Malaysia is represented on the World Heritage List by two natural sites.
In addition, it receives support from UNESCO to preserve its biodiversity
through the Forest Programme.
In the field of intangible and oral heritage, Mak Yong Theatre was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.
Malaysia and UNESCO also work together for the development of handicrafts through the Seal of Excellence Programme.
World Heritage Forest Programme
Seal of Excellence Programme for Handicraft Products
Link for more information:http://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/ev.php-URL_ID=3049&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
World Heritage Sites of Malaysia:
The words "Tapak Warisan Dunia" mean World Heritage Sites.
- top left: Banda Hilir, Melaka, Historic City of the Straits of Malacca
- bottom left: George Town, Penang, Historic City of the Straits of Malacca
- right: Taman Kinabalu, Sabah
The postcard is pre-stamped with a stamp of Taman Negara Mulu, Sarawak .On the back of the card is also a map of Malaysia with the four sites shown on the card and the stamp.
The three World Heritage Sites of Malaysia are described like this on
Gunung Mulu National Park(http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1013):
"Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha
park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of
vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in
twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world."
Kinabalu Park (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1012):"Kinabalu Park, in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and scrub on the higher elevations. It has been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia and is exceptionally rich in species with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malaysia, as well as pan-tropical flora."
Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223):"Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.
Melaka and George Town, Malaysia, are remarkable examples of historic colonial towns on the Straits of Malacca that demonstrate a succession of historical and cultural influences arising from their former function as trading ports linking East and West. These are the most complete surviving historic city centres on the Straits of Malacca with a multi-cultural living heritage originating from the trade routes from Great Britain and Europe through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Archipelago to China. Both towns bear testimony to a living multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, where the many religions and cultures met and coexisted. They reflect the coming together of cultural elements from the Malay Archipelago, India and China with those of Europe, to create a unique architecture, culture and townscape."