What a Malaysian dance, banned as immoral by Islamists, says about culture journalism
Mak Yong is a ‘masterpiece of humanity’ according to Unesco, yet has been banned from public display for close to three decades. So why so little media discussion on something that speaks to empowerment and gender rights?
In the northern Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu, and the Pattani region of southern Thailand, there is a centuries-old traditional dance-drama called Mak Yong. The art form was declared a “masterpiece of humanity” by Unesco in 2005, and added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, but has been banned from public showing for the past 26 years by Kelantan’s conservative Islamist state government. Not even a recent call to lift the ban by the UN Special Rapporteur for cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, could sway the state authorities.
At the heart of the issue is the question of gender: under Kelantan’s strict codes, the predominantly female performance, which involves elements of cross-dressing as well as other clothing “violations” (not to mention aspects of Hindu-Buddhist mythology and animism), is considered potentially immoral.
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As a cultural product, Mak Yong provides fertile ground from which to generate discussions on female empowerment and gender rights – and yet, few journalists use the dance to discuss these issues.
At a time when so much of the daily news cycle can be fatiguing, culture – from traditional and folk to pop and avant garde – can be a useful tool to discuss pressing issues regarding traditions, cultural practices, and social customs.
For the first time, culture was referred to in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015. The goals include, among others, gender equality, ending poverty, safe and sustainable cities, reduced inequality, and an improved environment.
