Four Southeast Asian nations unite to protect and promote traditional Malay dance.
Zapin, a performing tradition sustained across maritime Southeast Asia, is moving toward possible global heritage recognition through a four-country collaboration.
Four Countries Prepare Joint UNESCO Nomination
Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei will jointly nominate zapin for inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore’s National Heritage Board said the four countries and their zapin-practising communities plan to submit the nomination in March 2027. Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry said its official nomination dossier is expected to be submitted by March 31, 2027, for consideration during the 2028/2029 inscription cycle.
Singapore Makes Its Fourth UNESCO Nomination
The bid will be Singapore’s fourth nomination to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list and its first joint nomination involving a performing art form. NHB said the multinational effort offers the four countries an opportunity to strengthen cultural ties and international cooperation while promoting zapin and supporting the communities that continue to practise it.
Zapin Combines Dance, Music and Song
Zapin combines music, song and dance, with lively melodies traditionally played using instruments including the gambus, accordion and rebana. Its movements can draw inspiration from animals and nature, including the keluang, or fruit bat, batang, meaning tree trunk, and pusau, or swirl. Once performed mainly during significant or ceremonial occasions such as weddings, zapin has grown in popularity and is now performed by both men and women.
Singapore Develops Its Own Zapin Variants
Zapin has also developed distinctive forms in Singapore. Zapin Telok Blangah, choreographed by cultural figure Som Said, reflects the area’s port history, while Zapin Sungei Kallang, created by Osman Abdul Hamid, recalls his former home near the river and its community during the 1970s. Som Said also said Zapin Asyik was introduced to Singapore by Indonesian woman Liau Ah Choon in early 1957.
Regional Bid Focuses on Safeguarding Shared Heritage
Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry stressed that the multinational nomination is not intended to claim ownership, intellectual property rights or cultural exclusivity. Instead, the participating countries aim to safeguard a shared living tradition and strengthen knowledge exchange among practitioners, researchers and communities. Planned cooperation could include performances, workshops, youth exchanges and regional festivals, while stakeholder consultations are being conducted with cultural practitioners.
The joint UNESCO nomination places zapin within a shared regional heritage framework rather than the cultural identity of a single country. For Indonesians and Singaporeans, the initiative creates an opportunity to preserve their own zapin traditions while collaborating with Malaysia and Brunei to pass the art form to younger generations and introduce it to a wider international audience.
Sources: Asia One (2026) , BERNAMA (2026) , Red Hot SG (2026)
Keywords: Zapin UNESCO Nomination, Singapore Zapin, Indonesia Zapin, Malaysia Zapin, Brunei Zapin, Malay Cultural Heritage
