{
  "id": 326223,
  "title": "Unesco heritage listing sought for Gendang 24 festive drums art form",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/unesco-heritage-listing-sought-for-gendang-24-festive-drums-art-form",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-08T22:22:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/09/unesco-heritage-listing-sought-for-gendang-24-festive-drums-art-form"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "IPOH: The Malaysian education ministry is seeking UNESCO recognition for the Gendang 24 Perayaan, a festive drum performance art form. Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh announced the initiative to preserve, develop and introduce the heritage art form to younger generations. Discussions have been held at both national and community levels to outline steps and modifications necessary for the art form's growth. Measures include training teachers in the art form to introduce and expand its presence in additional schools. Gendang 24 Perayaan was established in Malaysia in 1988 by cultural figures Tan Hooi Song and Tan Chai Puan, and gained national heritage status in 2009. Currently, the art form has evolved from a few school teams to hundreds of schools nationwide, becoming a closely associated cultural tradition with Malaysia.",
  "summary": "Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry's initiative was to ensure that the heritage art form continues to be preserved, developed and introduced to younger generations.",
  "key_points": [
    "Malaysian education ministry seeks UNESCO recognition for Gendang 24 Perayaan.",
    "Art form established in Malaysia in 1988 by Tan Hooi Song and Tan Chai Puan.",
    "Gendang 24 Perayaan now present in hundreds of schools nationwide."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Malaysia's bid for Unesco recognition of Gendang 24 Perayaan aims to further preserve and expand the cultural tradition nationwide, particularly among younger generations through school programmes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Unesco heritage listing sought for Gendang 24 festive drums art form",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/unesco-heritage-listing-sought-for-gendang-24-festive-drums-art-form-327931",
        "published": "2026-08-08T22:22:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}