The Hokkien-Teochew Riots, also known as the Great Riots of 1854 or the Five Catties of Rice Riots, began on 5 May 1854. The riots stemmed from conflicts between the Hokkien and Teochew communities in Singapore. It was also suggested that secret societies were ...
Dondang sayang is a traditional poetic art form mainly associated with the Malay and Peranakan (Straits Chinese) communities in Singapore and Malaysia. The term is derived from the Malay words dondang or dendang, meaning “to sing”, and sayang, which encompasses ...
On 12 March 1927, a clash in the Kreta Ayer neighbourhood between police and Kuomintang (KMT) supporters revealed the strength of leftist influence on the local Chinese population. A memorial service to mark Sun Yat Sen’s death was followed by a procession of Chinese, ...
The Yellow Ribbon Project is a national initiative aimed at encouraging the community, through various programmes and activities, to accept ex-offenders released from prisons and drug rehabilitation centres as well as support their reintegration into society. It ...
Ponggal or Pongal, also known as Makara Sankranti, is celebrated in mid-January by South Indians as a festival marking the rice harvest. Pongal, a mixture of sweet boiled rice is made and offered to Surya, the Sun God. The name is derived from the Tamil word pongu, ...
Weddings of the Malay community are generally festive, grand and celebratory affairs with many guests. Ceremonies may be held over several days in traditional Malay weddings. The marriage is solemnised during the akad nikah (solemnisation ceremony). The highlight ...
Chinese wedding customs and tradition generally vary according to dialect group. Although modernisation has resulted in the simplification of traditional marriage rituals, a Chinese wedding is often not considered complete until the couple have performed the customary ...
The Jewish community has been in Singapore since the early years of British colonisation, and has contributed significantly to Singapore’s development as a nation.
Arab Street lies between Victoria Street and Beach Road in the Kampong Glam area, and was part of the Rochor Planning Area of Singapore’s Central Region. Sir Stamford Raffles had designated the Kampong Glam area as the most appropriate area for Arabs to live in. ...
The Gunong Sayang Association, or Persatuan Gunong Sayang in Malay, is a Peranakan (Straits Chinese) social club that aims to promote Peranakan performing arts. It has played an instrumental role in preserving the Peranakan version of dondang sayang, the singing ...
Orang Laut (Malay for “sea people” or “people of the sea”) were nomadic sea gypsies organised into suku (divisions). They occupied the maritime zone surrounding the Strait of Melaka. During the period when the British thought Singapore was uninhabited, the Orang ...
Pulau Seking (also known as Pulau Sakeng or Siking) is one of the islands off Singapore’s south coast. It was home to the last Southern island kampong (village) community, before the islanders were resettled to make way for the development of a landfill.
The Pondok Peranakan Gelam Club is a community club for the Bawean Malay community. Established officially in 1932, the club served as a communal home for Baweanese immigrants until the 1960s. Originally located at 64 Club Street, it moved to Telok Ayer Hong Lim ...
The early Straits Chinese associations and clubs were not only meeting places for the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) community, but had also served as educational platforms and the political mouthpiece of the community.
The Celestial Reasoning Association (1882–1885) was considered the first debating society formed by the Straits Chinese, and the earliest literary society for educated Chinese. The association, which held its inaugural meeting on 27 May 1882, aimed to help members ...
The Jawi Peranakan were an elite group in the Malay community active for half a century (1870s to 1920s). They are Straits-born Muslims of mixed Indian (especially Tamil) and Malay parentage who have assimilated into the Malay society. Their publication, the Jawi ...
The Singapore Poh Leung Kuk (保良局), or “office to protect virtue”, was established by the Chinese Protectorate in 1888. It grew out of one aspect of the protectorate’s work: controlling prostitution through registration and inspection to prevent the spread of venereal ...
The Chinese Protectorate was established in the Straits Settlements in 1877 to address matters concerning the Chinese community. Its main functions included establishing a pool of civil servants conversant in the Chinese language, managing newly arrived coolie ...
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Singapore is located at 1 Orchard Road. Founded on the same Christian principles as its parent in Britain, the YMCA was officially established in Singapore on 30 June 1903. In its early years, the organisation was ...
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Singapore is located at 254 Outram Road. Established in Singapore in 1875 by British missionary Sophia Cooke, the organisation was founded on the same Christian principles as its parent in Britain.