Malaysia Is Nominating Nasi Lemak As A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

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According to Berita Harian, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said its successful listing would hold great significance for Malaysia.

"The nomination of Malaysia's breakfast culture, including nasi lemak, is an effort by the ministry to ensure that the people's traditional meal is recognised as the national heritage food of Malaysia, and also that it will not be claimed by other nations," he said at the MOTAC Media Appreciation Gala in Petaling Jaya on Friday night, 8 March.

Tiong said the nomination of these three Malaysian symbols is in line with the ministry's commitment to promote the country's various cultural heritages.

Gua Niah National Park in Sarawak is an archaeological legacy deserving of UNESCO's world recognition, he said.

Meanwhile, he added that the kebaya was jointly applied with neighbouring countries Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand for nomination under the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List, as a representation of these countries' shared culture.

According to UNESCO, an intangible cultural heritage is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered part of a place's cultural heritage.

The annual nominations are to identify cultural heritages worldwide that may be in need of urgent safeguarding or to raise awareness of its importance.

According to The Sun, the government also announced that it submitted Malaysia's breakfast culture, including food such as nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik, to be inscribed in the list last year.