Tourism Ministry preparing documentation for multi-nomination of kebaya to Unesco, says deputy sec-gen

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 important 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 here last night.

He was met after the launch of the “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 both national tangible and intangible heritage assets in the country and abroad through various cross-cultural programmes such as the “Merakyatkan Seni dan Budaya Festival @ Jonker Melaka which began yesterday (Friday).

He added that during the three-day programme, the ‘Kebaya on the Go’ project was also held to give tourists the opportunity 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 that 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, that have been gazetted as National Heritage. — Bernama