Presentation Schedule
Selective Heritage Governance in Malaysia: A Comparative Study of the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Cemetery and the 24 Festive Drums (111240)
Session Chair: James W.Y. Wang
Tuesday, 10 November 2026 11:20
Session: Session 1
Room: Room G (4F)
Presentation Type:Symposium Presentation
This paper examines how the Malaysian state selectively manages and incorporates non-Malay cultural heritage through its cultural policies and heritage framework. Using Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Cemetery and the 24 Festive Drums as case studies, the paper compares state responses toward tangible and intangible Malaysian Chinese cultural heritage. The Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Cemetery, located in the city centre, faced relocation pressure during the 1990s due to urban development and land commercialization. Although the relocation plan was eventually halted following public resistance, the case reflects the vulnerable position of Chinese cultural spaces within Malaysian nation-building discourse. Currently, Selangor and Federal Territory Hokkien Association is seeking national heritage recognition for the cemetery to preserve Malaysian Chinese historical memory and cultural space. In contrast, the 24 Festive Drums, founded by Malaysian Chinese in 1988, represent an example of intangible cultural heritage that has been successfully institutionalized. The performance art was officially recognized as national heritage in 2009, reflecting the state’s selective incorporation of certain non-Malay cultural practices into national culture. Through fieldwork, interviews, and document analysis, this study argues that the recognition of cultural heritage in Malaysia is not merely a matter of preservation, but also a process of negotiating national identity, cultural legitimacy, and political power within the framework of Ketuanan Melayu.
Authors:
Yih Pey Tan, National Chi Nan University, Taiwan
About the Presenter(s)
Yih Pey Tan is currently a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at National Chi Nan University
See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule
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