The Indonesian government has said it will verify whether the Malaysian government intended to claim the Pendet dance as its own when it decided to use the popular Balinese dance in its latest tourism campaign. Minister for Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik asserted there was no reason for Malaysia to exploit the Pendet dance for any purpose without getting a permit from the Indonesian government. "I will talk directly with the Malaysian culture minister on Monday to determine the motive behind using the Pendet dance and to find out who made the ads," Jero said in a TV interview.
"The entire world knows the Pendet dance belongs to Bali; so Malaysia has to get a permit from Indonesia before using it." He said Malaysia's tourism ads "Visit Malaysia Year" that used the Pendet dance were aired on the Discovery Channel. "I will also track down whose project it is and find out if it is funded by a private company or the Malaysian government," he said.
A spokesman from the foreign ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, said his office would also clarify the case with the Malaysian government. "But it is very unlikely Malaysia wants to claim it, as the dance is very popular in Bali," he told the Post.
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