SINGAPURA STORIES SEMINAR SIX: PULAU SUDONG HISTORIES
The founding of the Silat Gayong movement | Community histories & Resettlement | Sea sports & fisherfolk skills
Date: Saturday 16 Jan, 2015
Time: 2pm – 05:30pm
Venue: MHC Auditorium, Malay Heritage Centre
Free event. Register by emailing NHB_MHC_Programmes@nhb.gov.sg
Following on from the successful Seminar in May 2014 on the Southern Islands, which had focused on Pulau Seking’s experience, Singapura Stories presents Seminar Six on Pulau Sudong, featuring four invited speakers who will talk about various aspects of the island’s history.
PROGRAM
2:00-2:20pm Welcome & brief introduction
Dr Imran bin Tajudeen, Singapura Stories
A recapitulation of the Southern Islands / Orang Selat histories from Seminar Two (held at the National Library in May 2014) and an introduction to the Singapura Stories Seminars series.
2:20-3:05pm Pulau Sudong: Birthplace of Silat Seni Gayong
Talk by Dr Saiful Nizam bin Subari, President, Silat Seni Gayong (PASAK) Singapura
Silat Seni Gayong is a Malay martial art group with thousands of practitioners in this region. It was on the humble island of Sudong that the founder of this silat movement, Dato’ Meor Abdul Rahman bin Uda Mohd Hashim, taught 7 villagers his potent art of self-defence, which subsequently spread to mainland Singapore and beyond. The talk will be presented by Dr Saiful Nizam, president of the association representing Silat Seni Gayong (PASAK) Singapura and the inheritors of the art that is still very much alive and well today.
- Demonstration of Seni Silat Gayong moves
3:05-3:35pm Mencari Sudong / Seeking Sudong
Talk by Asnida Daud, Former islander, educator, Malay cultural activist
Ever since her entire family left Pulau Sudong three decades ago, educator and Malay cultural activist Asnida Daud has been on a quest to rediscover the heritage and the cultures of the tightly-knit community that live on this little island south of Singapore. She will speak on life on the island and the importance of the sea, especially the sea sports competitions that were once held there, and the difficulties the older generation from Sudong faced when they had to relocate to flats on the mainland. Asnida will also share what her family recalls about her ancestor Wak Kusang, one of the 7 disciples of the founder of the Silat Gayong movement Datuk Meor, as well as the on-going efforts of ex-islanders to arrange for a revisit to Sudong in collaboration with the Island Nation project.
- Screening of recorded interviews
3:35-4:05pm Documenting Living Histories: Islanders from Pulau Sudong
Talk by Zakaria Zainal & Edwin Koo, Island Nation by Captured, supported by Singapore Memory Project
Island Nation is a documentary project that tells the stories of people who once lived on the islands of southern Singapore. Post-independence Singapore zoned many of these islands for utilitarian purposes, and the islanders had to abandon their old ways of life and relocate to mainland Singapore – including those from Pulau Sudong. Many of the islanders continue their way of life along West Coast beach, from building fish-traps known as bubus to heading out to the sea to fish. The speakers share how the Island Nation project endeavours to capture this living history and weave it into the broader native of Singapore’s nationhood.
- Showcase of photos and videos from Island Nation
4:05-5:00pm Q&A
Moderator: Dr Imran bin Tajudeen
5:00-5:30 Light refreshments
This event is brought to you by Singapura Stories.
Venue sponsor and co-organiser: Malay Heritage Centre, National Heritage Board.
Supported by The Malay Heritage Foundation.
MHC webpage on this Seminar:
http://malayheritage.org.sg/en/programmes/programmes/public-lecture-series—pulau-sudong
Seminar Six Pulau Sudong Histories – EDM flyer by MHC
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