Minister of Culture Fadli Zon encourages Keris to become a strength of Indonesian culture
MEDAN - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon encourages the preservation of keris not to stop at symbols and ceremonies, but to be strengthened through literacy, studies, and certification of professions so that cultural heritage remains alive and has value in the future.
The message was conveyed by Fadli when attending the inauguration of the National Secretariat of Indonesian Perkerisan (SNKI) North Sumatra Regional Coordinator for the 2026-2030 period at the Tangga Cultural House, Medan, Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Fadli emphasized that SNKI is one of six Indonesian cultural organizations that have been accredited by UNESCO. He said that this organization was formed by the government through the 2016 Perkerisan Congress and continues to show progress.
"At first, the keris stage was only about 16, now there are more than 250 keris activists throughout Indonesia. This indicates the continuity and sustainability of our culture," said Fadli.
He assessed that the challenge of preserving the kris is not only to maintain its physical form, but also to expand public understanding. Therefore, Fadli encourages more literacy and studies about the kris, as well as strengthening the capacity of the keris actors.
According to him, the Ministry of Culture has also opened the Indonesian Keris Professional Certification Agency with 29 certification schemes. This step is considered important so that the keris industry does not run as it should, but has clear standards and recognition.
Indonesian kris has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2005. After wayang, kris became a marker that Indonesian cultural heritage has a strong position on the world stage.
On that occasion, the General Chair of SNKI North Sumatra Region, Zulfani Anhar, expressed his appreciation for the government's support in efforts to reintroduce the wisdom of the Nusantara through kris.
Menbud Fadli, at the end of his speech, emphasized that the kris must be maintained as a cultural heritage and encouraged to become part of Indonesia's intellectual property along with other cultural objects.