Malaysia Reaffirms Commitment To ASEAN Cultural Connectivity Through BOAPA 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia remains committed to strengthening people-to-people connectivity and promoting cultural diversity as part of efforts to deepen regional unity under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) pillar.
Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Deputy Secretary-General (Culture) Datuk Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusoff said initiatives such as the Best of ASEAN Performing Arts (BOAPA) 2025 enable ASEAN member states to collectively preserve, celebrate and evolve their shared cultural heritage while strengthening mutual understanding among their peoples.
"Beyond being merely a recurring cultural project hosted annually by the ASEAN Chair, it serves as a concert platform with significant potential for cultural tourism, more specifically known as concert or music tourism.
"Concert tourism represents one of Malaysia's key tourism segments, attracting visitors from across the region to experience world-class performances by international and regional artists," he said when officiating the launch of BOAPA 2025 at the Seri Angkasa Auditorium, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) here tonight.
Also present were RTM Deputy Director-General (Broadcasting Strategic) Hamzah Ishak, Telekom Malaysia Assistant General Manager Mohammad Yusof Amirudin, and representatives from the embassies of Vietnam and Timor-Leste.
Tonight's event showcased dance performances featuring two youths from each ASEAN country presenting a vibrant display of diversity, traditional costumes and unique cultural heritage.
According to Mohd Yusri, Malaysia's modern facilities including Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil National Stadium and Zepp Kuala Lumpur provide diverse venues for major global tours and live entertainment events, contributing significantly to the national economy through hotel accommodation, local expenditure and employment generation in the creative sector.
Regarding BOAPA 2025, Mohd Yusri described the featured young performers as embodying the essence of ASEAN's cultural heritage.
"Tonight, as they take to the stage, they represent our shared aspirations – evolving into symbols of unity, creativity and hope for a brighter and more interconnected future for our region," he said.
BOAPA 2025 represents a regional effort to nurture and empower the next generation of cultural talents across ASEAN, foster creativity, deepen appreciation of ASEAN's diverse heritage and strengthen cultural identity among youth.
The programme features a six-day intensive skill-building workshop in performing arts, highlighting traditional dance, music and contemporary interpretations of ASEAN culture.
A total of 22 young artists aged between seven and 13 years from ASEAN member states will participate in this vibrant exchange of knowledge and creativity.
-- BERNAMA
