06/09/2025

SATURDAY | SEPT 6, 2025

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Excavation site provides new clues to ancient Kedah

Ministry denies claim of 100,000 unsold homes Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com PETALING JAYA: The Housing and Local Government Ministry has dismissed a report claiming more than 100,000 housing units remain unsold, saying the figure is inaccurate. In a statement yesterday, the ministry said official data from the National Property Information Centre (Napic) showed a steady decline in completed but unsold homes since 2022, from 35,592 units that year to 23,515 currently. “This downward trend reflects a stable and well-regulated housing market, with government policies balancing supply and demand showing positive results. To ensure accurate, transparent and consistent information is provided to the public and stakeholders, the ministry works closely with Napic in compiling and reporting national housing data. This collaboration has been further strengthened through the One Data for One Nation initiative, which uses a single data entry method via the Housing Information Management System developed by the National Housing Department.” The ministry added that the integrated system would ensure accuracy and consistency in nationwide housing data, serving as the country’s main reference point for the sector. It said this would help prevent conflicting reports among government agencies, state authorities, local councils and developers. “With reliable and consistent data, housing policies can be designed more effectively, focused and aligned with the actual needs of the people.” The ministry said to improve coordination, definitions of housing status have been refined to avoid confusion. “‘Completed but unsold’ refers to housing units that have been finished but remain unsold, ‘under construction not yet sold’ refers to units still being built but not yet sold, while ‘unsold not constructed’ refers to units approved by the National Housing Department but construction has yet to begin. The reported figure of 100,000 unsold houses was derived by combining all three categories.” 78,800 candidates secure placements PETALING JAYA: A total of 78,883 candidates, or 71.8%, have received offers to pursue bachelor’s degree courses at public universities, said the Higher Education Ministry. It said 109,866 applications were submitted through UPUOnline for the current intake. “The ministry extends its appreciation to prospective students from the matriculation, STPM, foundation, STAM and diploma or equivalent pathways, who have applied to further their studies at public universities via UPUOnline,” it said in a statement yesterday. In total, 1,132 bachelor’s degree programmes were offered for the intake. Admission to the institutions is based on merit, by ranking all eligible candidates from the highest to the lowest merit scores. The ministry said applicants who were not offered a place have a second opportunity to appeal via UPUOnline. “The appeal period is open for 10 days, starting from 12pm on Sept 5 until 5pm on Sept 14,” it said. It also extended its best wishes to all successful candidates and expressed hope that the opportunity to pursue higher education would be fully utilised. – by Mahadhir Monihuldin

o Discoveries provide rare glimpse into early Buddhist presence in peninsula, says lead archaeologist

practices of the region’s early inhabitants. “These items place Bukit Choras within Southeast Asia’s maritime network, a hub of cultural and economic exchange,” Nasha said. The find complements decades of archaeological work in the Bujang Valley, long recognised as one of Southeast Asia’s earliest Hindu-Buddhist centres, with trade links to India, China and beyond. However, what sets Bukit Choras apart is the relatively intact condition of its structures and the architectural clarity of the stupa. Together with other finds, it strengthens the view that ancient Kedah was not a peripheral outpost but an active participant in the regional Buddhist world. “This discovery adds to mounting evidence that ancient Kedah was plugged into an international network of Buddhist and mercantile connections,” Nasha said. With excavations ongoing, the team is optimistic that further digs will reveal more structures and artefacts that shed light on the daily lives, beliefs and exchanges of the people who once lived at Bukit Choras. “The site has already given us so much, but I believe it still holds many secrets. Each layer uncovered adds another piece to the puzzle of Southeast Asia’s ancient past.”

uncertain. More research is needed, but it is certainly promising,” he said in an email interview. Alongside the new structure, the team found a tablet with a Sanskrit inscription, pottery shards and iron artefacts. Nasha said the discoveries show Bukit Choras was more than a religious site, it was also a long-term settlement with continuous cultural activity. “They point to a complex and sustained occupation. This further underscores the importance of Bukit Choras within the wider religious and cultural landscape of Ancient Kedah,” he said. The site holds personal significance for Nasha as it is the first excavation project of his career. He began surveying the area in 2017 before the dig commenced in September 2023. He said the original discovery of the stupa provided “a rare glimpse into the early Buddhist presence in Ancient Kedah”, with evidence of a thriving religious community rooted in the Malay Peninsula and connected to wider trade and spiritual networks. Among the most significant artefacts are Buddha statues and inscribed stone tablets, which provide insight into the devotional

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: A new structural remnant was unearthed at Bukit Choras in the Bujang Valley in May, adding to evidence that the site of an ancient Buddhist temple discovered last year was a thriving centre of religious and cultural life about 1,200 years ago, predating Angkor Wat. Universiti Sains Malaysia lead archaeologist Assoc Prof Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw (pic) said systematic excavations have continued since the 2023 discovery of a Buddhist stupa built from laterite blocks. “During the latest phase of our work, we focused on a second mound south of the stupa. In May, we uncovered another structure next to it. At this stage, only part of the structure has been excavated and its exact function remains

Parts of a newly discovered ancient structure lie exposed in the vicinity of a 1,200-year-old Buddhist stupa (inset) in Bukit Choras, that was unearthed by Nasha and his team from USM. – PICS COURTESY OF DR NASHA RODZIADI KHAW

Much more to learn from Bujang Valley PETALING JAYA: Was Buddhism ever widely practised in ancient Malaysia or were the Buddhist structures found in Kedah simply built for foreign traders? for locals, but also to serve the spiritual needs of traders, sailors and other transient communities,” he told theSun in an email interview.

“What is striking is the distribution pattern. Most religious sites cluster around the Bujang Valley’s economic and coastal hubs, such as Sungai Muda, Sungai Bujang, Sungai Batu and Bukit Choras, rather than being scattered across the wider Malay Peninsula. This suggests Hindu Buddhist influence was largely localised in the Bujang Valley, and perhaps in other coastal or riverine settlements, rather than being universal across the region.” He said the find reshaped understanding of Malaysia’s links with ancient Southeast Asian civilisations. Far from being a marginal site, the Bujang Valley was a thriving centre of trade, religion and cultural exchange. He added that the findings showed early Malaysia was not culturally isolated but a hub where global and local traditions converged. – by Ikhwan Zulkaflee

Nasha said the historical landscape of ancient Kedah, particularly in the Bujang Valley, was far from uniform, with multiple groups living side by side. “We had foreign traders, but also local communities with varying levels of interaction with outside cultures. Their acceptance of Indian religious and cultural influences would have depended on socio-economic background, local environment and the nature of their ties with foreign traders,” he said. The Bukit Choras site contains the remains of a Buddhist stupa built from laterite blocks. Its architecture reflects Indian and Southeast Asian influences, but the use of local materials and likely local labour points to integration rather than import.

That question has lingered since the discovery of a centuries-old Buddhist temple at Bukit Choras, a remote archaeological site in the Bujang Valley, more than a year ago. Universiti Sains Malaysia lead archaeologist Assoc Prof Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw said the reality was“far more complex than a simple yes or no”. He added that the discovery of a single temple did not automatically mean Buddhism was widely practised locally. “The presence of Buddhist or Hindu temples in parts of the Bujang Valley undoubtedly shows there were Hindu and Buddhist communities living or operating there. At the same time, we must remember that the Bujang Valley was a major trade hub. Temples may have been built not only