Samsung Celebrates Malaysia Heritage with Culture Connect

A virtual tour through augmented reality technology helps communities discover rich Malaysian culture

Kuala Lumpur, 28 July 2016 – Malaysia, a cultural melting pot, offers authentic experiences from its local delicacies, arts and culture, to natural landscapes and historical landmarks. In an effort to celebrate, rediscover and appreciate the beauty and richness of this unique nation, Samsung Malaysia Electronics has embarked on a citizenship initiative called Culture.Connect that aims to connect generations and communities through a celebration of heritage and culture.

A first ever flagship regional citizenship programme spearheaded by Samsung Southeast Asia & Oceania, Culture.Connect is a significant programme that aspires to enhance the meaningful engagement with local communities. The goal of Culture.Connect is to celebrate the distinct aspects of the culture and heritage of each market across a variety of cultural passion points including Landscapes & Landmarks, Food, Arts & Culture, and Music.

“We understand that our histories and evolving cultures are major factors to the nation’s success, and these are things that we at Samsung take pride in. Leveraging on our technology, we believe that we can help create positive change by ensuring that Malaysia’s rich history continues to flourish, while bringing together generations and communities. We also appreciate the strong support from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and collaboration with our partners such as Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Perbadanan Muzium Melaka, PETRONAS Twin Towers, Pinang Peranakan Mansion and Galeri Diraja Tuanku Ja’afar for making this initiative a success,” said Lee Sang Hoon, President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

Part of the roll-out of the Culture.Connect is an introduction of Samsung’s first location-based augmented reality application called ‘Culture Explorer’that allows users to learn about Malaysia’s heritage. Built with unique features tailored according to the local communities in Malaysia, the app functions like a personal virtual tour guide to explore interesting landmarks around the country. Culture Explorer encourages all Malaysians to rediscover our precious cultures while simultaneously serving as a good platform for local and foreign tourists to soak up Malaysia’s unique culture and heritage.

Samsung Malaysia Electronics has additionally partnered with several organizations with a shared vision for innovation to create the ‘Culture Explorer’ app. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, the educational information provided in the ‘Culture Explorer’ app is a result of the strategic partnership from various landmarks’ representative in providing relevant content. Presently, the app features historical information on the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and The Stadthuys – two legendary landmarks featuring the rich history and humble beginnings of a country then known as ‘Malaya’. Samsung together with its partners will include more historical sites and places of interests in the app in due course.

“Samsung’s citizenship efforts in celebrating culture and heritage through innovation are very much aligned with the government’s objectives of promoting Malaysia as a top-of-the-mind destination. The Culture.Connect campaign serves as a great platform to introduce our diverse culture and heritage to tourists, and it gives Malaysians a sense of national pride and reignite the passion for our beloved country. With this great collaboration with Samsung, I am confident that the government can successfully promote tourism and culture which will help drive the nation’s economy – contributing significantly in welcoming the world to Malaysia,” said YB Datuk Hajjah Mas Ermieyati Binti Samsudin, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia.

‘Culture Explorer’ is compatible with all Android smartphones and tablets, and can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store*. No registration is required for users to enjoy full access to the app.

*Google Play Store is a trademark of Google Inc.