ELIZABETH CARDOSA is executive director, Badan Warisan Malaysia.