*Adrian Yuen Beng Lee, Tan Raan Hann

Abstract:

This study examines how community-based heritage initiatives can support the sustainability of Indigenous cultural practices within development-oriented policy frameworks. Focusing on the Mah Meri community of Carey Island, Malaysia, the research evaluates the implementation of CITA-HEA: The Mah Meri Storytelling—Giving Voice to the Voiceless, an initiative introduced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) to support storytelling traditions and women’s livelihoods in alignment with SDG 11.4. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach based on document analysis, focus group discussions with Mah Meri women participants, and site observations. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted through APPGM-SDG’s six-domain Return-on-Value (RoV) framework. The findings indicate that the initiative strengthened participants’ sense of cultural pride and created opportunities for women’s economic participation through heritage-related activities.

Keywords: Critical heritage studies, Indigenous cultural heritage, gendered labour, Mah Meri, SDG 11.4, storytelling traditions