We are the same, me and you.
We're islanders on an island celebrating islanders' heritage.
In the 1970s, the islanders of Pulau Sudong, Semakau, Sekijang Bendera (now known as St John’s Island), Seking, and Seraya would gather annually for Pesta Five S — a sports festival featuring games like panjat pinang (climbing up a greasy pole) and jong and kolek races. Each year, the different islands would take turns to host.
Since the Southern Islanders were relocated to mainland Singapore in the late 1970s, these festivals have faded, with one of the last recorded Pesta Five S hosted by Pulau Sudong in 1975.
50 years later, we hope to rekindle that spirit with Hari Orang Pulau (Islander’s Day).
Hari Orang Pulau will be a celebration of the culture, stories, and livelihoods of Singapore’s Orang Pulau, comprising coastal communities from multiple ethnicities, and especially, the descendants of Indigenous Orang Laut groups. The Orang Laut have navigated the waters around Singapore for centuries, forging a deep connection to the land and the sea, and a vibrant culture integral to the wider Nusantara story.
Happening on 14 June 2025 at West Coast Park, this event is for former islanders, their descendants, and anyone who wants to connect with Singapore’s island history and the diverse communities that shape our identity. Entry is free and all are welcome!
What’s happening at Hari Orang Pulau?
We’ve curated a full day of events, including:
Cultural Performances: These will spotlight art forms rooted in Orang Pulau culture, such as Silat Gayong, a martial art originating from Pulau Sudong.
Traditional Craft and Cooking Workshops: Learn how to weave a bubu trap, assemble a jong, whip up dishes inspired by coastal flavours, and create your own batik masterpiece.
Panel Discussions: Gain insights from conversations with researchers and historians, and community members, who will share personal stories, knowledge and experiences.
Guided Walks: Explore West Coast Park, a place close to heart for many Orang Pulau, as it is home to the last remaining community space in Singapore where former islanders dock their sampans and practice maritime skills and crafts.
Joget Dangkung: A lively social dance and shared tradition among the Southern Islanders with roots in the Riau Archipelago. It is traditionally performed on special occasions, and the community’s elders fondly recall visiting nearby islands to join in the dances and celebrations. Many told us that they hoped to see the dance revived on Singapore’s shores again.
To make Hari Orang Pulau a success, we need you!
As exciting as it sounds, the reality of holding a large-scale public event is: it requires significant resources. Recently, we had the privilege to attend the First International Symposium of Sea Nomads in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where strong institutional support created a meaningful platform for communities like the Sama-Bajau, Moken/Moklen, and Orang Laut to share knowledge and experiences, strengthening efforts to keep these cultures alive. In Singapore, this will be the first time a festival of this scale dedicated to the Orang Pulau community is held. To build this festival from the ground up, we need your support.
Our biggest challenge thus far is the sheer cost of hosting an outdoor event for thousands of attendees. Our projected budget of $100,000 covers essential costs like:
Event Logistics: These include venue rental, permits, manpower, sound systems, stage setup, tents, and other infrastructure.
Community Engagement: Outreach efforts, transport support for former islanders and community elders, engagement fees for workshops and activities that foster cultural exchange and hands-on learning, and honorariums to acknowledge experts and community members for sharing their knowledge and skills.
Content Creation & Documentation: Producing high-quality promotional materials, and visual and written documentation to preserve and share the islanders’ narratives beyond the festival itself.
Cultural Performances & Displays: Supporting artists, craftsmen, and cultural practitioners to ensure traditional practices are authentically represented and compensated.
So far, we’ve raised about $50,000 — halfway there! — thanks to a National Heritage Board grant we successfully applied for, and the generosity of our community through our Ko-fi fundraiser and other individual contributions.
As we work towards to remaining $50,000, we are opening up avenues to work specifically with corporate organisations. While funding a festival like this may be unchartered territory for businesses in Singapore, we believe there’s a meaningful connection to be made. The rich culture of the Orang Pulau spans centuries but is at risk of being lost and erased today. With each passing year, the urgency to preserve this heritage grows. Supporting Hari Orang Pulau isn’t just about funding an event — it’s about ensuring that the stories of those who came before us continue to be shared, understood and appreciated for generations to come.
If you share our vision, we’d love to have you on board!
There are many ways to get involved:
As a Businesses
Be a corporate sponsor for Hari Orang Pulau: We welcome both monetary support and in-kind donations (venue sponsorship, equipment, logistics, etc.).
Engage us for guided walks, sharing sessions, and cultural programmes: Perfect for team-building or staff enrichment, especially if your company has a cultural coordinator or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Work with The Black Sampan: Our team handles digital marketing, content creation, and event organisation (we’re the hands behind Orang Laut SG).
If your organisation values history, community, and culture, let’s work together! Reach out at hello@oranglaut.sg.
As an Individual
Join us for our public tours of West Coast Park — we have two upcoming programmes on February 23 (Sunday).
Purchase merchandise proudly designed by descendants of former islanders.
Make a donation on our Ko-fi page. (No amount is too small; if each of our Instagram followers contributed just $1, we would surpass our public fundraising goal by 150%!)
Spread the word: Even if you can’t contribute financially, sharing our message helps us reach more people. We appreciate your efforts!
A recap on our past event: Panggilan Anak Pulau
Some of you may remember Panggilan Anak Pulau (Calling From Island Descendants), our pilot event at The Projector two years ago. The sold-out event showed us how eager many in Singapore are to connect with the Orang Pulau community, and community members shared how meaningful it was to them to be able to embrace their islander identity with pride.
This response encouraged us to work towards Hari Orang Pulau. But, as you can imagine, a bigger event brings bigger challenges. Beyond funding, our lean team is working hard to ensure everything runs smoothly. We also want this festival to be as inclusive as possible, bringing together Singapore’s diverse coastal and islander communities—from the Southern Islanders to the people of Kampung Pasir Panjang, and maritime groups like the Teochew and Bugis.
Our history is deeply tied to the seas, and our connections extend beyond our shores—to the Orang Seletar in Johor and the Orang Suku Laut in Bintan. Recognising this, we’re reaching out to different communities create space for their voices at Hari Orang Pulau. Naturally, this adds to the logistical challenges, but it’s a challenge we’re determined to overcome.
At times, these challenges have taken its toll, and we’ve even questioned if the costs of hosting Hari Orang Pulau outweigh its benefits. But each time, we’re reminded that this festival matters because the community’s stories matter. As Asnida Daud, a Pulau Sudong descendant, said at Panggilan Anak Pulau:
“We have a rich maritime heritage. We need to tell everyone. We need to let everyone feel proud as an islander. Even though the coastlines are fading, our history—we shall not forget. We will not fade away.”
We’ve come this far because of the strength of community—and you have always been a part of ours. Through sharing our stories, attending our events, or simply showing up with words of encouragement, your support has made all the difference. As we take this next step, we’d love for you to continue this journey with us. Together, we can make Hari Orang Pulau happen.
See you soon!
Firdaus