Malay Heritage Centre
With Singapore as an uprising nation with rapid advancements in technology and globalisation, it is a challenge for us to be aware as well as to show appreciation of our own cultural roots and ethnic identities.
Therefore, in order to prevent our sense of belonging as a nation to face the risk of being eroded, the idea of establishing the heritage centres in Singapore in 1999 was proposed. This is an effort to encourage the different communities in Singapore to have the chance to showcase their heritage, culture and history, so as to preserve their own ethnic identities and values which are important for Singapore.
On 28 July 1999, Malay Heritage Foundation (Yayasan Warisan Melayu) was formed to facilitate the development of the Malay Heritage Centre. The ultimate aim of the Malay Heritage Foundation is to create a new heritage venue which Singaporeans can feel proud of.
Basically, there are 9 galleries housed in the museum. The gallery foyer will illustrate the Malays as a maritime society. There will also be an audio-visual presentation and artifacts displayed for the public to feast their eyes on.
· The first gallery will cover the colonial policies of the Johor Riau Lingga Kindom (when Singapore was still a part of the Malay maritime entity) that eventually divided it and depict specifically the fascinating points of the kingdom.
· The second gallery displays a unique 3D model of the Malay settlement in Singapore in 1819. It is able to give tourists a rough overview of the geographical landscape of Kg Gelam in that period. In addition, rare prints from the late 19th to early 20th century will be able to tell a story of the lives of people living in the early days of the Malay settlement.
· In Gallery 3, the displays will illustrate to tourists how Kampong Gelam was the centre of Islamic learning and literacy in the late 19th century
· The fourth gallery holds a painting of a tragic fire that set ablaze Kampong Gelam in the mid 19th Century. It is also devoted to narrating life in Kampong Gelam during days when the royal palace was the focal point of cultural and religious activities.
· The fifth gallery is the story of change where more immigrants came to settle down in Singapore. There was a growing sense of being Singaporean Malays rather than Javanese etc.
· Gallery 6 will be exhibiting the post World War 2 where the high spirits of all the Malays rose and this resulted in an increase of the cultural activities within the Malay community. Tourists who are interested in history or the different cultures may want to visit this heritage centre in Singapore.
· Gallery 7 is about the independence and the road to nationhood of Singapore. It shows the concern of the government in development and nation building. The main development is the areas of housing, education and employment. Tourists are able to view that Singapore had a wonderful history and how this nation had carved out to be what it is today.
· The last gallery will be how the people participate in a new society. It captures the Malays as part of Singapore’s multi-cultural, multi-religious society. Careers, festivals, customs, aspirations are all captured here in the form of multi-media presentations.
Besides the galleries in the museum, there are pottery and batik workshops for the visitors as well. This will be fascinating for art lovers as they are able to learn how to make pottery and painting batiks.
We feel that the Malays Heritage Centre have the ability to provide tourists with a rich history of the Malay settlement in Singapore, specifically tourists that show eager interest in gaining knowledge of the various ethnic groups. The museum will be able to give tourists a vivid and detailed scenario of the past happenings that took place in Kampong Gelam. Tourists that are curious about how Singapore is able to exist as a multi-racial community will thus gain more understanding through this trip. So what are you waiting for? Make your trip down to Kampong Gelam now!
Address:
85, Sultan Gate
Singapore 198501
Republic of Singapore
Main: +65 63910450
Fax : +65 62994316
Opening Hours:
Mondays: 1pm to 6pm
Tuesdays –Sundays : 10am to 6pm
