COMMENT | The International Conference on the Early History of Southeast Asia, organised by the National Heritage Department in close collaboration with local universities, particularly Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), concluded yesterday, May 20.

This two-day conference, held at the Ascott Hotel in Penang from May 19-20, brought together a diverse group of academicians and researchers from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, China, and several other countries.

The conference was both timely and necessary, given the numerous historical and archaeological gaps in our understanding of the rich and varied pre-colonial history of Southeast Asia.

While the overarching theme focused on the region’s early historical developments, there was a particular emphasis on Kedah Tua or the Bujang Valley...