Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia to jointly nominate traditional Malay dance zapin for UNESCO heritage list

On September 24, 2026, Singapore's National Heritage Board announced that Singapore, along with Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, will jointly nominate the traditional Malay dance form zapin for the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The nomination will be submitted in March 2027. This is Singapore's fourth UNESCO nomination and its first for a performing art. Zapin, which originated in Yemen and was introduced to the Malay Archipelago in the 14th century, is performed at weddings and festivals. Local variants in Singapore include Zapin Telok Blangah and Zapin Sungei Kallang. The nomination aims to strengthen cultural ties and promote the dance's preservation.