Indonesia disagrees with Malaysia over its repeated claim on Indonesia's cultural heritage of popular Balinese dance recently, Indonesian Culture Minister Jero Wacik said in Jakarta Monday.

Indonesia has sent a strong protest to its neighboring Malaysia over the claim on the Pendet dance on its tourism advertisement, the minister said.

The protest came after the Malaysian government used the welcome dance performed by women in Balinese costume appeared in an advertisement that was aired several times, suggesting that the dance is part of the country's cultural heritage.

The advertisement has also drawn a strong protest from Balinese.

"Today, I have written a letter of protest to the Minister of Culture of Malaysia, because of the advertisement in television about Malaysia which uses Pendet dance," Wacik told a press conference at his office.

The minister said that the dance originated from Bali and Malaysia and it could not use it without the permission from Indonesia.

"The Pendet dance can not be categorized as a gray issue," he added.

The claim by Malaysia is not the first time, as the country has done it several times in recent years, saying Indonesia's cultural heritage belongs to it, which could make the relation between the two countries up and down, he said.

The Malaysia's claims on Indonesia's heritage are the Reog Pobnorogo, an ancient tradition of dance and performance originated from Java, the song of Rasa Sayange (feeling of love) from Maluku and Batik traditional clothes.

On Saturday, Balineses took to the street, protesting against the Malaysia's advertisement.

The protesters called the government to take an intervention and a strong measure to stop such an act, as Malaysia had often claimed on Indonesia's heritage.

The pendet dance is a Balinese cultural heritage that shows artistic values and cultural symbols and as part of Hindu-Bali cultural traditions.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2009)