Agree to Differ

[

] 139

Four national Acts were adopted: the Antiquities and

Treasures Trove Enactment in 1967 (amended in 1984

and 1991); the Preservation of Books Enactment in 1967

(amended in 1984); the Brunei Darussalam National archives

Enactment in 1975 (updated in 1983); and the Wildlife

Protection Act in 1978 (updated in 1984). Under these Acts,

the respective responsible agencies are required to protect,

preserve and promote as well as document the country’s prop-

erties by publishing and producing materials such as books,

photographs, video, film and audiotapes which will be stored

at the National Archives of Brunei Darussalam.

As much as the nation has put in place legislations, institu-

tions and government agencies to protect ICH, it is up to us, the

pride of the nation and the people of this peaceful and prosper-

ous country of Brunei Darussalam to carry on protecting our

ICH through constant usage of this knowledge, and to include

every aspect of the ICH in our lives through living culture.

Main activities to safeguard ICH

In May 2006, the former Director-General of UNESCO

visited Brunei Darussalam. Brunei was encouraged to ratify

the International Conventions in order to ensure protection,

preservation, safeguarding and promotion of such cultural

heritage. Brunei was not then a member of the conventions.

In May 2009 and March 2011, Masanori Nagaoka,

Programme Specialist for Culture at the UNESCO office in

Jakarta, went on a mission to strengthen UNESCO’s commit-

ment and cooperation with Brunei in the broader domain of

culture, especially ICH. Significant challenges were identified

for safeguarding efforts in ICH.

In November 2011, Brunei Darussalam ratified both conven-

tions as part of its initiative to secure UNESCO status for its

cultural treasures. This is seen as a step further in its contribu-

tion to the international body. Additionally, it demonstrates

the country’s commitment to protect its cultural heritage and

natural environment, which will serve as reference and histor-

ical sites not only to Bruneians, but to people the world over.

As part of the initiative to achieve this recognition, a national

committee has been set up at the Ministry of Culture, Youth

and Sports, which is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Culture,

Youth and Sports, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina binti Othman.

A workshop was developed, dubbed the ‘World Heritage

Nomination Procedure’, which involves a series of lectures

and visits to potential heritage sites in the country. Reports

were produced as part of the workshop’s input to be used as a

framework. Among the contents of the workshop are a defini-

tion of world heritage, the setting up of national committee,

criteria for the assessment of outstanding universal values,

protection and management, a process for the inscription of

properties in the world heritage list, and the process for moni-

toring the state of conservation of world heritage properties.

In March 2012, an in-house project called the ‘Restoration

of the Ashik Dance’ was started. Other activities such as

the ‘Language Month’ have been organized since 2012

as an annual event to commemorate the diverse dialects

and national language of Brunei Darussalam to the public.

Activities such as competitions, book reading, book festivals,

village libraries and national competitions in poetry, creative

writing, publications and the project of ‘Brunei’s Best Sellers’

are among the many activities to inculcate the importance of

the Malay language in Brunei Darussalam.

Educational, formal legislation and activities promote the ICH

of Brunei Darussalam to the young. Other than these, the continu-

ous practice through the written legislature where the codification

and implementation of the Adat and its role as a Pusaka takes

place in all aspects of society, is the main modus operandi in

ensuring that the identity, the arts, practice and culture of Brunei

Darussalam are sustained for the generations ahead.

Image: KG Ayer, DK

Kampong Air (Water Village) depends on the perahu tambang (water taxi) for mobilization; this traditional art of memburis perahu (boat making) is passed on from

generation to generation

gree

iffer