http://fsi.gov.ph/2025/09/12/malaysian-culture-highlighted-at-19th-cultural-wednesdays/
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) hosted its 19th Cultural Wednesdays on 10 September 2025, featuring a festive presentation by artists from Malaysia and the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila. Entitled “Majlis Cukur Jambul: A Traditional Malay Newborn Hair-Cutting Ceremony,” the program highlighted Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage through music, dance, and community rituals. The Malaysian contingent was led by Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino Anthony.
The event opened with a colorful performance by Touché Production, blending Malay, Chinese, and Indian dance traditions. This was followed by the main highlight—the Majlis Cukur Jambul simulation—where Malaysian Embassy staff reenacted the symbolic rite of welcoming a newborn into the family and community.
The celebration continued with a cultural feast of music and dance. A song performance by Mr. Norjufri Nizar Edrus, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Malaysia, delighted the audience with his blended rendition of “Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi” and its Tagalog counterpart, “Ikaw Ang Aking Mahal.” Persatuan Ngajat Asal Iban (NGASI) then showcased traditional Iban, Melanau, and Orang Ulu dances, while Touché Production returned with a medley of “Zapin Rajuk Rindu” and “Inang Layar Batuta.” The program concluded with an interactive dance, featuring “Joget Lambak”, which united performers and guests in a joyful finale.
The Embassy’s presentation embodied the mission of Cultural Wednesdays— to foster cultural appreciation and strengthen ties through artistic exchange.
Cultural Wednesdays is part of FSI’s flagship Cultural Events Management Program, which offers DFA personnel and its attached agencies opportunities to promote and experience Philippine cultural diplomacy.
FSI is the training and research agency attached to the DFA, which was created under Presidential Decree No. 1060 and its remit expanded under Republic Act No. 7157. The FSI Board is chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, with the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Director General of FSI, President of the University of the Philippines (UP), and President of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as members.