18th Century 'Buaya', 'Katak' And Other Ancient Malaysian Relics Spotted On Ebay

It was like entering a secret chamber filled with treasures such as ancient maps, scrolls, old currencies and antique ceramics. Nobody would have thought that such a priceless collection was hidden in a small nook within a fishing village in Kota Tinggi district.

Asked how the private collector managed to purchase such rare items, he claimed it was done through friends, business associates and contacts in the region.

According to sources, most of these transactions were done quietly with collectors sending out their own “runners” to find antiques.

The runners are also sent to riverbanks where they purchase items, which have been accidentally hauled up by fishermen or uncovered during projects conducted along Sungai Johor.

The “finders keepers” policy does not apply to those who come across artefacts of cultural value, as far as the National Heritage Department is concerned.

The Heritage Act 2005 clearly states that it is an offence to transfer, demolish, remove, alter, renovate or export any national heritage, enforcement itself is minimal.

Those found guilty under the Act face a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to RM50,000 or both.

A department official said Section 47 of the National Heritage Act 2005 states that finders should notify a commissioner of heritage or a district officer to declare their find.

If the item is found to be a heritage artefact, the commissioner will take it for safekeeping. He can also, at his discretion, pay a reasonable compensation to the finder, landowner, or the informant.

“The candi was located at Sungai Batu and it was demolished by the developer, who is clearing the land for development, more than a month back,” he told The Malay Mail Online.

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Artefacts and treasures from Johor are also being sold at lucrative prices in a thriving black market trade – and much of the treasure comes from the state’s old administrative capital of Johor Lama.

Artefacts and rare coins originating from the old Johor Sultanate are being openly sold on eBay and through runners hired by private antique collectors.

To make things worse, The Star’s checks on eBay and other sites revealed a startling truth. Historical artefacts from Perak and Malacca are also on sale.

It is revealed that rare animal-shaped currencies including those resembling crocodiles, tortoises, roosters, fish, frogs, crabs and others were being sold illegally.

Hundreds of valuable relics salvaged from waterways here have been sold illegally to foreign relic brokers who are part of an organised syndicate trading in priceless artefacts that can fetch hefty sums when auctioned through cyberspace.

The bids for these types of animal currency on eBay start from between US$59.90 (RM190.36) and US$1,374.99 (RM4,369.72) depending on the condition and age of the pieces themselves.

The trade, which has been going on secretly for the past 40 years, has been attracting private antique collectors and antique shop owners from both Malaysia and foreign countries, including from Singapore.

“They pay pittance to the locals and sell the artefacts at a very high price to rich collectors from Europe and the United States through Internet auction,” a 51-year-old collector said.

Yayasan Warisan Johor (YWJ) director Muhammad Fuad Radzuan said that while artefacts fetched a high price especially in the black market, they were actually priceless and should be surrendered to the authorities to preserve the state’s history.

“Through these artefacts, we have a better understanding of our own history and culture and these need to be preserved,” he said.

He added that selling artefacts to private buyers was equivalent to losing pieces of history.