The Conception of the Inheritance and Development of Cantonese Opera in Malaysia

• Main Author: Wong, Oi Min
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: GN Anthropology
• Online Access: https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30613/1/8th%20ICSC%202023%20200-211.pdf; https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30613/

The National Culture Policy (DAKEN 2021) was launched to drive the development of the industry of arts, culture, and heritage of the nation. The obligation to preserve, conserve, and protect the nation's cultural treasure is stated. It is identical to one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.” Cantonese opera inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has been sustained in Malaysia for nearly 170 years. However, the development of Cantonese opera is declining due to the factors of the deficiency of transmission, visibility, misconception, and preconceptions. The issue of inheritance is notably critical. This paper aims to construct a strategic and operational plan for the transmission of the art of Cantonese opera which could be implemented at the national and community level, to tackle the issue of inheritance in Malaysia by referring to best practices abroad. This is a successive action followed by the proposed action framework of Document, Transmit, Exhibit, Create, and Improve (DTECI) for the sustainable development of Chinese opera in Malaysia at the International Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH) hosted by the Department of National Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.