Malaysia's Silat recognised by Unesco as an intangible art form

Silat exponents in action during a rehearsal for the national-level Malaysia Day celebration at the Indoor Stadium in Kuching this year. Silat is now recognised by Unesco as an intangible art form. - Filepic

Silat has been listed under the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity category by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

This recognition for silat, a traditional Malay martial arts form, was given at the 14th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Bogota, Colombia on Dec 12.

At the meeting in the Colombian capital, 15 cultural practices have joined Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Heritage, including Indonesia's Pencak Silat and Thailand's Nuad Thai (traditional Thai massage).

In a Bernama report, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, said that the decision to include silat was made by the international body consisting of 24 members.