JOHOR BARU: The Johor government will allocate a total of RM150,000 annually to support the growth and preservation of the 24 Festive Drums, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The Johor Mentri Besar said the state government wanted to be part of the continued growth of the cultural art form, which was founded in Johor some 38 years ago.
"Moving forward, the Johor government will approve a RM50,000 yearly grant to the Johor Baru Foon Yew High School 24 Festive Drums team.
“For the 24 Festive Drums (association), we will also approve a yearly grant of RM100,000,” he said in his speech during the officiating ceremony of the 7th International Festival of Festive 24 Drums at the Raja Zarith Sofiah Opera House on Sunday (Sept 13).
Onn Hafiz said preserving the state's cultural heritage was an important part of Johor's aspiration to become a developed state by 2030.
“When we talk about progress and development, it is not just about economics or earning a living. More importantly, we also have to safeguard our culture.
“As we develop the state of Johor, we must also protect the culture of Bangsa Johor,” he said, adding that he had asked the association to discuss with Yayasan Warisan Johor the possibility of holding regular 24 Festive Drums performances at Kompleks Warisan Sultan Abu Bakar.
Also present at the event was 24 Festive Drums founder Tan Chai Puan.
Meanwhile, Malaysia 24 Festive Drums Association vice-president Lee Sheah Liang welcomed the allocation, saying it came as a surprise to the association.
“We are extremely grateful, as this was something we did not expect.
“I think this shows that the government is supporting local culture, especially a culture that originated from Johor.
“Our efforts have always been very much from the bottom up, and we are happy that they are now being recognised and supported by the state government,” he said.
Lee said the association had also submitted an application to have the 24 Festive Drums inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The three-day 7th International Festival of Festive 24 Drums, which began on Friday (Sept 11), brought together some 15 teams from six countries, including Malaysia.
Highlights included the finale of an elite competition, which saw 10 Malaysian troupes compete after qualifying through competitions held in their respective regions, and the closing ceremony, which featured performances by local and international teams.
