Malaysia declares 69 items National Heritage, from ‘mi kolok’ to Dewan Rakyat mace

The Malaysian government has declared 69 items as National Heritage 2026, including popular foods like uthappam, mi kolok, and kek lapis, reflecting the country's cultural diversity. Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Chiew Choon Man made the announcement during the Sixth National Heritage Declaration 2026, stating that 39 items have been recognized so far, with 30 more to be gazetted later.

The list includes tangible and intangible heritage, as well as recipients of the Living National Heritage Award (WAKOH). Additionally, 11 figures were honored with National Heritage certificates, RM20,000 cash, and incentives from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac). These individuals were recognized for their contributions to various traditional practices, such as Kelantan shadow puppetry, keringkam embroidery, and lion dance performances.

The remaining 30 items are expected to be declared in due course, including the Terengganu Quran manuscript, the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara maces, and various traditional Malaysian dishes. The declaration of National Heritage is a legal responsibility under the National Heritage Act 2005, with the Minister holding the final authority to declare an item as National Heritage.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.