SINGAPORE – Singapore will be nominating the kebaya for Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage list, in a multinational effort with Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) on Wednesday said this will be Singapore’s first multinational nomination to the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and it is slated for submission in March 2023.
The kebaya is a traditional woman’s garment that is popular in the region, said NHB, and it “represents and celebrates the region’s shared history, promotes cross-cultural understanding and continues to be present and actively produced and worn by many communities across South-east Asia”.
NHB chief executive Chang Hwee Nee said: “The kebaya has been, and continues to be, a central aspect in the representation and display of cultural heritage and identity for Malay, Peranakan and other communities in Singapore, and is an integral part of our heritage as a multicultural port city, with links across South-east Asia and the world.”
She added that the joint nomination “underscores this multiculturalism and our common roots with the region”.
NHB claimed that Malaysia had coordinated the multinational nomination. It was part of a series involving a number countries in 2022.
Brunei Malaysia Singapore Thailand and Singapore agreed to cooperate on the nomination, according to the board. The four countries also welcomed other countries to the nomination.
NHB conducted six focus group discussions between August and Oktober with 48 participants to solicit their opinions on the nomination. These were representatives from cultural associations, cultural practitioners, and researchers who are involved in kebaya production.
From Nov 1 to 3, representatives from NHB and the community attended a workshop organised by Malaysia in Port Dickson, where they discussed the nomination, including what to include in the submission.
NHB will organize public outreach activities from January through March 2023 in order to increase awareness about the nomination. More details will be provided on NHB’s website and its social media channels.
Unesco will review the nomination based upon its definitions of intangible cultural patrimony and how well each country will promote and transfer kebaya practices, NHB stated.
The results of the nomination are expected to be announced by end-2024.
Kebaya-related crafts and practices were added to NHB’s intangible cultural heritage inventory in October 2022, joining other elements such as orchid cultivation and soya sauce making on the 102-strong local list.
Ratianah Tahir, a Kebaya craftsman, owns Kebaya By Ratianah Kampong Glam. She said that the garment was a staple in her closet since she was a child and that she remembers wearing it during weddings and festivals.
52-year-old has been making and selling Kebayas for 18 year and hopes that the nomination will raise awareness and encourage a greater appreciation of kebayas and kebaya wearing among the next generation.
Putri Nadirah (her daughter) is 29 years old and manages the shop. She said that she has seen more young clients in recent years.
“Previously there were not as many young people, but I think recently there have been a lot more people trying to find out more about their culture and heritage, and because of that there is more appreciation for and adoption of the cultural practice,” said Ms Putri, who added that there are many young people who bring their parents to the shop during festive periods.
Madam Ratianah explained that the production and export of kebayas involves a global effort. She sent many of her pieces overseas as well, to embroiderers in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Heath Yeo (51), another kebaya maker, stated that the kebaya unites people from different races in Singapore. He said that while it is primarily worn by the Malays, Peranakans and Chinese, it can also be worn by the Chinese and Eurasians. They have modified it to fit their cultures using various embroidery motifs.
The upcoming nomination follows the successful inscription of hawker culture – Singapore’s first element on the Unesco intangible cultural heritage list – on Dec 16, 2020, after the country officially submitted its bid in March 2019.
Mr Yeo Kirk Siang, director of the NHB’s heritage and research division, said the joint nomination is a separate project from Singapore’s second national nomination for an intangible cultural heritage element on Unesco’s list.
In March, the Government announced that a 10-element list was being prepared for the second nomination. Yeo indicated that NHB was still consulting the public as well as the communities in question regarding the shortlist. It will update the public on its plans in near future.
As of 2021, 61 international elements were added to the Unesco List. They include craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics – a joint nomination by Switzerland and France, as well as Arabic coffee, practised in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
Separately, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in 2015.