I REFER to your front-page report “Taken apart in war and peace” (NST, Oct 26).
The plundering of scrap metal from the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse battleships that sank off the coast of Pahang in December 1941 must be stopped through stringent heritage laws that cover sites nationwide, including shipwrecks on the seabeds.
The country needs to save the cultural heritage from illegal scavengers and syndicates, who are interested only in financial gains from stealing cultural antiquities at historic sites and sunken vessels.
There should be a cultural resource legislation, management and strict enforcement with gazetted laws.
There is lack of respect for artefacts of scientific and cultural potential but little monetary value. This is a result of our greedy capitalistic society that shows no mercy or sensitivity towards the next of kin of those who died in the war.
This was evident by news of illegal salvage operators looting several sunken Japanese ships in the waters off Penang and in the Straits of Malacca, and have moved their illegal activities to the Java and South China Seas.
Due to lack of laws, the illegal operators even used explosives on the sunken ships to steal scrap metal and artefacts that are of archaeological and historical significance.
Access to publicly owned shipwrecks by the public is beneficial for tourism, public enjoyment and appreciation, and preservation as well as for recreation. This is a great plan to generate more interest among the public.
Many treasure hunters think that marine sites, especially shipwrecks, are easy to loot as laws are not stringent.
Salvagers have been around for as long as there has been precious cargo that found its way to the sea floor, and the black market has been there for just as long to buy and sell
these artefacts.
The salvage companies today show little respect for cultural resources, and only work to make a profit and to distribute archaeological evidence to the highest bidder.
Tremendous work and space is required to conserve, store and exhibit historic artefacts for the benefit of the public and professionals.
There is a need to gazette wreck sites under the National Heritage Act. If not, salvage operators will destroy the historical value of wrecks because of a rush to get to the “gold and jewels”.
The lack of professionalism or archeological excavation methods will also destroy the historical parts of the wrecks as there is no concern for preservation.
n C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU, Seremban, Negri Sembilan