Kebaya Nominated Jointly to UNESCO

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam will jointly register kebaya as an intangible cultural heritage (WBTB) to UNESCO.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

Director General of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Hilmar Farid (second from left) with representatives of Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in Jakarta, Tuesday (7/2/2023). On this occasion, it was conveyed that Indonesia agreed to propose kebaya as an intangible cultural heritage to UNESCO.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesia agreed to propose kebaya as an intangible cultural heritage with four ASEAN member countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam. Proposal to the United Nations Educational, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) will be carried out no later than 31 March 2023.

Indonesia's permanent representative for UNESCO, Ismunandar, said this was the first time for the five countries to be involved in submitting an intangible cultural heritage to UNESCO. Previously, Indonesia and Malaysia had submitted the pantun, a traditional verse tradition, as a cultural heritage (WBTB) together to UNESCO. Pantun was declared as a WBTB by UNESCO on 17 December 2020.