Si Hui's reflection

a)     What was your impression of Singapore history and cultural heritage before going on the trail?

The heritage trail experience at Kampong Glam has brought many new insights to me and I was deeply amazed by the amount of rich history that Kampong Glam has to offer. Before hopping on this trail, my impression of Kampong Glam was partially based on a field trip back in Primary 5 where I could recall buying small intricate bottles of perfume from a shop situated along the streets. I also learnt that it was a place where Sir Stamford Raffles allocated the Malays in his town plan. As such, I had the impression that the Malays conducted their own trades within their community. In addition, the mosques reflect the culture of the Malay community while they visited the mosques to offer their prayers and also learn about their roots. Also, the presence of the several historical buildings felt like they were contained with rich cultural significance.

b)     How has your experience of the trail changed your perception of Singapore history and her cultural heritage?

After going through the trail, I felt enriched with knowledge about the past of Malay communities in Singapore.

I used to think that Kampong Glam catered only to the needs of the Malays. However, this was not the case. For instance, the trades were conducted not only within the Malays, but also to other races such as the Chinese. One example would be the Lee Loy Hin Blacksmith which was started out by a Chinese.

I was definitely surprised as I initially had the impression that Kampong Glam was a place with preserved cultural heritage. However, buildings such as Pondok Java and Lee Loy Hin Blacksmith, had been demolished. I felt that it is such a pity as such places were not being conserved and the rich history of these places has therefore been wiped out. This represented an erosion of cultural heritage.

As much as my perception of Kampong Glam has changed, I was heartened to see a makeshift barber at a back alley. 

After enthusiastically speaking to a customer of the barber, I got to know that such barbers were very popular during the olden days. It was also considered to be cost effective as the hair cut which costs $5, included shaving of side burns as well as beards. We were indeed fortunate to be able to encounter such a rare experience. Hence, I am immensely grateful to be able to witness one of the few remnant trades which is still ongoing. This shows that not all trades have vanished and that there are still some surviving trades out there. Albeit feeling that something should be done to preserve such heritage as well as protect our cultural roots, it seems regrettably far less probable to do so due to modernization and the growing trends of popular hair salons.

Another event that I had noticed was that the majority of the people that visited the heritage sites at Kampong Glam were mainly tourists as well as students from foreign countries. Apart from the Malays seen at the mosques doing their prayers, as sad it may seem, but there were barely locals spotted, appreciating and learning about the past. Instead, many were seen dining, shopping, and just walking by to get to another place. This occurred to me that the younger generations Singaporeans do not take the initiative to find out about the historical value of a place where two national monuments stand, the Hajjah Fatimah Mosque and Sultan Mosque.

c)     Share some insights (if any) about Singapore’s past and the way it is represented (symbolically and physically) that you have gained from the trail.

After that visit to Kampong Glam, it has brought about new perspectives of how I viewed of Singapore's past.

I personally feel that some of the History of Singapore has been embedded in Kampong Glam. Symbolically, Kampong Glam represented the Malay community as it was where the Malays were allocated to. As the Malays lived together through their way of life, cultures are being established as they mostly did similar things within the same venue. It can therefore be seen that Kampong Glam was a platform and had a part to play in forming new cultures within the Malay community.

In the physical aspect, the way people do their trades were represented by shop houses. These shop houses were important in ensuring that the community has their basic necessities such as groceries and also equipments which include furniture or cooking utensils made available to them. In addition, the shop houses were packed closely such that it established a lively and vibrant community. Also, the mosque was a representation of religion in Kampong Glam. People gather at a common place to do their prayers and indulge in their beliefs. 

I believe that all the Historical structues have a story behind them and the past had a part to play in the shaping distinct cultures and behaviours in the present day. It is sad to say that it is quite difficult to experience Singapore's past anymore. All the people could do is to reminisce the old and fragmented memories, which will be forever etched in the hearts of those who have went through those times before.