By Elishya Perera
SINGAPORE (CWBN)_ Singapore’s hawker culture has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
During the virtual proceedings held last night (Dec 16), the 24-member committee unanimously agreed that these community dining and culinary practices fulfilled all the requirements and hence, there was no need for debate on it at the next session of the intergovernmental committee.
According to the UNESCO, while hawker centres serve as ‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over a meal, activities such as chess-playing, busking and art-jamming also take place.
Following the successful nomination, Edwin Tong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, thanked all “hawkers and Singaporeans” for their immense support for this nomination.
“Singapore’s hawker culture is a source of pride for Singapore and all Singaporeans. It reflects our living heritage and multiculturalism, and is an integral part of the daily lives of everyone in Singapore regardless of age, race or background,” he said. The Minister also pledged that the Ministry would do its part in safeguarding this cultural heritage.
Both President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to convey their gratitude to those involved in the nomination process. “The biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits. This recognition would not have come without their sweat, toil and dedication to their profession,” Lee said.
This successful nomination means that Singapore will have to submit a report to UNESCO every six years, detailing the steps undertaken to safeguard and transmit the hawker culture for future generations.
According to Singapore’s Federation of Merchants’ Associations (FMAS), the development is expected to boost hawker’s prestige both locally and internationally. However, the hawker sector has found it difficult to attract young people, in the recent years and authorities have initiated traineeship programmes and monetary subsidies in order to encourage participation of young aspiring hawkers.
