We made it. We got into parliament.
Not us, just our recommended questions. Tee hee.
Hello everyone,
On 16 October 2024, Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris - Punggol, Mr Shahreal Taha, raised two questions about the cultural preservation of the Orang Laut communities to the Ministry for National Development in Parliament. The MP, who is also an Orang Kallang descendant, asked if the Ministry will include culture preservation for the past and present Indigenous coastal communities, particularly in the upcoming projects: Kallang Alive Masterplan, Greater Southern Waterfront Project, and Pulau Brani-Sentosa Masterplan.
As part of his speech, Mr Shahreal Taha mentioned Orang Laut SG’s efforts in cultural preservation to reclaim the narratives of Singapore's Southern Islanders and Indigenous communities.
“The Orang Laut are the seafaring people in Singapore and the Nusantara region that has thrived in Singapore even before 1819. There are many groups of Orang Laut such as the Orang Seletar, Orang Selat (comprising of the seafarers from the Southern Islands) and Orang Kallang, of which I am a descendant of.
The Orang Laut has cultures and traditions that are closely aligned to the sea and there are advocate groups like Orang Laut SG with founder, Firdaus Sani who are trying to keep the culture of the Orang Laut alive through workshops such as Turning Tides and Daun Daun di Pulau - which is leaves of the sea.
To create awareness of the cultures such Bubu trap weaving, and launching of the boats, which the Minister has shared just now, food and searching for gonggong, siput rangga and remis. Can the Minister consider having heritage trails that integrate into the development plans for the Southern Waterfront region, or West Coast Park, or have markers or permanent spaces the public can appreciate the rich culture of Indigenous Orang Laut? Thank you.” - MP Shahreal Taha, 16 Oct 2024
This is an important milestone not only for our humble organisation but also for our community and nationhood. While we are heartened by this opportunity to work towards better representation and recognition for our community and Indigenous voices, we understand there’s a long road ahead.
Why is representation so important to us?
We are trying to slowly and steadily chip away at the narrative of Singapore as a fishing village and celebrate the communities that have always called Singapura/Pulau Ujong their tanahair (homeland) before the arrival of colonials. Our country is 59 years young, and we should be represented beyond the CMIO model (Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Others).
Representation can be perceived through recognition. There are many ways communities can be represented, and one way is through the community itself—a community that thrives, having access to its culture and traditions, food, language, beliefs, and community spaces.
Why is recognition in Parliament a huge milestone for us?
When our community’s voices are heard, it helps to address our needs and aspirations better. This was an opportunity to shed light on community landmarks, such as one of the few remaining ones at West Coast Park that may fall within the Greater Southern Waterfront Project. From the 1960s, the Southern islanders were relocated from their homes to mainland Singapore, with many former islanders struggling to adjust to their new lifestyle in the city.
With lesser access to the sea, many community members, especially the younger descendants we know, have lost touch with their identities and our rich cultural heritage and practices. The preservation of space also safeguards vulnerable and intangible assets like identities and a sense of belonging and community.
Through this, we aim to empower people from our community (and beyond) to advocate for their concerns and interests. At the same time, we hope to play a small role in influencing and shaping policies that may improve the community’s lives and provide better access to resources and opportunities that will let them continue their maritime practices.
What’s to come?
As a relatively young nation, we can be certain that more land and sea developments will be planned for the future. While we prepare our city for what’s ahead, how do we put our heritage and culture at the forefront so that one day, we may be known as more than a small island nation of Chicken Rice and Chilli Crabs?
Currently, we are working with descendants from varying Orang Laut / Pulau communities to develop a set of recommendations that consider our concerns and future hopes, such as dedicated culture and heritage spaces, support for more public programmes and community initiatives, and more.
As we celebrate this significant milestone, we welcome anyone from the community, individuals, and groups to share their thoughts about these future projects. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from partners and volunteers over the years, and we would not have been able to do what we do without you. However, there is still more work to be done. We believe in numbers; we can solidify our voices. Following this, we plan to work with relevant stakeholders and government ministries to make our conservation efforts possible.
Read our latest statement below.
In October, we organised many programmes for our partners and the public, so here’s a rundown of everything we did. Early this month, we hosted our first-ever public event at Tanah Dan Air. In collaboration with the Singapore Arts Museum (SAM) and artist Shooshie Sulaiman, we ran a four-hour programme titled Bumi dipijak, langit dijunjung.
We started the programme with a private session with Shooshie and the SAM team, where we introduced our medicinal practice of plants featuring the Daun Dukung Anak (gale of the wind), ground with turmeric into a paste, filtered with water and consumed as a tonic.
Shooshie is a renowned contemporary artist in Southeast Asia whose performances often appropriate the natural elements from trees, soil, and water native to the land. Her work highlights the interconnectedness of humans, nature, and art. As part of her work, Shooshie Sulaiman, an artist who currently lives in Malaysia, commemorates this special connection and moment by planting banana shoots at Tanah Dan Air.
Update: The shoots are growing well!
When the sun sets, the public event begins with a conversation with former Islanders from Pulau Semakau and Sudong, along with Shooshie, about their island narratives, exploring their connections and practices between land and water.
An event at Tanah Dan Air wouldn’t be complete without a feast. So, we brought together a communal kenduri-style dining experience on our humble tikar mengkuang with a homecooked meal prepared by Madam Nooraini, a native-born of Pulau Semakau. The guests indulged in various dishes, including Ketam Lemak, Sambal Udang and Sotong Hitam. The dishes were served in tingkats (food tiffins) and laid on banana leaves, shared among 40 people. It was a special moment because, to us, sharing a meal is not only communal but also deeply personal.
We also held other programmes at Tanah Dan Air this month. We hosted a tour with educators from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and a separate event with students from Punggol Secondary School’s talent development programme. In both tours, we guided the guests around West Coast Park, where we introduced the stories and significance of West Coast Park to the former Southern islanders.
We also visited Dulwich College and our neighbour at Bedok, Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre. At Dulwich College, we held three sessions as part of the students’ history, theory of knowledge, and global skills curriculum. We were heartened by the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity about the Southern Islanders’ lifestyle, culture and experiences.
Our collaboration with the People's Association at Kampong Chai Chee also began with a sharing to introduce the Southern Islands and the heritage, beliefs and cultural practices of the Orang Laut / Pulau communities. Then, we got hands-on with a tasting session of traditional snacks like pucuk ubi with sambal ikan bilis. Participants also tried making a medicinal concoction from local plants, sparking lively conversations on native herbs and food traditions from their cultures.
While October has been eventful, we’re now looking forward to next month’s programmes. We are excited to share that Firdaus from Orang Laut SG will be performing with artist Zarina Muhammad at the Singapore Writers Festival on 10 November for Ikut Arus (Follow the Current). This performance explores the symbolic, mythical and social ties between water, nature and culture. The performance will feature a spoken word piece inspired by the ancestral mantras of the Orang Laut/Pulau by Firdaus. Following this, Firdaus and Zarina will also participate in a panel discussion with Tin Tin, a village chief from the Orang Suku Laut of Bintan, Riau, where they aim to highlight the topic of cultural beliefs and unique coastal practices. We hope you will join us there to celebrate the rich heritage and coastal connections of these communities!
Other future events:
Ever wanted to learn more about the bubu traps the Orang Laut / Pulau fishermen use? In collaboration with a group of students from SUSS, our team is organising a workshop spotlighting bubu traps and other traditional fishing equipment from Singapore and around the region. Cik Am will be there to demonstrate his craft and guide participants in weaving part of a Bubu trap. The workshop is scheduled for the evening of 29 November 2024, with registration details to be released very soon, so do save the date to join us there.
Orang Laut SG will also be hosting a booth at Future Forest Festival: The Roots of Regeneration at Vidacity in Pasir Ris on 30 November 2024. We’ll be holding activities focused on indigenous plants and sharing stories about their significance to the Orang Laut / Pulau communities, and we look forward to seeing you there, especially our friends in the East.
Stay in touch with us on Instagram and through our Telegram Channel for updates on upcoming activities and volunteer opportunities. We are always thankful for your support and would love to keep you posted!
See you soon and have a great Happy Deepavali to our Hindu friends!
Orang Laut SG
So happy for you Firdaus and your community! It's amazing work that you're doing 🩷