Last Updated: 7:25pm, Dec 05, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 5): If the government were to gazette every candi in the Bujang Valley as a historical heritage site, an entire constituency will be lost, attested an Umno delegate today.

In his debate at the Umno Annual General Assembly here, Kedah Umno representative Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain commented on the recent brouhaha over the demolition of a centuries-old candi by a developer in the district of Merbok, saying it was a small matter that was grossly overblown.

Tajul, the Merbok division head, said the disputed candi was reconstructed in 1974 at a site in a plantation area using river stones stacked up to two feet high.

"If we were to gazette all the candis in the area, I will lose my constituency," he said.

"Because we will find candis everywhere; at the side of the road, under the houses in the villages, by the river," he added.

He said the Opposition was also to blame for the mounting criticism levelled against the state authorities as the matter was "twisted".

"PKR representative N. Surendran had likened the candi’s destruction to the Taliban’s action to detonate the Bamiyan Buddha (statues)," said Tajul.

"That is akin to comparing an ant to an elephant," he added.

The Bamiyan Buddha statues were dated from the 6th century, carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiwam valley of the Hazarajat region in Afghanistan.

The two statues, at a height of 53m and 35m respectively, were located along the famous trade route of the Silk Road. It was detonated by the Taliban in 2001 after being regarded as idols.

The destruction of the 1,200-year-old prehistoric ruins at Sungai Batu in the Bujang Valley by a developer to make way for a development has sparked outrage from Malaysians.

The ruins were touted to date back to between the 11th and 13th century at the Bujang Valley, an area noted for its rich archaeological finds.

Furthermore, the developer had recently stated that it did not know that the debris from the site was of the candi, further enraging Malaysians.

The Kedah state government and the National Heritage Department have stated that the candi will be reconstructed and protected, but many feel it is too little too late.

Tajul defended the government’s efforts so far to locate and protect archaeological or historical sites.

He said the government has already pledged tens of millions of ringgit to protect candis in the Bujang Valley, from constructing muziums to reconstructing the ruins in Merbok and Sungai Batu.

"The government just approved the acquisition of another area," he said.

"What about the government’s efforts to survey and locate historical sites? The nation is in its third phase of locating archaeological sites with Islamic influences," he added.

'Malays shouldn't rely on sympathy of minorities'

On another matter, Tajul said the Malays, as the majority community in the nation, should not rely or depend on the sympathy of the minorities in the country for strength.

Instead, Umno should focus its resources on the majority of the nation, not the minorities.

He said the non-Malays have been enjoying the benefits of the government’s policies, such as the awarding of student loans by the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).

He said the under PTPTN’s policy, waives are awarded to students who obtain first class honours.

Tajul said there were more first class honours students from the Chinese community in both private and public tertiary education institutions.

One example he gave was in Universiti Malaya, whereby 808 Chinese students received first class honours, compared to only 33 Malay students.