KUALA LUMPUR – Songket has been listed under Unesco's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This was announced at the 16th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Dubbed 'Ratu Kain' in Malay weaving, songket belongs to the brocade family of textiles. It can be hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads.
In a statement yesterday, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) said the session took place online from December 13 until 18 at the Unesco headquarters in Paris, France.
"The decision was announced today at 5.55pm (Malaysian time) and was decided by the committee comprising 24 member states of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, chaired by Sri Lanka.
“Motac, through the National Heritage Department, nominated songket under the Unesco List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This intangible cultural heritage nomination document was submitted to the Unesco Secretariat on March 31 last year,” said the statement.
The listing under the Unesco Representative List is the highest recognition in the world for intangible cultural heritage. This in turn can promote and highlight heritage at the international level.
Apart from that, it shows Malaysia's commitment to protecting intangible cultural heritage. This is in line with Thrust 3 of the National Cultural Policy (Daken) which is to focus on efforts to preserve and conserve cultural heritage, according to the statement. – Bernama, December 16, 2021
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