But under the law, the National Heritage Department has the power to acquire “any thing which is believed to have cultural identity value attached to it”, cautioned Sharmaine Yap, a legal scholar from law company Azmi & Associates KL.
The National Heritage Act also gives the department “discretion ” to determine if an object is “sufficiently historical” to be seized, she told me.
“As such, it is advisable for the metal hunters to report or notify the Commissioner ( of Heritage ) immediately upon discovery of the supposedly historical object, despite the temptation of selling such an object for its significant profit, ” Yap said.
CNA understands that the National Heritage Department has in some cases taken action against steel hunters under for provisions, with the group careful never to over-publicise items they find that could slide in the properly traditional group.
Afis said his most profitable sales previously involved “old money ”. When asked to expound on the nature of the item, he declined. “ I can’t communicate. If I do, the power in that state did began monitoring me. ”
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However, Afis highlighted that more of his steel hunting money comes from monetising social press videos of his harvests than revenue of what he has found.
His “Best Finder ” page on TikTok has 1. 3 million wants and nearly 175,000 fans, with clips featuring his colorful finds. Some, like revelations of ancient rings or scrolls, are embellished with subtitles and soundtracks that create drama.
One of Afis ’ favourite things about metal hunting is that it allows him to “generate offline and online income ” simply with a metal detector and a phone.
“I’ve dug up a lot of things, ” he said, adding that he goes hunting only during the trip. “Even if I find a container seal, I will report and post on social media. I can also make money. ”