The Story of PUSAKA

Cultural heritage organisation PUSAKA was formally established by Eddin Khoo in 2002, though the work began much earlier in the 1990's. Focussed on championing Malaysia's intangible heritage - our local traditions and art forms - Eddin first started working with traditional masters from Kelantan, after the local government implemented a ban on some of the state’s traditional arts. The small but formidable team behind PUSAKA, which includes creative director Pauline Fan, are celebrating their 'official' 20th anniversary this year, and the group are still dedicated to creating a comprehensive documentary archive of traditional performing arts in Malaysia, while strengthening the viability of these traditions at the community level. We catch up with both Eddin and Pauline to discuss how they continue to work to both preserve and revitalise Malaysia's cultural traditions.