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Source : Press Release and Photo BKK_KKBS

NEW DELHI, INDIA, 20 Jamadilakhir 1447 / 11 December 2025 — Brunei Darussalam celebrates a significant cultural milestone with the inscription of Pantun onto UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition strengthens Brunei Darussalam's role, alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, in safeguarding a shared cultural tradition that has long embodied the refinement of Malay etiquette and the continuity of the Nusantara's maritime heritage. The acknowledgement highlights the nation's commitment to preserving living cultural heritage as a foundation of national identity and social cohesion.

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In a pre-recorded video message, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi Mohamad, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, expressed profound appreciation to the Intergovernmental Committee for UNESCO's decision to inscribe Pantun as Intangible Cultural Heritage jointly from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam. Yang Berhormat emphasised that pantun is not merely a form of poetic expression but a social mechanism that has long shaped communal values, nurturing respect, refinement, and harmonious relations among individuals. He reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Indonesia and Malaysia in efforts related to youth transmission, documentation, education, and digital innovation to ensure that pantun remains vibrant and relevant for present and future generations.

UNESCO also commended the active participation of pantun communities from all three countries, including Brunei Darussalam's national inventory managed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, which registered Pantun in 2023 through a community-based process. Brunei Darussalam views this recognition as renewed encouragement to enhance research, formal and informal education, documentation, and regional and international platforms to ensure that this heritage continues to thrive, evolve, and be passed on to future generations.

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