The Minister made the remarks during the opening of the Malaysian Culture Evening at Legend Premium Cinema Olympia Mall in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. It was organised by the Malaysian Embassy and attended by the Ambassador of Malaysia Shaharuddin Onn.
The event included Malaysian traditional dances such as the Mak Yong, a traditional Malay dance-drama that is graceful, expressive and often accompanied by the melodious sound of the rebab, a traditional string instrument.
There was also a performance of Zapin, a traditional dance of the Tidung people from Tawau in Malaysia’s Sabah State.
Other dances included a multiracial dance and the Joget dance, one of the heritage dances from Melaka that is usually performed in groups or pairs.
Cambodian performances at the event included the Mani Mekhala dance-drama, a dance duet and contest between a man and a woman based on one of Cambodia’s most popular legends, and the Magic Scarf Dance performed to welcome guests at the event.
Minister Sackona said that the field of cultural cooperation has been a pillar of both countries’ friendship. She said she witnessed the harmonious collaboration between Malaysian and Cambodian artists. The performances symbolise the vibrant cultural identities of both countries, while also underscoring how culture and the arts transcend borders, promoting unity within the region.
“This evening provides a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the deep and enduring relationship between Cambodia and Malaysia. As our two countries continue to work closely in promoting cultural understanding, I believe that events like these will serve as a platform for even deeper collaborations in the future, looking ahead, Cambodia remains fully committed to strengthening our cultural ties with Malaysia.” she said.
She added that as Malaysia assumes the ASEAN Chair next year, Cambodia is excited to collaborate on important cultural initiatives that will not only highlight shared heritages but also enhance the creative potential of the region.
The Minister added that Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is committed to supporting Malaysia’s efforts in continuing work to strengthen ASEAN cultural and creative industries to safeguard the bloc’s cultural diversity and promote ASEAN identity, meaning and values to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.
Ambassador Shaharuddin said at the event that a nation’s traditional heritage is a reflection of the identity, culture and history of its peoples. “It is a reflection of who and what we are,” he added.
He said that “Each of us is proud of our own national traditional and cultural heritage”. At the same time, Malaysia is respectful of the traditional heritage of others. Malaysia, in this regard, with its multiethnic, multicultural and mutireligious peoples, is naturally rich and diverse in its traditional and cultural heritage.
The Ambassador said that the Malaysian Cultural Evening is essentially an initiative by the Embassy of Malaysia to share with and showcase to Cambodian friends and fellow Malaysians “our rich and diverse traditional and cultural heritage, through traditional dances”.
“I believe that initiatives such as this cultural event would provide an opportunity for the peoples of Cambodia and Malaysia to get to know each other’s cultures better.This is the people-to-people aspect in our bilateral relations, which I believe is equally important to the government-to-government and business-to-business aspects,” he said.
He added that at the same time, this event has provided an opportunity to instill greater appreciation in both traditional Malaysian and Cambodian cultures.
He believes that despite being separated by distance, there are noticeable similarities in both our cultures, including traditional dance.