Proposed Malacca founding date needs international ratification

The Malaysian minister for Information, Communication and Culture says that the proposed revision of the founding of Malacca to 1262 (from 1400) needs to be confirmed by experts from outside of Malaysia before being accepted by the ministry.

Melaka Sultnate’s New Date Need International Ratification – Rais
Bernama, 03 June 2010

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said 1262 as the new establishment date for the Melaka Sultanate, as opposed to 1400 previously recorded, must be internationally ratified.

In these matter, it is the ministry’s opinion that such dates must be ratified internationally and if there was any artifacts found, it must also be ratified by international experts in the presence of local ones, said Rais.

“We cannot be lauding such findings by ourselves…it needs the ratification of the international bodies and if any artifact was found, it must be determined by the radio carbon dating method and witnessed by all.

“For example, any new finding must be ratified by the World Archeology and until such time, there will be no ratification,” he told reporters when asked of the new findings which claimed that the Melaka Sultanate was established in 1262 and not 1400, after new evidence of Malay settlement was found in Sungai Batu of Lembah Bujang, through archeological research carried out by a group of experts organised by the Malaysian Institute of Historical and Patriotism Studies.