Singapore and Malaysia mark 60 years of cultural and diplomatic ties with Triennial Cultural Showcase 2025

1. Singapore and Malaysia commemorated six decades of cultural and diplomatic ties with the Triennial Cultural Showcase (TCS) 2025, held at the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on 8 November 2025. The event was graced by Singapore’s Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (CCY), Mr David Neo; Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan; and Chairman of the Johor State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs, and Human Resources Committee, YB Tuan Lee Ting Han, who jointly served as Guests-of-Honour.

2. Organised by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), this year’s showcase, themed “Bridging Borders”, celebrated the enduring friendship and shared cultural heritage between both nations through creative collaboration and exchange.

3. Launched in 2019, the Triennial Cultural Showcase is a flagship bilateral cultural initiative. It serves as a platform to strengthen people-to-people ties and cultural diplomacy through shared artistic expression, reflecting the deep and evolving connections between the two neighbouring countries.

4. This year’s edition featured two key programmes: “Bridges in Motion” and “Made from Memory”, which together highlighted the themes of youth, friendship, and collaboration.
   “Bridges in Motion” is a 70-minute cine-concert blending short dance films with live music and dance, conceived as a cross-cultural collaboration between artists from Singapore and Malaysia, spanning both traditional and contemporary artforms. Led by Singaporean Creative and Music Director Dr. Philip Tan, the performance brought together over 50 artists and practitioners from both sides of the Causeway, including musicians, dancers, choreographers, composers, filmmakers, and fashion designers, producing a one-of-a-kind performance that exemplified the spirit of friendship between Singapore and Malaysia.

5. Complementing the performance, the “Made from Memory” heritage showcase exhibited the works of a new generation of Singaporean and Malaysian creatives who reinterpret traditional crafts and artistic practices for contemporary audiences. Curated by Angelina Lourdes (Singapore), the exhibition featured works by artists such as Marcos Kueh (Malaysia), Ng Si Ying (Singapore), and Clogtwo & Inkten (Singapore), reflecting how heritage continues to evolve and find new expression.

6. TCS 2025 builds upon a milestone year of cultural cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia. Earlier this year, both countries jointly submitted the Chingay Parade for inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, following the successful regional inscription of the Kebaya in 2024. These initiatives reflect Singapore and Malaysia’s close cultural and diplomatic ties, and our shared commitment to preserving and celebrating Southeast Asia’s living culture and heritage.

7. The event was attended by representatives from the arts, heritage, and diplomatic communities of both countries, underscoring the enduring friendship and creative partnership between Singapore and Malaysia.

About the Triennial Cultural Showcase (TCS)

The Triennial Cultural Showcase (TCS) is a bilateral cultural initiative jointly organised by Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC). Inaugurated in 2019, the Showcase alternates between the two countries every three years, promoting cultural diplomacy through collaborative performances, exhibitions, and artistic exchanges.

 Previous editions include URBN.SENI (Kuala Lumpur, 2019) and TCS 2023 (Singapore).