Development of the archaeology site: does donation-crowdfunding is the answer? / Anita Abu Hassan, Mohd Syazrul Hafizi Husin and Fauziah Mohamad Yunus

The archaeology work in Sungai Batu, Merbok Kedah has begun in 2009. They discovered twelve jetties, a ritualistic site, an iron-smelting furnace (Mok, 2017), five to seven buried ships (Bernama, 2015), and building ruins and debris, all of which strongly imply a vibrant industrialized city. In light of the archaeological findings in Sungai Batu, it is critical that the site receives widespread attention, as its discovery could rewrite Southeast Asia's history. In the year 2015, the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Global Archaeological Research has confirmed that the date of the archaeology site is as early as the sixth century BC and it was pronounced as the oldest civilization in South-East Asia (Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2015). The Department of National
Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is responsible for all historical, archaeological, and cultural heritage sites in Malaysia. The agency has complete control over the sites' administration and development. Since its discovery more than a decade ago, Sungai Batu has remained undeveloped. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting millions of Malaysians, the government's budget will be cut due to the slowing economy. As the funding comes primarily from the government, provision and budget allocation for archaeological sites like Sungai Batu may be viewed as less important than other sectors like education, health, and other vital industries. Given the current situation, crowdfunding may be the most viable alternative for supporting the development and excavation of the Sungai Batu Archaeology Site. This is critical if we want UNESCO to identify Sungai Batu as a World Heritage Site (WSH), as the designation encourages visitors in general, and heritage visitors in particular, to visit the site. In addition, the tourist's degree of confidence while choosing a site is boosted by the status. Overall, it aids in reinforcing a location's identity (Hassan & Rahman, 2015).