PUTRAJAYA: In an effort to boost national unity, the Dragon and Lion Dance Federation of Malaysia wants the traditional Chinese performing arts to be promoted as national sport. “We need to remove the stigma about the dragon and lion dance. It is not a community sports exclusively to the Chinese anymore. I have personally coached non-Chinese students who are interested in the arts,” said Yong Kheng Chien, the Federation’s National Technical and Judges Committee Chairman. He told reporters this after paying a courtesy visit to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong this afternoon. Yong said among the schools that have mastered the arts under his belt are SMK Jalan Mengkibol and SMK Tengku Aris Bendahara in Kluang, Johor. “I have trained Malay and Indian students who are interested in the lion and dragon dance,” enthused Yong. “My association has also received a lot of invitations from non-Chinese organisations to perform the dance at their public events.” Formed in 2009, the Dragon and Lion Dance Federation of Malaysia comprise 16 associations which currently have more than a thousand registered members and about 10 per cent of the association’s members, according to Yong, are non-Chinese. “We also have 200 professional coaches and 50 judges who are world champions,” he added. In fact, Wee himself has pledged his support for the Chinese cultural heritage to be turned into a competitive national sport. “I will bring this proposal up to the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as the Ministry of Education,” Wee said. “Our dragon and lion dance troupes have been world champions for years. We can promote it the way we have promoted wushu. It can be made as part of the co-curriculum activities in our schools. The disciplines involved in the lion and dragon dance will also help in shaping up our students’ morals and foster national integrity.”
Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/01/205348/malaysian-dragon-and-lion-dance-be-promoted-national-sport
