Azlan Othman
Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will be jointly nominating the kebaya for inscription onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity, Singapore’s National Heritage Board said in a press release.
The kebaya is a traditional form of women’s dress in the region, which became highly fashionable at the turn of the 20th Century.
It is, in essence, a long-sleeved open-fronted upper garment traditionally made from a variety of fabrics and often known for being adorned with intricate embroidery.
This would mark Singapore’s first multinational nomination, and the first multinational nomination involving the four countries.
The idea of the multinational nomination of kebaya was proposed and coordinated by Malaysia, and discussed as part of a series of working meetings amongst a number of countries in 2022.
The four countries agreed to work together on this nomination as kebaya represents and celebrates the region’s rich shared history and, promotes cross-cultural understanding.
It also continues to be present and actively produced and worn by many communities across Southeast Asia.
The four countries welcome other nations to join the nomination, which is aimed to be submitted in March 2023.
