Four Southeast Asian nations have successfully included the kebaya on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. This traditional women's garment, widely recognized in Southeast Asia, was officially added following a collaborative nomination by Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The announcement came at approximately 9:50 PM Singapore time on December 4 during a meeting of a 24-member UNESCO intergovernmental committee in Asuncion, Paraguay, where new entries to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity were approved.
Intangible cultural heritage encompasses traditions and living expressions that are transmitted across generations, including performing arts, social practices, rituals, and celebrations.
The inclusion of the kebaya marks the second instance of Singapore submitting an intangible cultural heritage practice to UNESCO, following the addition of hawker culture to the list in 2020.
Traditionally made from various fabrics and often featuring intricate embroidery, the kebaya, a long-sleeved garment, gained popularity in the early 20th century.
When the National Heritage Board (NHB) expressed its intent to take part in the joint submission in November 2022, it emphasized that the kebaya embodies and celebrates the region's rich shared history, fosters cross-cultural understanding, and remains actively worn by many communities throughout Southeast Asia.
For example, the kebaya is a uniform worn by flight attendants for national airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Garuda Indonesia.
I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to
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understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia.
I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine.
I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan"
I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy
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