GEORGE TOWN: A Malay non-governmental organisation has called for Universiti Sains Malaysia to revoke an upcoming international conference focused on the ancient Kedah Tua civilisation, arguing that it propagates a Hindu-Buddhist perspective of Malaysian history.
The Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) asserted that the conference would promote a distorted view of history, specifically regarding the religious roots of Kedah Tua.
Ahmad Yaakob Nazri, a spokesperson for Pekida, stated that the event was specifically designed to demonstrate that Kedah Tua has roots in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
He stated that ancient civilizations in Kedah worshipped a single deity, and that leaders in Kedah Tua were influenced by Arab merchants well before being exposed to Hindu or Buddhist beliefs.
Pekida members along with those from Gabunan Hak Bela Insan staged a demonstration against the conference at the entrance of USM following Friday prayers.
They were against concentrating efforts on Sungai Batu, often known as Bujang Valley, due to previous digs uncovering remains that certain archaeologists believe belonged to Hindu temples.
Yakqub rejected the idea that the ancient temples found in the Bujang Valley suggested an early presence of Hinduism, stating that these structures bore little resemblance to typical 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.
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 mentioned that the conference is taking place in partnership with the National Heritage Department and various other organizations, coinciding with the nation's ASEAN chairmanship.
When asked whether the event might be canceled, she chose not to comment but emphasized that the issue would be discussed internally.
Azlan Amran, the USM deputy vice-chancellor for industry and community networks, stated that the event was based on research and did not show bias toward any particular race or religion.
