Capacity Development of Underwater Archaeology in Malaysia: Bidong Shipwreck and Continuous Research on the Subject

The capacity development aspect in underwater archaeology has not been a major focus in the field’s development, as it is not a widely recognized area. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the capacity development of underwater archaeology in Peninsular Malaysia, focusing on the Bidong shipwreck in Terengganu, by using the framework introduced by Janicke (1997) for capacity building. Since the 1980s, Malaysia has been involved in underwater archaeology in its waters, particularly on the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. The development or experiences of underwater/maritime archaeology in Malaysia can be segregated into several phases, which are 1) Non-local researchers, 2) The Museum and Antiquities phases, 3) National Heritage Agency Phase, and currently 4) Local University Phase.