UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC), in
collaboration with students from the MPU34022 Arts and Cultural Performance
and MPU34042 Language, Culture and Social Study Abroad courses, organised
the annual International Culture Day on 27 and 30 November 2022 at UTAR
Sungai Long Campus.
The theme for this year’s International Culture Day
was ‘Culture – The Dying Art’,
which was chosen to preserve the heritage culture in Malaysia and Asia. The
objectives of this event were also to celebrate UTAR’s 20th
anniversary and to raise funds for the UTAR Hospital. Other than that, the
International Culture Day served to promote cultural expression and
appreciate art and culture around the world, raise awareness of the
importance of art and culture, and explore students’ technical and soft
skills in managing an event.
The event started with its launch and the
International Culture Show on 27 November 2022. UTAR Vice President for
Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong was
present at the event. After a wonderful opening dance performance, Prof
Choong delivered a speech, saying, “The International Culture Day event is a
wonderful opportunity to bring together students from various cultures
together. With this, we can expose students to the many cultures around the
world, whilst educating our overseas students about Malaysian culture as
well. As such, I urge the participants to take their time touring the
booths, watching the performances, attending the talks, and interacting with
each other to learn more about the various cultures.”
Prof Choong welcoming the attendees
The event reached its climax, with the official
launch of International Culture Day by Prof Choong and DSSC staff member
Nurzanatul Amira binti Azizan. The International Culture Show then commenced
with dance and singing performances from the students. There was also a
fashion show, where students from various international countries such as
Senegal, Sierra Leone and Syria came to show off their fashion and culture.
Not to mention, various booths showcasing cultural food, costumes,
activities, and sites were also on display throughout both days.
International Culture Day fashion
show
Performances throughout the night
On the second day of International Culture Day, a
short film presentation was held to display the documentaries and sketches
made by the students of both courses. These films were made to help present
and raise awareness of Malaysian cultures such as its taboos, activities,
food, and lifestyle. The film presentation was followed by a discussion
forum titled “The dying art of culture”. Invited to give the talk were
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) College of Creative Arts lecturer Dr David
Hock Jin Neo and UTAR Faculty of Creative Industries lecturer Dr Sharon
Jacqueline. The former gave a talk titled “The Peranakan Chinese: A dying
culture”, while the latter’s talk was titled “Craving a cultural identity
within an evolving cultural community”.
Dr David Hock (left) and Dr Sharon
(right) giving their talks
In his talk, Dr David Hock explained to the
participants the history of Peranakans. “The Peranakan community has been
around since the 19th century when foreign merchants married the
local women. In Malaysia, there are nine Peranakan communities, with the
Baba Nyonya found in Melaka being the biggest and the SamSam from Perlis and
Kedah being the smallest,” said Dr David Hock. He added, “Nowadays, the
biggest change to Peranakan tradition is commodification, where people use
the culture for commercialisation. For example, movies about Peranakan
culture have been developed throughout the years, while Nonya food has also
been marketed by social media influencers. While this method has definitely
helped to spread awareness of the Peranakan culture, the question must be
asked; are the ones behind this really trying to revive the dying culture,
or are they aiming only for profits?”
Meanwhile, Dr Sharon said, “In modern Malaysia, we
tend to incorporate many cultures into our daily lives, and that is what
makes us Malaysian. For example, we mix English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and
Tamil in our day-to-day conversations. As such, it can be difficult to
explain our culture to non-Malaysians, as Malaysian culture is an
amalgamation of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures.”
Dr David Hock and Dr Sharon (right)
receiving a token of appreciation from Nurzanatul
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