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GEORGE TOWN: The state government has fought hard for the culture of street vendors here to be nominated on UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, says the chairman of Penang’s creative economy and tourism committee.
Yeoh Soon Hin, however, said Penang has a long way to go in getting UNESCO to recognize its hawker culture in the same way that Singapore did earlier this week.
“Singapore was way ahead in its nomination and Penang could not do it alone, as the Federal Government has to submit the application to UNESCO.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture responded to us last year saying that it was ‘too premature’ to nominate the culture of Malaysian street vendors as more in-depth studies were needed.
“The ministry said it would require investigation, inventory, conservation and documentation, which would take a long time.
“We could not get there in time, so a serial nomination with Singapore was not possible,” he told a press conference in Komtar here on Thursday (December 17).
Yeoh was answering questions about Singapore’s recent recognition of its traveling culture by Unesco.
He said it would take about five years to get it recognized and that it would also cost the state around five thousand rupees to bring the proposal to UNESCO.
On Wednesday (December 16), street vendor culture in Singapore it was officially incorporated into the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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