by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 15: Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing hopes to have Malaysia recognised in UNESCO’s inscription of the Gamelan.
“The strong cultural ties between Malaysia and Indonesia are not just a matter of history, but also a shared responsibility to ensure that this heritage continues to be preserved.
“We believe that UNESCO recognition is not about exclusive ownership, but a form of respect for the culture shared by the people in this region.
“Therefore, close cooperation between the two countries is crucial in educating the public about the importance of preserving cultural heritage,” Tiong said on a Facebook post after receiving a courtesy visit from the Ambassador of Indonesia Dato’ Indera Hermono.
During his meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador, Tiong said the two parties held discussions on joint cultural heritage preservation initiatives, including the successful inscription of Kebaya as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) on a multinational basis.
“Malaysia also welcomes efforts to strengthen the recognition of Mak Yong art and proposes participation in the UNESCO Gamelan inscription that has been recognised in Indonesia.
“This effort reflects the commitment of both countries to ensure that cultural heritage continues to be preserved and passed down to future generations,” he said.
The Gamelan was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. According to UNESCO’s website, Gamelan refers to the traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra and the set of musical instruments used.
The Ministry also held discussions on cooperation opportunities in the ecotourism and wellness tourism sectors.
“Indonesia has demonstrated success in developing sustainable tourism, and Malaysia intends to learn and apply best practices in our tourism industry. In the aspect of health tourism, we see great potential to enrich this industry by leveraging the uniqueness of traditional herbs and globally recognised holistic treatments,” he added. – DayakDaily
