Preserving and Promoting Our Rich Peranakan Culture

Speech by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry, at Gunong Sayang Association 113th Anniversary Dinner and Dance on 24 Sep 2023

Introduction

1. Selamat malam semua. Apa khabair bibik bibik, baba, nonya nonya.
2. It's really good to be invited to the Gunong Sayang Association (GSA) 113 th anniversary. You were founded in 1910. Since then, GSA has been tirelessly promoting, sustaining and evolving our rich and very precious Peranakan culture and heritage.
3. As a Peranakan myself, I have very fond memories of very big family dinners, lovingly prepared by gua punya mama and gua punya ee. My family, like many of yours, is big. In fact, my family used to live in a three-generation rented house in Geylang comprising my father, my aunties, my uncles, as well as their children. We were and are still very close. When we have Chinese New Year, my grandmother would, of course make ayam buah keluak, and many other very familiar dishes. I'm sure many of us would have experienced very similar memories at the dinner table and also of the many makan-makan that we all enjoy.

Stewards of the Wayang Peranakan

4. Collectively, our cultural practices and shared heritage deepen this form of unity and our sense of connection with one another. Organisations like GSA play a very key role in preserving our rich Peranakan cultural heritage. Our heritage reflects who we are, as we pass it down from generation to generation. It also adds to the rich vibrancy of Singapore's culture, something which is so precious, and we really want to pass down to our children. And so, tonight’s theme, “Malam Berkompol”, or ‘Night of Gathering’, really captures this essence.
5. One thing we are celebrating tonight is GSA’s steadfast commitment to preserving this heritage. Over the past few years, you've been doing so despite the pandemic. You did not stop promoting our rich Peranakan culture and heritage, and ensured that it is passed down to our children. I remember meeting many of you at the Peranakan Museum opening earlier this year when our GSA members performed a medley of crowd favourite songs.
6. GSA’s significant role in keeping the tradition of Wayang Peranakan alive in Singapore has not gone unnoticed. You were conferred the National Heritage Board’s Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award 2022 for Wayang Peranakan. Many of the guests here will know what's Wayang Peranakan, but some of you, our guests, or maybe the younger ones, may not know what Wayang Peranakan is. Wayang Peranakan is a theatre form practised by our Chinese Peranakan, mostly in our Baba Malay language. These productions usually feature Peranakan customs and traditions, and were originally staged for charitable causes.
7. My grandmother passed away about nine years ago, and I still have her kebaya in my dining room. Every day, I see the kebaya and it reminds me of her. I remember my grandmother used to love to watch GSA’s Wayang Peranakan, especially when G. T. Lye performed as the matriarch. These are memories that etched in my mind as a child. And I really hope that we can pass it on to further generations.
8. Congratulations to GSA, your management committee, your members, your patrons and your supporters. Congratulations on receiving [the Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage] award. The award recognises your dedication to this craft, strengthening Singapore's commitment to enlivening our Peranakan heritage and the vibrant, intangible cultural heritage landscape. In keeping with the spirit of promoting our Peranakan culture and heritage, GSA specially arranged for an actual Peranakan wedding procession as part of tonight’s programme. I shall tutop mulut sekarang, and I shall not reveal further. Such efforts we are going to be seeing tonight, really strengthen our cultural heritage and deepen Singapore's appreciation for our vibrant culture.

Promoting the Peranakan Cultural Heritage as Part of Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0

9. We just launched Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0. What has it got to do with our Peranakan heritage? It is actually quite important. This plan is meant to lay out how we hope to raise awareness, preserve, and pass down our heritage to our children. Let me share how our Peranakan community, including GSA, can promote Peranakan cultural heritage through the plan’s “Industry” and “Community” blocks. Under the “Industry” block, we want to build a vibrant ecosystem for our heritage industry for Singaporeans to practise and transmit heritage-related crafts. GSA has contributed much to [the preservation and promotion of] Wayang Peranakan as mentioned earlier. We also have the “Community” block, which will provide opportunities for the public to co- create heritage-related content and projects. An example is the Community Voices at our newly open Peranakan Museum. So please come and please do this together with us.

Conclusion

10. Finally, banyak banyak kam siah to all our friends, our community members, Alvin [GSA’s President] and your team, for your hard work in strengthening our precious Peranakan culture and heritage. Thanks to your success in preserving Wayang Peranakan, our younger generation will learn to appreciate it and continue to be stewards of this precious heritage. So, let's never stop exploring. To my dear bibik bibik, baba, nonya nonya, my heartiest congratulations, and kiong hi to GSA for your 113 th anniversary. I wish all of you an enjoyable evening ahead, kam siah, thank you.