A king’s seal and a football medal: Malay Heritage Centre exhibition tells stories that bind – The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - With song, dance and the clang of a gong, the Malay Heritage Centre's last exhibition before it shuts for revamping was launched on Friday (Jan 28).

A two-hour ceremony held on its Kampong Glam grounds inaugurated the exhibition titled Cerita ("stories"in Malay), a retrospective of the tales the centre has told since its reopening in 2012.

Exhibits tell the story of Malays in Singapore and their inextricable links to the Nusantara, the Malay archipelago, beginning with the seal of Tengku Hussain Shah, who was installed by the British in 1819 as the king of Johor and through whom Singapore was ceded to the colonial power.

The disparate tale spans Kampong Glam's glory years as a seat of Malay royalty to its days as a hub for the thriving Hajj industry.

A printing press from the manufacturer Chandler & Price on display is a nod to Kampong Glam's history as a Jawi publishing centre.

Certain everyday objects will conjure up times past for some visitors - items that curators hope will spark conversations between young and old.

These include Fandi Ahmad's 1994 Malaysia Cup football gold medal, which the national striker has loaned the centre. This highlights an iconic moment in Singapore's sporting history, when thousands of Singaporeans drove up to Kuala Lumpur with their friends and family to catch the final and eventual triumph.

A model of a kolek, or a sailboat, also harks back to the 19th century. They were then a common sight around the coastal areas of Singapore, where races were regularly held off Siglap, Pasir Panjang, Katong and the offshore islands.The New Year Regatta held at the waterfront off the Padang also drew thousands at the time.

At the launch of Cerita, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said the Malay Heritage Centre has played a key role in telling the Malay community's stories to the wider Singaporean community and the region since its founding.

"Whether passed down through written and oral histories, artefacts or contemporary methods such as social media posts, tweets and TikTok videos - our stories help to shape and affirm our cultural identities, and chronicle the beliefs and practices of our diverse communities.

"The Malay Heritage Centre's programmes are anchored in an unwavering belief in sharing stories - from personal anecdotes, to community and even national accounts."

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A king's seal and a football medal: Malay Heritage Centre exhibition tells stories that bind - The Straits Times