Dutch to return 37 ancient skeletons to Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: The Netherlands is returning dozens of ancient skeletons stored at the Naturalis natural history museum in Leiden to Malaysia following an official request from the government.

DutchNews.nl reported that the skeletons are believed to be around 5,000 years old and were dug up by British archaeologists in Penang between 1851 and 1934.

A total of 41 skeletons were found and 37 of them are currently stored in Leiden. The whereabouts of the remaining four are unknown.

It was reported earlier that the Penang government is looking to bring back all 41 skeletons removed from three middens in Guar Kepah, Kepala Batas, so that they can be preserved.

State tourism and creative economy chairman Yeoh Soon Hin was quoted as saying that Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), as the land and project owner of Guar Kepah, had conducted a coordination meeting with the National Heritage Department in July to propose the repatriation of the skeletons.

Following the meeting, CMI, through the Penang Archaeology Unit, had reached out to the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre (formerly known as the National Museum of Natural History) in Leiden to determine the status of the skeletons.

Yeoh said the Penang government had submitted a letter to the Foreign Ministry in August to seek assistance in setting up a meeting with the Dutch Embassy.

"We are expecting to receive the skeletons in 2024 after the Guar Kepah Archaeology Gallery is fitted with advanced equipment and facilities to store and preserve them.

"This can be expedited in the event a proper, secure and appropriate space can be established to temporarily house these valuables until the completion of the Guar Kepah Archaeology Gallery," he said.