Unesco heritage listing sought for Gendang 24 festive drums art form

 Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry's initiative was to ensure that the heritage art form continues to be preserved, developed and introduced to younger generations.

A total of 16 primary school teams competed in the inaugural Gendang 24 finals for national primary schools in Ipoh last night. (Bernama pic)

IPOH:

The education ministry is to seek Unesco recognition of the Gendang 24 Perayaan festive drum performance art form as a world cultural heritage.

Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry’s initiative was to ensure that the heritage art form continues to be preserved, developed and introduced to younger generations.

Wong said various discussions had been held at both ministry and community levels to identify steps and changes that could be implemented to strengthen efforts to develop Gendang 24 Perayaan. Among the efforts were to train teachers in the art form who could then introduce and develop the art in more schools.

Wong was speaking at the closing ceremony of the inaugural Gendang 24 Finals for national primary schools, held here last night. A total of 16 primary school teams competed in the event.

Gendang 24 Perayaan was founded in Malaysia in 1988 by two cultural figures, the late Tan Hooi Song and Tan Chai Puan, before being recognised as an intangible national heritage in 2009.

After 38 years, the art of Gendang 24 Perayaan has grown from just a few school teams to hundreds of schools, becoming a cultural art form closely associated with Malaysia. - FMT