Dubai celebrates ‘Asean Cultural Day 2019’

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Thailand Ambassador Wiravuth Pouapinya has encouraged his over 800,000-strong fellow Southeast Asians in the UAE to actively promote their homogeneous yet variegated culture to the world.

Pouapinya was the guest-of-honour at the “Asean Cultural Day” hosted by the consular missions of the five founding members of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Dubai and the Northern Emirates on Wednesday evening at Dusit Thani Hotel.

He emphasized cultural understanding between and among the Aseans themselves, as well as to the international community, since 2019 marks the “Asean Cultural Year” of the sixth world’s largest economy with a population of over 655 million.

The year 2019 too, is the turn of Thailand—2018 was Singapore’s chairmanship—to lead and steer the organization towards “Advancing Partnerships for Sustainability” across the globe amidst “challenges and uncertainties,” the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the unprecedented rise of digital information.

Asean was formally established through the “Bangkok Declaration” on Aug. 8, 1967 for multilateral cooperation by the then foreign ministers of Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Neighbours Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and VietNam thereafter joined.

In his speech, Pouapinya highlighted Asean’s mission and Bangkok’s chairmanship’s thrust, anchored on “people-to-people connectivity and partnerships.

“We seek to deepen the Asean people’s (connectivity) so that no one else is left behind and that we (all) work towards the future. People are at the heart of the Asean countries. We want (to push for more) people-to-people connectivity and partnerships.”

According to Pouapinya, the success of an inclusive society, with people assimilating and integrating well with one another, lies in the enhancements of cultural understanding among nations.

He pointed out that 2019 is also the UAE’s “Year of Tolerance.” 

Pouapinya said Asean performing arts and other cultural events have been calendared not only in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) but also in South Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain.

On Wednesday evening, representatives of the Dubai of Chamber and Commerce Industries and other UAE entities, the Diplomatic Corps in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and representatives from the communities of the five founding Asean members were given a taste of the Asean culture.

Singaporean Michelle Wong sang well-loved “Home,” the 1998 National Day Promotion theme song.  Members of the Muay Thai Association in Abu Dhabi showed their skills of the sport, a world heritage since 2010 originating from the Sukothai Dynasty.

Malaysian Embassy-Abu Dhabi Counselor Anis Wajdi Mohammad Yusof and Dubai-based Nik Fakhrulanwar Nik Abdul Rahman demonstrated another Asean martial arts, the Silat, also indigenous to Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Dancers from the Sasana Budaya Art Troupe in Tangerang, Indonesia performed the traditional dances of Krincing Mas Dance of Central Java and Ondel Ondel of Jakarta.

The all-Filipino Dubai Vocal Ensemble rendered folk songs namely “Waway” from the Ibanag tribe in Northern Luzon and “Pasiguin” (fishnet) and “Kruhay” (a folk tale about a bartered land), respectively from the Western Visayan provinces of Capiz and Antique.

Dubai Thai ladies danced Northern Thailand’s  Serng Isan.

A much-anticipated haute couture show by designers either based in the UAE or in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, concluded the programme, spiced up with raffle draws for round trips to the five founding member-countries.

Buffet dinner consisted of the culinary delights Beef Randang and Jajanan Pasar from Indonesia; Spicy Chicken Adobo and Leche Flan from the Philippines; Nasi Lemak, Kuih Bakar and CekMek Noleh from Malaysia; Chicken with Sauce and Special Rice from Singapore; and the motley of dish, fruits and sweets from Thailand.