MELAKA, July 29 — The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) is preparing the necessary documentation for the multi-national nomination of the kebaya to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2023.
Motac deputy secretary-general (Tourism) Datuk Mohd Zamri Mat Zain said the joint nomination with Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand is aimed at preserving the traditional garment as an essential symbol of the culture and identity of women, particularly the Malays, Peranakan, and other communities in Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries.
“We are preparing the documentation and will submit the nomination to Unesco soon. We hope this process goes smoothly,” he told reporters last night.
He was met after the launch of Merakyatkan Seni dan Budaya Festival @ Jonker Melaka, which was officiated by State Tourism, Heritage, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman.
Also present was National Culture and Arts Department (JKKN) deputy director-general (Policy and Planning) Mohd Amran Mohd Haris.
Mohd Zamri said Motac will continue to promote national tangible and intangible heritage assets in the country and abroad through various cross-cultural programmes, such as Merakyatkan Seni dan Budaya Festival @ Jonker Melaka, which began yesterday.
During the three-day programme, the Kebaya on the Go project will also be held to allow tourists to wear the kebaya, which is the traditional garment worn by women of the Baba and Nyonya community in Melaka.
Earlier, in his speech at the event, Mohd Zamri said the government through the National Heritage Department is in the process of gazetting the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Jalan Harmoni here as a National Heritage under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645).
He said the temple is one of the oldest Chinese temples still in operation in the country and is located close to two other places of worship, namely the Kampung Kling Mosque and the Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple, both of which have been gazetted as National Heritage.
— Bernama
