Intangible Culture Heritage Shown At UNESCO

FROM NUR-UL AFIDA KAMALUDIN PARIS, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- The cold weather, sometimes dropping to -3 degrees, in this city poses no problem for members of the Malaysian puppet show group, the Tok Dalang Seri Campuran, to commute daily since last Sunday from their hotel to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) headquarters. It all paid off when their performance received an astounding response from about 200 ambassadors and UNESCO officials who attended the opening of the Malaysian Heritage Exhibition by the Malaysian Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim on Tuesday. The five-member group from Pasir Mas, Kelantan (east coast state), was specially flown here by the National Heritage Department to demonstrate the puppet show, one of Malaysia's intangible heritage, at the five-day exhibition. It was part of the efforts by Malaysia to gain signatory status in the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in an effort to obtain recognition for the various Malaysian intangible heritage. Also flown to the artifact and photo exhibition were Kemi Khamis, 39, who showed off his Mah Meri wood-carving skills, and Azizah Adam, 52, who demonstrated the "tekat" or art of embroidery using gold thread. What is unique about the puppet show group, whose members are between 25 and 75 years old, is that it is led by a Chinese man, Eyo Hok Seng, who has been involved in the art for 34 years. "The story line and equipment for the puppet show, I also made myself," he said. It was the group's first performance at UNESCO. Prior to this, the group had performed in Thailand and Singapore. Eyo said he was proud to be given a chance to perform at UNESCO. Kemi also shared the same feeling for being selected to demonstrate the skill of the Mah Meri Orang Asli tribe at UNESCO. This father of four children who hails from Kampung Bumbum, Carey Island, Selangor, produces "congkak" boards, masks and statues from his wood-carvings. As for Azizah, this is not her first foreign mission as she has been to several countries to show off her embroidery skill. Azizah, who received the 2010 Craft Entrepreneur Award, learned the art at a class organised by the Social and Welfare Department (Kemas) in her village, Kampung Padang Changkat, Bukit Chandan in Kuala Kangsar. "My 'tekat' skill has not only taken me to many countries, but it also provides me with a source of income," she added. The National Heritage Department has set up a special division to carry out research and documentation on intangible culture in the country with the aim of preserving them. -- BERNAMA