Malaysian gastronomy is deeply rooted in a rich biodiversity, which spreads over a wide geographical area.
The project aims to boost economic growth by enhancing the added value of the gastronomic tourism sector. Its overall purpose is to promote intellectual property (IP) related to culinary traditions for use in the gastronomic tourism sector.
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The scoping study in Malaysia focuses on 15 typical dishes and recipes: Nasi lemak, Nasi dagang, Nasi beriyani gam Johore, Nasi Daging Air asam from Perlis and Kedah, Nasi kerabu from Kelantan and Trengganu, Laksam, Lemang, Laksa from different territories in Malaysia, Ambuyat and Linut from Sabah and Sarawak, Tempoyak ikan Patin from Pahang, Rendang Tok from Perak, Gulai Daging Salai from Negeri Sembilan, Asam Pedas from Malacca, Satay and Nasi Kandar from Penang.
On December 17, 2021, the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) organized a Round Table to discuss the scoping study. The following 7 specialties were retained for the IP analysis:
The IP Analysis proposes a spectrum of IP tools which are available in Malaysia and would enable the different stakeholders to differentiate their products or services on the market. These include trademarks, certification marks, collective marks, geographical indications and industrial designs.
For instance, Nasi Kerabu is a delicacy which presents two very distinctive features that might facilitate its protection through a collective mark, namely: its origin (from the State of Kelantan and Terengganu) and its blue/violet colour.
Another IP tool – industrial design, was proposed to protect the creative packaging for take away purposes or for jars and containers for ready-made sauces in relation to Rendang Tok, another famous Malaysian delicacy that originates from the state of Perak, West Malaysia.
A strategy to create synergies with different national authorities was also proposed to promote the Malaysian traditional breakfast Nasi Lemak. Its inclusion in the list of traditional foods under the UNESCO world heritage and, in this context, creation of a collective mark for a specific group of nasi lemak producers could potentially be conceived with the aim of attracting and educating tourists and promoting local gastronomic tourism.
The national seminar jointly organized by WIPO and MyIPO took place on June 23, 2022. More than 30 stakeholders participated in the seminar.
The Director General of MyIPO, Mr. Abdul Haris Haji Lakar, informed the audience about the authorities' efforts to promote Malaysian culinary traditions and stressed the importance of the project for local economies and representatives of the food and tourism sector.
The international workshop took place on October 18, 2022, at WIPO Headquarters, bringing together the four participating countries and experts, who shared their experience in the project deployment and discussed their conclusions and ideas for future action. As part of the project’s concluding activities, a side event took place on the margins of the CDIP 29th session, in which presented the project’s takeaways to Member States.
The four countries agreed on the importance of continuing work, building on the project’s results, to impact real people in the gastronomic and tourism sectors. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) also attended the workshop to explore with the countries ways to pursue the tourism component of the project.
