Five UTHM Students Captivate Delegates From 42 Countries In Germany With Zapin Johor

By Nur Atiq Maisarah Suhaimi

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- They are neither professional dancers nor cultural practitioners, but five Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) students have proved that their love for the country can overcome all limitations.

The delegation captivated and impressed representatives from 42 countries with a Zapin Johor dance performance at a dinner in conjunction with the opening of the “UNESCO Chair Conference 2026” in Germany recently, despite having had only a week of intensive training.

Head of the Malaysian delegation and President of the UTHM UNESCO Club, Mohammad Hafiz Najmi Mohd Syariff, 24, said none of the five performers had any prior experience in the traditional dance.

“When we were entrusted with showcasing Malaysia’s cultural heritage, Zapin Johor immediately came to mind.

“The fact is, none of us are dancers, but every time we entered the rehearsal room at night, we reminded each other, ‘It’s okay, this is for Malaysia.’ That spirit was what kept our feet moving,” he told Bernama.

The Perak-born student was in Germany with six other students and a lecturer accompanying the delegation to attend the “UNESCO Chair Conference 2026”, organised by the UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC) at TU Dortmund University from Sept 30 to Oct 2.

The UTHM UNESCO Club, established last March, made history by becoming the university’s first student group to be entrusted with representing the country at the conference, which had previously usually been represented by lecturers.

According to the third-year UTHM Information Technology Management student, they only managed to train for about two hours each night over a week under the guidance of UTHM Sports and Cultural Centre coach Muhammad Azamuddin Hajijul.

However, their hard work paid off when the hall erupted in applause and cheers as soon as the performance ended. International representatives from various continents even approached them personally to express their admiration for the beauty of the traditional Malay dance.

“While we were performing the dance, the audience was excited, cheering and applauding. After the performance, some came over to ask questions, and we explained that the zapin originated in Johor and invited them to visit Malaysia. That was how we promoted our country,” he said.

Mohammad Hafiz said the Zapin Johor dance was specifically chosen to represent their campus in Batu Pahat, Johor. He and the other delegates were proud to serve as Malaysia’s young ambassadors in promoting the country’s cultural heritage on the world stage.

“We are very proud to be able to bring the voice of young people to the international level at UNESCO-UNEVOC.

“Besides that, when we were entrusted with performing Zapin in Germany, we were very excited and proud to introduce our heritage to the international community,” he said.

At the UNESCO-UNEVOC platform, Mohammad Hafiz and his team also presented a proposal to organise the “International Youth Leadership Camp 2027” in Malaysia, as a continuation of the “International Summer Camp 2026” programme from Oct 10 to 15.

The camp, organised by the UTHM UNESCO Club and the Malaysian Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (MyRIVET), has attracted participants from 12 countries, including Uzbekistan, Somalia and Indonesia.

-- BERNAMA