Malaysia reaffirms commitment to ASEAN cultural connectivity via Best of ASEAN Performing Arts 2025, promoting youth talent and concert tourism.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia remains committed to strengthening people-to-people connectivity and promoting cultural diversity under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community pillar.
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Deputy Secretary-General (Culture) Datuk Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusoff said initiatives like Best of ASEAN Performing Arts (BOAPA) 2025 enable ASEAN members to collectively preserve and celebrate their shared cultural heritage.
“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,” he said when officiating the launch of BOAPA 2025 at the Seri Angkasa Auditorium, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
Mohd Yusri noted that concert tourism represents one of Malaysia’s key tourism segments, attracting visitors from across the region to experience world-class performances.
The launch event showcased dance performances featuring two youths from each ASEAN country presenting a vibrant display of diversity, traditional costumes and unique cultural heritage.
Mohd Yusri highlighted Malaysia’s modern facilities including Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil National Stadium and Zepp Kuala Lumpur as diverse venues for major global tours and live entertainment events.
These venues contribute 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.
The programme fosters creativity, deepens appreciation of ASEAN’s diverse heritage and strengthens cultural identity among youth.
It 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
