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Showcasing the rich cultural heritage of our communities
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23 March 2023
Speech By Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community And Youth & Second Minister for Law, at the Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award on 21 March 2023
Good afternoon.
Very happy to join you for the third edition of these awards,
To recognise and also celebrate your efforts and achievements.
In a multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic Singapore, we have always placed a great importance on our heritage.
Both the heritage of our unique, distinct communities
Which gives our society a unique, multi-cultural flavour,
As well as the shared heritage of us Singaporeans, as a common people,
Which informs who we are,
And what we mean when we talk about “our way of life”.
This heritage is also an integral part of our culture;
Binding us closer together as a fellow Singaporean
Whether that is eating at hawker centres,
Or the many practices related to our local arts and festive events,
Or simply the knowledge and expertise of crafts and cultural practices.
These are an important part of the social fabric of our nation, a basis of our sense of identity and belonging:
Anchoring us to our roots
Reflecting the influences of our shared experiences in a multi-cultural Singapore
And also contributing to a vibrant cultural landscape that enriches the lives of every Singaporean.
Our heritage also provides a bridge, a connection to other places and cultures
Within the South-East Asian region and beyond;
To deepen our sense of shared humanity.
And Singaporeans recognise this.
In a recent Heritage Awareness Survey by the National Heritage Board, more than 90% agreed that our history and heritage are important - an intrinsic part of us.
And roughly the same number said that an appreciation of our heritage and culture increases their own sense of identity belonging to Singapore.
In fact, even after the pandemic, close to half still actively participate regularly in heritage activities,
And we hope to return this to pre-pandemic levels of close to 80% soon.
There is certainly scope to do much more:
Close to three-quarters of respondents of the same survey say that they already take an active interest in understanding the cultural practices of other cultural and other ethnic groups,
And this proportion is increasing;
Testament to much of the good work that many of you here in the audience have been doing.
We should build on this as we chart out the way forward with Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0
To preserve and celebrate our heritage in new and innovative ways.
Indeed, this is not a straightforward matter when it comes to intangible cultural heritage or ICH.
Because unlike buildings, monuments and so on which we can touch, see, and feel.
Many parts of our culture – the wushu performance we just enjoyed, for example – can be recorded in some way or another.
But its essence – the skills of the practitioners, the craftsmen to create something, the social memories that lie beneath the surface – these cannot be stored in physical form.
These cannot be extracted and put on display. For example, at the National Gallery.
Instead, it can only be experienced, something that you feel deep in your heart, when its practitioners give expression to it or perform it.
And these are our cultural assets too,
And require equal, if not more effort to consciously pass it from one generation to the other.
It is something that is important to us because everyone as stewards, it is incumbent on us to embrace our cultural heritage, especially ICH, and take steps to pass it forward.
So I would regard ICH as a living cultural heritage,
Because it is constantly being interpreted by individuals and communities in the here and now,
And also because it changes and evolves over time,
In response to shifts in our own circumstances and our environment.
Indeed, it is a reflection of who we are as was pass it from one generation to another.
So we must look after the living cultural heritage of our own vibrant multi-cultural society.
Not just in words but in action and in deeds.
And not to just simply preserving it in a vacuum
Keeping current practices as they are – static and unchanging,
But to transmit it,
To pass it on as living expressions of the wealth and diversity of our culture.
And where necessary to evolve it:
To stay relevant in the face of a rapidly changing social and cultural landscape
To allow the current generation to interpret it for themselves and also to leave their imprint on it
To find ways to not just celebrate your craft for today
But to make it an aspiration for young Singaporeans of tomorrow as well.
But all this requires continuous, very deliberate effort on the part of our practitioners and in our broader community.
It cannot be taken for granted.
It requires our practitioners of ICH – and that is most of you here – to safeguard these skills and to sustain your craft.
It requires you to impart your skill and knowledge.
It requires you to actively find new ways to enable others to continue these traditions.
In short, it requires stewardship.
So I am very happy that over the past two years since we started these awards, the 10 individuals and organisations recognised as stewards of our intangible cultural heritage have embarked on projects.
To pass on their knowledge and skills, and bring their intangible cultural heritage to the wider community.
In fact, supported by the accompanying grant of the award.
Past stewards of ICH have promoted their craft with a number of engaging and inclusive projects.
Through publications and workshops,
Outreach to schools and communities, schools in particular for young people to see appreciate,
And other programmes involving a good mix of age groups, different communities, and people from all walks of life.
I look forward to seeing more of these efforts take place in the community.
Today, we recognise the achievements of 4 more stewards of our intangible cultural heritage,
For their extensive contributions to their respective fields and to Singapore's ICH landscape,
And their passion and dedication to the transmission of their craft.
You are an integral part of how we continue to keep our heritage alive:
Embodying the knowledge and skills required,
And providing us a sense of comfort, a sense of rootedness, a sense of our common Singaporean identity.
Allow me to speak a little about our award recipients.
First, Mr Balakrishnan s/o Veerasamy Ramasamy:
Mr Balakrishnan first became a volunteer at the Sri Mariamman Temple down the road, fifty years ago in 1973, at the tender young age of 17.
More than 15 years later, he was selected to be mentored in the craft of Karagam-tying by temple volunteers. Evidently, they saw talent in this young man.
The Karagam is a vessel of water filled with sacred offerings, intricately tied and decorated with flowers.
And is believed to symbolise the Hindu goddess Mariamman.
Designing and constructing Karagam requires intricate craftsmanship, to ensure that they are well-balanced, aesthetic, and also auspicious.
With skill and practice, Mr Balakrishnan became a Karagam leader for the Theemithi festivities in Sri Mariamman Temple for a decade, from 2008 to 2018.
In the spirit of passing on Karagam skills, he has mentored a younger generation of temple volunteers, and shared generously his own knowledge with other local Hindu temples.
He has also conducted cultural workshops for the wider public, spreading greater awareness and appreciation of the Karagam and its craft with Singaporeans from other ethnic and religious communities.
Thank you, Mr Balakrishnan, for your dedication to this craft, ensuring that it carries on, lives on, and is passed on to the next generation.
Another award recipient is Mr Syed Yusof Alsagoff:
For over six decades, Mr Alsagoff has contributed extensively to orchid cultivation in Singapore.
He served on the Executive Committee of the Orchid Society of Southeast Asia for over 30 years, from 1964 to 1997, including for 14 years as President.
Of course, orchids have long been intertwined with the history and culture of Singapore.
They are widely recognised as a symbol of Singaporean identity, as our national flower and through our practice of orchid diplomacy.
Mr Alsagoff has certainly contributed to this.
He has been involved with the Singapore Botanic Gardens' orchid programme since the 1960s, generously sharing his knowledge and playing an instrumental role in the development of the National Orchid Garden.
To date, Mr Alsagoff has registered over 200 orchid hybrids.
This includes the Aranda Zahela Alsagoff, which he named after his wife. Besides having such rich talent, he is also a romantic.
It is also the first orchid hybrid to ever receive the Orchid Society of South East Asia's First-Class Certificate.
Today, he continues to share his knowledge with the local orchid growing community, and often provides advice to budding orchid breeders.
Thank you, Mr Alsagoff, for your tireless commitment to sharing your decades of expertise.
Equally, organisations play an important role to bring communities together and sustain our traditions and find ways to pass them on.
Our next award recipient is the Gunong Sayang Association:
The Gunong Sayang Association has played a major role in keeping the tradition of Wayang Peranakan alive in Singapore.
Wayang Peranakan is a theatre form traditionally performed in Baba Malay,
And originally staged to raise funds for charitable causes.
These productions usually feature Peranakan costumes and traditions surrounding occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and funerals.
The Association, established in 1910, helped to revive this art form in the 1980s, staging Wayang Peranakan performances on a near-annual basis since then.
Impressively too, it has been steadfast in retaining the use of Baba Malay in its productions.
But at the same time, to reach new audiences, they added English surtitles to its productions, projected on a screen near the stage.
More recently, they have also staged plays addressing contemporary issues such as dementia,
To attract new audiences,
And keep this tradition alive for generations to come, but yet keeping it relevant.
As part of these efforts, the Association has also been actively involving and training younger actors to be part of their productions,
And even run Baba Malay language classes.
I want to thank the GSA for your unremitting, relentless effort at keeping this tradition alive.
Our final award recipient today is the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation:
The Federation has played a pivotal role in bringing together practitioners of wushu, dragon dance and lion dance.
And providing them with better access to platforms and opportunities.
As you know, these performances are a common sight during the Lunar New Year and other celebratory occasions, or in a competitive championship.
And as the national organisation for these art forms, the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation supports its hundreds of member groups.
It organises the major national and community events,
Including the National Wushu Championships,
And the Ngee Ann City National Lion Dance Championship.
At the same time, the Federation coordinates with its member groups to raise awareness and even encourage public participation,
Including through its community performances,
And wushu classes in some of our Community Clubs and Centres.
The Federation also manages the training and development of the national wushu team, and you can see the future remains very bright.
They have flown the Singapore flag high in the sporting arena on the regional and international stage in many competitions.
The major one we are looking forward to is the upcoming SEA Games in Cambodia this May.
So I want to thank you the Federation, and I look forward to your future successes!
Collectively, these four recipients of this year's Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award showcase the rich cultural heritage of our communities.
Your inspiring efforts and dedication to your craft, the innovation that you employ to ensure that you remain relevant to the audience of today.
These customs and traditions have all contributed to the vibrant cultural landscape we enjoy in Singapore.
And which I believe will continue to enrich our lives for generations to come.
And this responsibility that we have, to keep our heritage alive, is not just for our awardees that we saw this evening or from previous iterations, or for practitioners or for the government alone.
But it is for all of us.
We are all stewards of our own intangible cultural heritage – whether it is your own family members, something you do with your clans or associations, your reiglious organisations, music, cultural arts and heritage groups.
And it falls on each of us to steward it, to look after it.
And as we look to move towards the next iteration of our heritage masterplan with Our SG Heritage 2.0, we will look to further strengthen how we safeguard our ICH.
Through closer collaborations with the ICH community – from practitioners to enthusiasts – as part of our identity.
To develop the nexus between our ICH practitioners and the creative industry
With new platforms to showcase your crafts and practices.
And to encourage further innovation efforts
To open new ways of exploring and celebrating our shared heritage.
We look forward to continue working with all of you to safeguard this living, breathing heritage.
To leave this as a legacy for the next generation
Connecting our past and present,
And giving a future to these traditions.
We might not realise it, but when it is no longer there, it till be too late. We hold active to preserve and guard this jealously, so it can be passed on intact to the next generation.
On that note, congratulations once again to all of our award recipients!
Thank you very much, and have a pleasant afternoon.