Mak Yong – A Rich Regional Tradition under Threat
By Regina Hoo
September 2019 FEATURE
The ancient, ritualistic folk theatre Mak Yong was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2005 – a proud first for “any Malaysian item of cultural heritage”.1But though it is an art form steep in tradition and heritage, Mak Yong surprisingly has no “real” history. Theories have been advanced to explain its origins, but none can be confirmed, says Prof. Datuk Dr Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof, who was tasked to prepare the Unesco Candidature File...
Regina Hoo
is the deputy editor of Penang Monthly.
