Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia to nominate Malay dance form for UNESCO cultural heritage list

This will be Singapore’s fourth nomination and the first time it will jointly nominate a performing art to the list.

A demonstration of the traditional performing art form of zapin, which will be nominated for inscription onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity, Sep 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will jointly nominate zapin, a traditional Malay dance form, for the UNESCO heritage list with Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced on Thursday (Sep 24).

This will be Singapore’s fourth nomination to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and its first for a performing art. Hawker culture was added to the list in 2020, the kebaya in 2024, and Chingay , a joint nomination with Malaysia, is awaiting evaluation.

The four countries aim to submit the nomination file to UNESCO in March 2027, with results possibly announced two to three years after the submission. The list, developed in 2008, comprised 716 intangible cultural heritage elements as of December 2025.

Zapin, often performed at weddings and festivals, is one of five dance forms commonly practised by the Malay dance community in Singapore. Its dance moves, set to upbeat melodies, mimic the movements of animals and the natural world.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Its simple foundational steps and fixed structure make it one of the more accessible Malay dance forms, popular in schools and local dance groups. Students learn zapin through co-curricular activities (CCAs) and clubs dedicated to traditional Malay dance, and dance troupes across the region take part in the annual Muara festival, the heritage board said.

Its simple foundational steps and fixed structure make it one of the more accessible Malay dance forms, popular in schools and local dance groups.

Students learn zapin through co-curricular activities (CCAs) and clubs dedicated to traditional Malay dance, and dance troupes across the region take part in the annual Muara festival, the heritage board said.

The nomination grew out of international conversations with Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, said Ms Georgina Koh, the board's director for heritage policy and research.

“It is also a reflection about how it, as an art form, is something that is essentially shared across the region,” she said, adding that it also demonstrates how Singapore is connected to the region.

A foundational zapin form in Singapore, Zapin Asyik, was created by Indonesian-born Liau Ah Choon in the 1960s after she watched performers at a wedding in Terengganu and adapted it locally.

Local variants include Zapin Telok Blangah, choreographed to reflect the area's port history, and Zapin Sungei Kallang, which commemorates the community that lived along the river in the 1970s.

Mdm Som Said, founder of Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts, photographed at the Malay Heritage Centre on Sep 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

Mdm Som Said, founder of Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts and choreographer of Zapin Telok Blangah, said she was excited and surprised by the nomination. UNESCO recognition would change a lot for the zapin community, said the 75-year-old Cultural Medallion recipient.

“We did so many things on our own, individually as a nation in Singapore and then we worked together with Malaysia components and Indonesia components. If this is recognised and endorsed, I think we have a lot more to do for zapin,” she added.

UNESCO will evaluate the nomination based on how the art form aligns with its definition of intangible cultural heritage, and how existing and planned safeguarding measures in each country support its practice and transmission, the heritage board noted.

It will hold focus group discussions throughout the process to gather views from stakeholders on zapin's cultural significance and how to safeguard it.

NHB is also working with the community and practitioners to document how they practise and share zapin, including its local variants, Ms Koh said. "This will be some of the distinctive elements that we will be highlighting in the nomination."

Dancers from Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts and Era Dance Theatre photographed at the Malay Heritage Centre, Sep 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

Mr Mohammad Aniq Haqif, 20, an assistant choreographer with Republic Polytechnic's Malay dance interest group Dharma Endari, was introduced to zapin through his CCA in Primary 3. He learnt the five basic forms practised in Singapore and was drawn in by zapin's rhythm.

“I was a bit shocked because I didn’t know that something that I learned as a kid could be something that is so big, in terms of it being a UNESCO nomination,” he said, adding that he felt a sense of belonging in contributing to the community.

Mr Osman Abdul Hamid, founder of Era Dance Theatre, photographed at the Malay Heritage Centre on Sep 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

Mr Osman Abdul Hamid, artistic director of Era Dance Theatre and choreographer behind Zapin Sungei Kallang, said the nomination would elevate zapin and help it reach more young people.

Many types of zapin exist, and the forms practised in other countries differ from those in Singapore, he noted.

Having taught students from kindergarten to university age over the years, Mr Osman said: “Looking at what we are now, I’m so happy and very, very proud that it is alive. There are more students and practitioners in the field in the Malay performing arts, especially understanding about zapin.”

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这将是新加坡第四次获得提名，也是首次与其他表演艺术团体联合提名进入该名单。

2026年9月24日，一场扎宾（zapin）传统表演艺术的展示，该艺术形式将被提名列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：新加坡国家文物局（NHB）周四（9月24日）宣布，新加坡将与文莱、印度尼西亚和马来西亚共同提名马来传统舞蹈形式扎宾舞（zapin）列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录。

这将是新加坡第四次向联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录提交提名，也是首次提交表演艺术类作品的提名。小贩文化于2020年入选，马来西亚传统服饰可巴雅（kebaya）于2024年入选，而与马来西亚联合提名的妆艺大戏（Chingay）目前正在等待评估。

这四个国家计划于2027年3月向联合国教科文组织提交提名文件，结果可能在提交后两到三年内公布。该名录于2008年制定，截至2025年12月，共包含716项非物质文化遗产。

Zapin舞常在婚礼和节日上表演，是新加坡马来舞蹈界常见的五种舞蹈形式之一。它的舞步配以欢快的旋律，模仿动物和自然界的动作。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 其简单的基本步骤和固定的结构使其成为最容易入门的马来舞蹈形式之一，在学校和当地舞蹈团体中很受欢迎。文化遗产委员会表示，学生们通过课外活动和致力于马来传统舞蹈的俱乐部学习扎宾舞，该地区的舞蹈团都会参加一年一度的穆阿拉节。

它简单的基本舞步和固定的结构使其成为比较容易上手的马来舞蹈形式之一，在学校和当地舞蹈团体中很受欢迎。

文化遗产委员会表示，学生们通过课外活动 (CCA) 和致力于马来传统舞蹈的俱乐部学习扎宾舞，该地区的舞蹈团都会参加一年一度的穆阿拉节。

遗产政策与研究委员会主任乔治娜·科女士表示，这项提名源于与印度尼西亚、文莱和马来西亚的国际对话。

“这也反映了它作为一种艺术形式，本质上是整个地区共享的，”她说道，并补充说，这也表明了新加坡与该地区的联系。

新加坡扎宾舞的基础形式——阿西克扎宾舞，是由出生于印度尼西亚的廖亚春在 20 世纪 60 年代创作的。当时，她在登嘉楼的一场婚礼上观看了表演，并将其改编成了本地化的扎宾舞。

当地变体包括 Zapin Telok Blangah，其编排反映了该地区的港口历史；以及 Zapin Sungei Kallang，以纪念 20 世纪 70 年代居住在河边的社区。

2026年9月24日，斯里瓦里桑颂赛表演艺术团创始人颂赛女士在马来文化遗产中心拍摄了这张照片。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

斯里瓦里桑索姆赛德表演艺术团创始人兼扎宾·特洛克布兰雅编舞索姆赛德女士表示，她对获得提名感到既兴奋又惊讶。这位75岁的文化奖章获得者说，联合国教科文组织的认可将为扎宾社群带来巨大改变。

“我们新加坡作为一个国家，各自独立地做了很多事情，然后又与马来西亚和印度尼西亚的机构合作。如果这些工作得到认可和支持，我认为我们在Zapin项目上还有很多工作要做，”她补充道。

联合国教科文组织遗产委员会指出，教科文组织将根据该艺术形式与非物质文化遗产的定义是否相符，以及各国现有的和计划中的保护措施如何支持该艺术形式的实践和传承来评估提名。

整个过程中，它将举行焦点小组讨论，以收集利益相关者对扎宾文化意义以及如何保护它的看法。

许女士表示，国家文物局也在与社区和从业人员合作，记录他们如何实践和分享扎宾疗法，包括其地方变体。“这将是我们在提名中重点强调的一些独特之处。”

2026年9月24日，斯里瓦里桑颂赛表演艺术团和时代舞蹈剧院的舞者在马来文化遗产中心合影。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

20岁的穆罕默德·阿尼克·哈基夫先生是共和理工学院马来舞蹈兴趣小组 Dharma Endari 的助理编舞，他在小学三年级参加课外活动时接触到了扎宾舞。他学习了新加坡练习的五种基本形式，并被扎宾舞的节奏所吸引。

“我有点震惊，因为我不知道我小时候学到的东西竟然能有这么大的意义，甚至获得了联合国教科文组织的提名，”他说，并补充说，他为社区做出贡献让他感到很有归属感。

2026年9月24日，Era舞蹈剧院创始人奥斯曼·阿卜杜勒·哈米德先生在马来文化遗产中心拍摄了这张照片。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

Era Dance Theatre 的艺术总监兼 Zapin Sungei Kallang 的编舞 Osman Abdul Hamid 先生表示，这项提名将提升 Zapin 的地位，并帮助它接触到更多的年轻人。

他指出，扎宾有很多种类，其他国家实行的形式与新加坡的形式有所不同。

奥斯曼先生多年来教过从幼儿园到大学各个年龄段的学生，他说：“看到我们现在的成就，我感到非常高兴和自豪，它依然充满活力。马来表演艺术领域有更多的学生和从业者，尤其是对扎宾舞的理解。”

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