East Java Tourism News

Malaysia’s clarification on Reog dance brings relief to Ponorogo

December 7th, 2007

Residents in the district of Ponorogo in East Java, especially the Reog cultural activitists, are relieved with Malaysia’s explanation on the Reog dance.

This followed an explanation by Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain that Malaysia had neither claimed the Reog dance as its own nor that it originated from the country.

Ponorogo district officer, Muhadi Suyono, said the explanation had cleared the misunderstanding two months ago over a report in the local media which accused Malaysia of claiming that the Reog dance was one of its own culture.

He said the report had created anxiety among Reog activitists in Ponorogo and the situation had prompted him to get the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry to seek clarification from Malaysia.

“With the explanation by the Malaysian ambassador (Zainal Abidin), we, the community at Ponorogo, feel relieved,” he said after a tea reception hosted by Zainal Abidin at the Malaysian embassy here yesterday.

Muhadi said the explanation by Zainal Abidin was in tandem with that given by Indonesian Culture, Arts and Film Director General Dr Mukhlis Paeni that the Reog dance was brought by Indonesian emigrants from Java who settled in Malaysia.

Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, in a statement a few days ago, said that cultural performances originating from Indonesia, such as the Reog and Endang, would not be performed in Malaysian tourism promotion activities.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/

Entry Filed under: East Java News