Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, August 21, 2026 at 06:47 AM

Indonesia, Malaysia deepen academic and cultural ties at Madani forum

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Sinta Ambarwati, Tegar Nurfitra

..we share many elements of intangible cultural heritage with Malaysia,

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Malaysia have held a forum titled “Madani Malaysia-Indonesia” to deepen various academic cooperation and strengthen ties in cultural and religious affairs, Indonesia’s Culture Ministry stated.

“For the Culture Ministry, this event represents an effort to promote cooperation and intensify cultural diplomacy between the two countries,” Culture Minister Fadli Zon said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday (Aug. 20).

He emphasized that Indonesia and Malaysia are two brotherly nations bound by shared historical roots and extensive similarities in culture and language.

“We hope that our scholars will continue to advance cultures and civilizations together,” the minister said.

Zon pointed out that the two countries have long enjoyed close cooperation in cultural promotion and preservation, highlighting their involvement in the joint nomination of the kebaya, a traditional women’s garment, for inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.

This year, he added, Indonesia joined Malaysia in inscribing Mak Yong theater on the same list through the extended nomination process. The performing art was first inscribed in 2008 under Malaysia.

He explained that the extended nomination reflects Indonesia’s role in preserving Mak Yong, which is also performed by communities in the Riau Islands.

“I believe that we share many elements of intangible cultural heritage with Malaysia,” Zon said, while encouraging stronger cooperation in promoting and developing the shared linguistic heritage of people in both countries.

Meanwhile, Center for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilizations (CDCC) Chairman Din Syamsuddin expressed confidence that the bilateral forum would inspire Muslim communities across Southeast Asia to pursue further progress.

The second edition of the gathering, named after the concept of masyarakat madani (civil society), brought together dozens of scholars from Indonesia and Malaysia to promote stronger academic and cultural cooperation.

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