Indonesia urged to join bid to put kebaya on Unesco list

Its cultural groups push for coordination with Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand

- Arlina Arshad Indonesia Bureau Chief

JAKARTA Indonesia’s kebaya supporters are pushing for their country to join a multinational bid to nominate the traditional costume for Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage list.

More than a dozen kebaya cultural groups met in Jakarta on Tuesday to discuss whether Indonesia should join Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand in nominating the traditional costume for inclusion on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In Singapore, the kebaya is instantly recognisable as the uniform of Singapore Airlines’ Singapore Girl.

Ms Lia Nathalia, head of Komunitas Perempuan Berkebaya Community of Kebaya-Wearing Women), told The Straits Times that all the groups which attended the meeting supported the multinational bid.

She said: It’s better for us to bring the spirit of Asean as one community. Why don’t we also try to embrace others... and push to nominate the kebaya as a region for the Unesco cultural heritage list.

“This move is also in line with Indonesia’s foreign policy that we should pursue collaboration rather than competition.”