The kebaya has been successfully inscribed onto the UNESCO representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
It was jointly nominated by five Southeast Asian countries - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - and is the largest nomination from Southeast Asia to date in terms of nominating countries.
The collaboration comes as the kebaya celebrates the shared cultural identity across the five countries, promotes cross-cultural understanding, and continues to be present, actively produced and worn by many communities across Southeast Asia.
On this episode of Morning Shot, Melissa Tan, Director of Heritage Policy & Research at the National Heritage Board and Ratianah Tahir, Owner & Designer of Kebaya by Ratianah share their insights.
Presented by: Audrey Siek & Emaad Akhtar
Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Photo credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors