In the first company I worked in Singapore, there was a very beautiful Malay girl Sue, in addition to wearing casual clothes every Friday, the other days, she wore most of the time in the traditional Malay costume gulong costume, the style is basically the same, but the décor is ever-changing. I don't even know how many of these costumes she actually has, and when it comes to traditional Malay festivals, Sue's clothes are brand new. The wide ancient cage suit worn on Sue's body did not hide her beauty, but on the contrary, it set off her unique Malay temperament, so that I secretly looked forward to the day when I could have such a special set of ancient cage clothes.
The Malays of Singapore, also known as the Wu people, are the indigenous people of Singapore and one of the four major ethnic groups in Singapore today. They have their own language and script and have well preserved their original culture. Although Singapore is a predominantly Chinese country, Malay culture permeates the corners of Singapore, and even the training passwords of the Singaporean army are in Malay. Most Malays are Muslims and these Muslims have a lot of precepts, and I was really surprised when I first saw Sue in Ramadan, insisting on eating every day after the sun had gone down. Sue also told me that Malays in Singapore can be polygamous if the economic situation allows.
If you want to get a feel for Malay in Singapore, the Kampong Glam Ethnic Cultural District and the Malay Market in Nha Phra Snai are the best choices. Before the British landed, the whole of Singapore was under the rule of the Malay royal family. Kampong Glam was the center of activity for the Malay royal family at that time. Today's Kampong Glam has the former Sultan's Palace, sultan mosque, and the famous Yala Street. This area was also once a distribution center for Sin Chew Agarwood. By the early 1920s, the Malays of Kampong Glam had moved to Nha Phra Snai due to land competition, and since then, Nha Phra Snai has become a Malay settlement. The most famous place here is Singapore's largest Malay market.
Kampong Glam is located in the heart of Singapore, less than a ten-minute walk from Bugis MRT station, and there is a striking mosque, the Sultan Mosque. The mosque was completed in 1928 and is still in use today. On weekends, some Malays gather in their neighbourhoods to chant the Koran. Important festivals such as Eid or Haji wear new Malay costumes and pray at the Sultan Mosque.
If you're lucky, you might come across a wedding dressed bride and groom on a visit to the mosque, and their ceremony looks very complicated and there are plenty of guests on both sides. Interestingly, the so-called meeters have a share, and they will prepare a beautiful small gift for each person who is present, which has a beautiful patterned stainless steel pot, an egg, and a piece of Malay dessert. Let's share the sweetness of the bride and groom together. Shoes must be removed to enter the mosque, and if you are wearing shorts and skirts, the staff will prepare a robe for you to wear before entering the temple.
Next to the Sultan Mosque is the former Sultan's Palace. The 150-year-old palace has been converted into the Malay Heritage Centre. This is a museum with 9 exhibition halls, so if you want to learn more about the history, life and culture of Singapore's Malay ethnic group, you can visit the museum. Handmade batik and pottery experiences can be enjoyed, as well as performances of Malay culture and Malay martial arts. The Malay cuisine in the deli centre is also well worth a try.
The buildings surrounding the Sultan Mosque are three-storey, five-legged row houses, very well preserved, with colourful walls, doors and windows decorated with a Malay flair. There are a variety of tourist souvenirs sold in the small shops on the street. Yarra Street is the most special of these streets. The thick mid-east wind will make you wonder where you are. The shop sells a variety of handicrafts from Turkey, such as exquisite Persian carpets, exquisite and practical rattan products, dry and one-night lamps, tea sets and perfume bottles. There are also many shops selling traditional Malay costumes. The goods on Yarra Street are all bargain-friendly.
Walking down Yala Street, you will find that among these Arabic-style handicraft shops, there are occasional shops selling agarwood. Singapore is a port city with relatively developed transportation and perfect laws, and has always been a distribution center for the maritime agarwood trade. Not only Yala Street, Kampong Genan's Golden Pinang Street and Beiqiao Street have also had agarwood for sale, but in recent years, because of the less and less agarwood, the water has risen, many agarwood shops have turned to specialize in agarwood auctions, and now only the agarwood shops on Yarra Street are still open.
Compared with the cultural atmosphere of Kampong Glam, Geylang Serai is more down-to-earth. Nha Mos nai is located between Bayelee Lipa and Eunoz MRT station. There is the Malay Culture Village (MalayVillage) and the Geylang serai market, Singapore's largest Malay traditional market. Located in the heart of Geylang Serai, the Malay Cultural Village showcases the traditional village life of the Malay people. Entering the village, you will step back in time, making people feel like they are in the Kampung countryside of the 50s and 60s.
Across the road from the Malay Cultural Village is Geylang Serai Pasar. Like all Pasar in Singapore, good quality and low prices are the hallmarks of this place. The market has a variety of Malay-related daily necessities, handicrafts, traditional clothing and jewelry. Of course, fresh fruit, spices, dried seafood, and halal beef and lamb are essential. In addition, you can enjoy authentic Malay traditional cuisine at the deli stalls located in the market.
For the Malays of Singapore, the annual Hari Raya Puasa is one of their most important festivals. They spent up to a month fasting water during the day and not being able to eat until the sun went down. The Ramadan Market in Nha Mo Nai is Singapore's largest night market (Pasar Malam). For a whole month, the night market offers special Malay food. Colorful snacks and snacks are really addictive. In addition, the hand-painted Henna in the night market will also surprise you. If you're visiting Singapore during Eid al-Fitr, don't miss this market.
Most of the older generation of Malays in Singapore speak Malay and usually wear traditional Malay costumes. However, a new generation of young people prefers to speak English and dress more fashionably, only wearing traditional Malay costumes during important festivals. The transfer of things from star to star shows that the process of each nation retaining its own culture is not very easy.
(The picture and text comes from Singapore Eye APP netizen Jian Ma, originally published in the WeChat public account "Kairong Nanyang", the original title of the original article "[Visiting the Lion City] Kampung Glam and Nha Mosai, Exploring the Good Places of Singapore Malay Culture", thanks to the author for authorizing Singapore Eye to reprint)
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