Based on the accumulated experience over the course of fifteen years since the adoption of the 2003 Convention, Southeast Asia is well known for its diverse and abundant intangible heritage. Many states in this region have already initiated ICH safeguarding plans with active participation of communities.\nHowever, a number of Member States are still having difficulties employing community‐based safeguarding plan and programs. In implementing the 2003 Convention, much attention should be paid to build capacity to support and safeguard a wider range of ICH Stakeholders, including communities, group, and individuals.\nTherefore, this session will provide an opportunity to share experiences and discuss on the roles the community should exercise in safeguarding ICH. In this session, we will discuss the following questions: (1) Do ICH communities, groups, individuals, and practitioners fully recognise the spirit and significance of the 2003 Convention? (2) Are they subsequently assigned to embody appropriate roles?

Ethnobotany is an area of scientic studies investigating practical uses of indig-enous plants by people in a particular culture and region, which are inherited through traditional knowledge (www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany). The term was first conceived by John William Harshberger, but the area really became well known by Richard Evans Schultes beginning with his Amazon expedition (Balick 2012). The use of plants as food sources and medicines date back to origin of human life, although the type of uses was not sophisticated as the modern forms. Overtime it has evolved into many forms in diverse cultures by local peoples. Since the first uses, people have learned to identify and classify the plants and understand the features and roles of plants. All the priceless knowledge has improved the uses of plants, and the knowledge has passed on across generations in the local cultures, which makes usage of plants even more sophisticated.

The beautiful body-sway of Malaysian traditional dance is often showcased outside the country as an effort by Tourism Malaysia to introduce local arts to the world. Aside from the mainstream traditional dance, Malaysian aborigines are also known for their unique traditional dance art. Unfortunately, these forms are not commonly known nor are they publicized as much as modern dance art.

Traditional music is a form of art capable of determining the survival of the safeguarding of tradition. This is related to the factor of increasing decline of people’s interest in the existence of tradition and increasing advancement of technology, which is considered a sign of modernity. It is as if technological advancement is considered one of the most important needs of the current age, which is then used as a yardstick to measure a person’s ability. Those who have not mastered technology are considered incapable of following the developments of the age, and thus the focus of society is more toward the development of technology. This will surely influence people’s interest in safeguarding the tradition, as the opinion arises that things related to tradition are considered obstacles toward developing technology itself. \n\nThus, technology and tradition are placed as being opposed to one another. On another side, the existence of tradition is often considered something old-fashioned, behind the times, and boring for the younger generation. Even arts practitioners and academics appear to be less interested in researching or doing treatment of new compositions so that the above tradition might become attractive to the younger generation. This article will not discuss all traditional music in Indonesia, but rather will focus on the matter of traditional music of the Dayak ethnic community as one of the original ethnic communities of Kalimantan island.

Datun Julud, or ‘long dance’ dance is an Orang Ulu traditional women's dance that is popular among the Kenyah tribe of Sarawak. It means ‘long dance’ in the language of the Kenyah Dayak. It was once performed during communal celebrations but now has become a dance of formal entertainment that is often performed in the rumah panjang (longhouse) to greet visitors and tourists, accompanied by the beautiful sound of Sape’.

Sape is one of the most identifiable traditional musical instruments in Sarawak producing a soothing sound of music. It is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community of Sarawak, traditionally used by the Kenyah, Kayan and Kelabit tribes.

Bergendang is an arts and culture collection inherited by the Sarawak Malay community. It serves as a casual entertainment that educates, entertains, and criticizes the behavior of the community, by conveying messages through Pantun by Seh Gendang and Penandak .