Malay Village
Encyclopedia
The Malay Village is a museum
in Geylang
, Singapore
where they showcases the life of the Malays who used to live in the area before redevelopment in the 1960s.
In the 1960s, Geylang was being redeveloped with the completion of many Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, light industrial estates and complexes. Majlis Pusat, the umbrella body for Malay cultural groups proposed an idea of a Malay village in the 1970s. The purpose is to showcase Malay culture to visitors and to provide a place for selling Malay souvenirs. The suggested location is Pasir Panjang
. In August 1980, Ahmad Mattar, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, announced plans for the village which the then Minister for National Development
, Teh Cheang Wan
, gives approval in principle in November 1981. The official approval was given by the Government in February 1984 with Geylang as the chosen site.
The construction of the village began in 1986 and completed in 1989 and it costs the HDB $10 million. In September 1991, the Ananda group of companies, run by Hong Kong businessman Clarence Cheung, won the tender with a bid of $3.8 million to run the Malay Village. Plans were proposed to build a $10 million high-tech Islamic cultural museum in the village which did not materialise. Tender for the shops were open in 1992 but only eight shops out of 70 were open with seven out of 45 successful bidders pull out. An advisory panel was also formed.
In 2006, a new management, Malay Village Pte Ltd, took over the village and makes a police report with regards to the Malay Village's accounts. However the village has already a six-digit debt with insufficient funds to pay it. In 2008, Malay Village Pte Ltd announces plans to revive the place. However, Urban Redevelopment Authority
(URA), in the same year, announced plans to demolish the Malay Village after its lease ends in 2011 and to build a suburban commercial hub which includes a civic centre, a 2,000 sq m open plaza space, commercial developments and a new road. Appeals to the URA by shop tenants, management and Marine Parade GRC's Member of Parliament
, Fatimah Lateef, were rejected.
On 17 Nov 2010, a Eid al-Adha ritual, organised by the Inter-racial and religious confidence circle
of Kampong Ubi Kembangan and Geylang Serai, was held at the Malay Village. It was the first time the ritual was performed there. The Malay Village was chosen as it was the operation centre of Mini Environment Service, the Government's appointed korban vendor.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Geylang
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where they showcases the life of the Malays who used to live in the area before redevelopment in the 1960s.
In the 1960s, Geylang was being redeveloped with the completion of many Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, light industrial estates and complexes. Majlis Pusat, the umbrella body for Malay cultural groups proposed an idea of a Malay village in the 1970s. The purpose is to showcase Malay culture to visitors and to provide a place for selling Malay souvenirs. The suggested location is Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang is an area in the south-western part of Singapore. It is located at the southern part of the Queenstown Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Kent Ridge is a topographical feature which runs through Pasir Panjang.-Etymology:The name Pasir...
. In August 1980, Ahmad Mattar, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, announced plans for the village which the then Minister for National Development
Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
The Ministry of National Development is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to land use planning and infrastructure development...
, Teh Cheang Wan
Teh Cheang Wan
Teh Cheang Wan was an architect who was in charge of the Housing Development Board as Minister for National Development of Singapore. He served as the minister between 1979 to 1986.-Education:...
, gives approval in principle in November 1981. The official approval was given by the Government in February 1984 with Geylang as the chosen site.
The construction of the village began in 1986 and completed in 1989 and it costs the HDB $10 million. In September 1991, the Ananda group of companies, run by Hong Kong businessman Clarence Cheung, won the tender with a bid of $3.8 million to run the Malay Village. Plans were proposed to build a $10 million high-tech Islamic cultural museum in the village which did not materialise. Tender for the shops were open in 1992 but only eight shops out of 70 were open with seven out of 45 successful bidders pull out. An advisory panel was also formed.
In 2006, a new management, Malay Village Pte Ltd, took over the village and makes a police report with regards to the Malay Village's accounts. However the village has already a six-digit debt with insufficient funds to pay it. In 2008, Malay Village Pte Ltd announces plans to revive the place. However, Urban Redevelopment Authority
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government.-Mission:The authority was established on 1 April 1974, and is of especially critical importance to the city-state,...
(URA), in the same year, announced plans to demolish the Malay Village after its lease ends in 2011 and to build a suburban commercial hub which includes a civic centre, a 2,000 sq m open plaza space, commercial developments and a new road. Appeals to the URA by shop tenants, management and Marine Parade GRC's Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Fatimah Lateef, were rejected.
On 17 Nov 2010, a Eid al-Adha ritual, organised by the Inter-racial and religious confidence circle
Inter-racial and religious confidence circle
An inter-racial and religious confidence circle is a group composed of leaders of different races and religions from a particular constituency in Singapore...
of Kampong Ubi Kembangan and Geylang Serai, was held at the Malay Village. It was the first time the ritual was performed there. The Malay Village was chosen as it was the operation centre of Mini Environment Service, the Government's appointed korban vendor.