Malaysian breakfast culture has been inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Paraguay this week.
Under ‘Breakfast Culture in Malaysia: Dining Experiences in a Multi-Ethnic Society’, the practice of eating nasi lemak, roti canai and drinking teh tarik was affirmed as a multi-ethnic culture in Malaysia. It is one of the 45 intangible cultures included in the UNESCO list this year. In addition to breakfast culture, the culture of wearing kebaya is also included, which Malaysia shares with its neighbors Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
Previously, the Mek Mulung dance culture, the art of songket weaving, silat, Dondang Sayang, and Mak Yong theater were also recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.