The Kelantan state government has been urged to lift its ban on public performances of the 'Mak Yong' dance and other traditional artistic Malay art form.
The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune said these cultures with rich tradition should instead be celebrated and appreciated as it is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.
She said measures should also be taken to provide better understanding and explanation about the meaning of these practices, and their long history in Malaysia to overcome prejudicial views about them.
"Kelantan has a rich artistic tradition, the restrictions of other traditional art forms like wayang kulit, main puteri and dikir barat must also be lifted. Everybody should be able to enjoy it and people must learn to value and appreciate native cultures that have been around for centuries.
"Simply moving practice of these art forms elsewhere, away from the very region where some of them emerged, is insufficient to guarantee cultural rights," she told reporters at a special press conference on Malaysia's cultural rights here, on Thursday.
Mak Yong is one of Kelantan's oldest traditions and recognised as a world heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The press conference was held to present Bennoune's preliminary findings from her 11 day visit in Malaysia which ended today, to assess efforts to implement cultural rights and in particular the rights of people to participate in cultural life without discrimination.
Bennoune who is here on the invitation of the Malaysian government, is mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor, review and advise on cultural rights to all countries.
Meanwhile, Bennoune said there was a need to review and clarify the criteria for censorship of books and films and to make the decision-making process more transparent so as to guarantee cultural rights, including freedom of artistic expression in the country.
"Terms like 'controversial' or 'sensitive' are too subjective to conform to international standards on freedom of expression. In addition, more support should be provided for independent and documentary film producers, including platforms in national media," she said.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Sep 21 2017
These cultures with rich tradition should instead be celebrated and appreciated as it is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. -BERNAMA
3 maut, 5 parah nahas dua pacuan empat roda
Tiga maut, lima parah dalam kemalangan membabitkan dua kenderaan pacuan empat roda di Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang kira-kira jam 12.30 pagi tadi.
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin di Paris kepung universiti
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin mengepung bangunan dan kawasan hadpaan Universiti Sciences Po yang berprestij di Paris pada Jumaat.
Piala Thomas: Zii Jia pamer magis tarik perhatian ramai di Chengdu
Zii Jia merekodkan kemenangan ke atas Lee Cheuk Yiu dalam aksi yang mengambil masa 45 minit menghadirkan saat-saat terbaik dalam saingan pembukaan ini.
Youth All Girls raih gangsa di Amerika Syarikat
Pasukan sorak Malaysia Youth All Girls raih gangsa di The 2024 International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships (ICU JWCC) di Florida, Amerika Syarikat pada Khamis.
Perkembangan proses penamaan calon PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) membuka tirai hari ini dengan bermulanya proses penamaan calon pagi tadi di Dewan Serbaguna Dan Kompleks Sukan Daerah Hulu Selangor.
Firdaus Azil ada perincian untuk dikongsikan jam ini.
Firdaus Azil ada perincian untuk dikongsikan jam ini.
Malaysia-China bincang perkukuhkan kerjasama sektor pendidikan
Malaysia dan China membincangkan inisiatif strategik bagi memperluas serta memperkukuh jalinan kerjasama sektor pendidikan tinggi antara Kuala Lumpur-Beijing sempena sambutan ulang tahun ke-50 hubungan diplomatik Malaysia-China.
Perdana Menteri ke Riyadh sempena mesyuarat khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan mengadakan lawatan kerja ke Riyadh, Arab Saudi sempena mesyuarat khas forum sedunia World Economic Forum (WEF) bermula 27 hingga 29 April ini.
Kerajaan Persekutuan kaji cadangan wujud hospital di Pengerang - Azalina
Hospital tersebut akan memudahkan penduduk mendapatkan rawatan memandangkan Pengerang semakin pesat membangun.
Pusat penamaan calon PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu ditutup
Pusat penamaan calon bagi Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) ditutup tepat pada pukul 10 pagi selepas dibuka 9 pagi ini.
AWANI Ringkas: Reformasi gaji di Malaysia
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.