Four nations propose Zapin dance as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia, together with Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam, has agreed to propose the Zapin dance as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) to UNESCO through a joint nomination.

“We are now proposing the Zapin dance for the 2027 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. This is a culture that we all share, as in previous eras, we were not bound by territorial borders; there were naturally intersections, encounters, migrations, and cultural acculturation,” stated the Minister of Culture during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Fadli expressed hope that the submission of this traditional Malay art form could strengthen the global visibility of Zapin and demonstrate that the diversity of cultural expression in Southeast Asia serves as a foundation for unity, fellowship, mutual respect, and inter-state cooperation.

Zapin was selected for the UNESCO proposal because it shares common roots across the four nations and belongs to the Malay ethnic group.

Indonesia, he added, has the responsibility to contact various communities involved in the ongoing preservation of Zapin, as well as to support the preparation of other requirements, including gathering support for this submission, noting that each country possesses unique characteristics and distinct styles of the dance.

“Hopefully, once the Zapin dance is inscribed, we can celebrate it together in various places, and more people will learn it,” he concluded.

Previously, Indonesia, along with Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Thailand, proposed the Kebaya to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list in 2023. The five Southeast Asian nations, which recognise the kebaya as traditional female attire, submitted the proposal through a joint nomination mechanism.