Response to Oral Question PL269

Reading Summary

📖 Reading time: 3 minutes
📊 Word count: 572 words

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG CHONG CHIN YEE

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG CHONG CHIN YEE asked the MINISTER OF CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORTS whether the ministry will consider a weekly mandate for the public to wear local hand-woven fabric and batik as an effort to develop the local textile industry and celebrate the country's cultural identity, taking into account Brunei's success in contributing to the listing of Kebaya under the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO?

YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI KEBUDAYAAN, BELIA DAN SUKAN

ANSWER:

1. Thank you, Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua and Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee, for the suggestion to consider a weekly mandate for wearing local woven fabric and batik as an effort to uphold the national cultural identity and support the development of the local textile industry.

2. We are pleased to inform that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (KKBS) remains committed to preserving, promoting, and educating the community about the symbolic values and identity embedded in Brunei's woven fabric and local batik. These fabrics are not merely textiles but represent cultural heritage that is ingrained in the lives of Brunei's society, transcending generations, ethnicities, and social strata. Wearing them has become customary in ceremonial events, official occasions, and also as daily wear by some members of the community voluntarily.

3. Regarding the proposal to make it a weekly mandate, such an approach is not deemed necessary at present because the practice of wearing traditional fabric is still developing organically within our society, including among the youth. This success is the result of a motivational and incentive-based approach, such as the creation of new fashion designs, attractive scarf pairings, as well as organizing exhibitions and promotional events that rekindle interest in textile heritage. Its wear is very prominent in traditional ceremonial events, state ceremonies, weddings, cultural festivals, and festivals. Traditional games also incorporate elements of weaving and traditional attire as a medium for cultural expression.

4. However, KKBS does not rule out the possibility of implementing a more structured encouragement policy in the future, should there be public demand and national strategic needs. KKBS also recognizes the challenges if a mandatory approach is implemented, especially concerning woven fabric that is a prestigious and exclusive commodity, whose daily use risks diluting its symbolic meaning and heritage value.

5. In terms of industry development, the Cultural and Creative Industries, including woven fabric and batik, have contributed between 2 to 3 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) approach. These products have been showcased regionally and internationally, supported by various studies and publications such as Applications of Design Creation and Weaving Patterns, Fabric Coloring, and Preserving Our Traditional Games. Publicity strategies have also been implemented with the Attorney General's Office through efforts to register woven fabric as a Geographical Indication (GI), in collaboration with experts from WIPO invited to provide training and assessments. The next step is nomination to the UNESCO list in the near future.

6. In conclusion, the Ministry's approach is flexible, inclusive, and phased, emphasizing strengthening cultural awareness, creative incentives, and community support, as well as empowering the local textile industry as heritage and an economic driver. Without denying the high cultural value contained in wearing Brunei's woven fabric and batik, the ministry will continue to support efforts that celebrate the national cultural identity sustainably and progressively.

7. That's all that can be commented, thank you.