Where does the kebaya come from? Clothing widely worn by women in Southeast Asia is nominated for Un
Recently, it has become a contentious symbol of nationalism after Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand jointly nominated the kebaya for Unesco intangible cultural heritage status.
“The kebaya has been, and continues to be, a central aspect of the representation and display of the cultural heritage and identity of Malay, Peranakan, and other communities in Singapore, and is an integral part of our heritage,” says Chang Hwee Nee, chief executive of Singapore’s National Heritage Board (NHB).In a Facebook post, the NHB says by making the Unesco nomination with neighbouring countries, it aims to celebrate the region’s rich shared history and promote cross-cultural understanding.
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The nomination shows the kebaya continues to be produced and worn by communities across Southeast Asia and how the knowledge and skills needed for its manufacture are actively transmitted, the NHB added.
In a statement, the NHB invited other countries to add their names to the nomination.
However, the joint nomination has ruffled feathers in Indonesia, with internet users there flooding NHB’s social media platforms with comments to the effect that the kebaya belongs to Indonesia.“Batik and kebaya are the identity of Indonesian traditional clothing,” wrote one internet user. “Stop claiming Indonesian culture,” wrote another. “Sorry to say. But kebaya is the SOUL of Indonesian women in every single aspect of life,” another says.
One asks the NHB: “How come Indonesia is not included in the ‘group of four’. Their women did traditionally wear the kebaya, especially the Peranakans of Indonesian ancestry!” Peranakan are the descendants of Chinese migrants who married Malay or indigenous women.
While some might claim the submission to Unesco by Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand is an act of cultural appropriation, tracing the threads of the garment is complicated.
The kebaya’s history can be traced back to the Middle East, with the name derived from the Arabic word kaba, meaning clothing. There are also theories that it originated in China and made its way via Malacca (Melaka in present-day Malaysia) to Java.
But most historians believe the kebaya we know today originated in the Majapahit Kingdom of Java in the 15th and 16th centuries as royal court wear.
Although it has reached other parts of Southeast Asia, the kebaya remains strongly associated with Indonesian and Javanese culture.
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