Kuala Lumpur: 'Kebaya’ has been inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity category by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), through a multinational nomination.
In a statement Thursday, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) said Malaysia, together with Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, successfully secured Unesco recognition.
The matter was announced during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (IGC ICH) taking place in Asuncion, Paraguay, from Dec 2 to 7.
According to the statement, the recognition of “Kebaya: Knowledge, Skills, Traditions, and Practices” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was the result of a joint nomination by Malaysia and the four other countries.
“The prestigious listing was decided by the IGC ICH, which comprises 24 member states of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
“This recognition is even more meaningful given that the evaluation body of Unesco has recognised the kebaya nomination dossier as an exemplary and prestigious submission for a joint or multinational nomination,” read the statement.
According to the ministry, this listing marks Malaysia’s third successful joint or multinational nomination, after the joint nomination of ‘Pantun’ with Indonesia (2020) and the ‘Wangkang Ceremony’ with China (2020).
This recognition also enhanced Malaysia’s global visibility as a country with intangible cultural heritage treasures, which had the potential to become tourism products and contribute to the economy, it said.
Motac described the success as the result of collective efforts, including close cooperation with Asean member countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, who had worked together to promote the kebaya as a symbol of regional heritage.
It is also a shared responsibility to ensure that this cultural heritage would continues to be preserved for future generations.
“This success is the result of strategic cooperation within the Motac family, involving the Department of National Heritage, the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco, the Office of the Permanent Delegate of Malaysia to Unesco, and the Foreign Ministry.
“This also showcases Malaysia’s leadership on the world stage as part of our effort to secure a seat on the Unesco Executive Board for the 2025-2029 term,” said the statement.
