PENANG is in the process of gazetting the Teong Guan Phor Thor celebration, or the Hungry Ghost Festival, as a religious heritage tradition in the state under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011.
Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, Wong Hon Wai, said the process was implemented after the state government gazetted seven cultural heritage arts and 28 traditional foods as state heritage for the year 2026.
According to him, all intangible cultural heritages gazetted at the state level have the potential to be proposed for gazetting at the national level under the National Heritage Act 2005.
“Selected heritage elements can also be considered for international recognition through UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” he said at Penang State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.
Wong (DAP-Paya Terubong) said this when answering an oral question from Wong Yuee Harng (DAP-Pengkalan Kota) on the state government's achievements in seeking recognition of intangible heritage at the state, national and international levels.
He said the state government had previously also supported the nomination of the Chingay Parade to the UNESCO list through a joint nomination by Malaysia and Singapore submitted in March 2025.
He said the nomination of the Lion Dance to the same list through the collaboration of Malaysia and China was also submitted during the same period.
He explained that among the heritage items gazetted on May 7 were the martial art of Nillaikalakki Silambam as well as various traditional foods including air batu campur, ais kepal, capati, cendol, char kuay teow, kari kapitan, asam laksa, martabak, mi goreng mamak, muruku, roti canai, teh tarik, tosai and yong tau foo.
According to him, the state government would continue to strengthen the promotion of local cultural heritage at the domestic and international levels.
“Among them are the kebaya fashion exhibition and the presentation of Malaysian breakfast culture in conjunction with Penang Week at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan,” he said.
He added that the Chingay Parade is also organised annually in George Town and Butterworth, while the Penang Chingay team has been invited to participate in the Singapore Chingay Parade for 2025 and 2026.
In a similar development, Wong said that the Penang State Museum Board is currently organising a Silat Siku 12 Exhibition at the museum branch in Jalan Macalister. – May 11, 2026
