Monday Blues

09.10.12

So Generally I..

Decided to make a special post on the Amy Cheong episode this week. Have been reading about her from the internet and some friends who posted some comments on their own FB page. The Amy Cheong episode was at the very least, a sad story to read in modern and multi-racial Singapore.

For the benefit of those reading this who are non-Singaporeans, Amy Cheong was an employee (Assistant Director) of a government-linked labour movement in Singapore. In other words, she is technically a civil servant. Last Sunday, Amy posted some racist remarks on her FB about a Malay wedding that was going on at her void deck. In Singapore, public housing consists of cluster flats with void decks which are accessible/ rentable for a small fee payable to the area town council. The common activities usually held at void decks are Malay weddings, Chinese funerals, resident’s party, birthday parties (of a major scale), etc. Come weekends, void decks are ‘popular’ for such activities, though for certain events, eg Chinese funerals, it can happen at any time. New generation cluster flats comes with a non-enclosed multi-purpose hall so most activities are held here instead of void decks, but the concept is still similar.

So last Sunday, there was a Malay wedding at Amy Cheong’s void deck of which had generated some level of noise to the neighbouring flats. Irritated and perhaps angry at the on-going activities and noise, Amy Cheong posted several racist comments on her FB. Those comments angered netizens and it spread across the social media throughout that same evening and night. The next day, Monday, Amy Cheong’s employers took her to task and her service was terminated with immediate effect. It become national news yesterday and even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted a message on his FB to condemn her racist remarks. He also reminded Singaporeans to be careful and to avoid making remarks on social media and could offend other races and fellow Singaporeans.

She has since issued an apology for her comments but it is just too late. I can't help but feel sorry for what happen to her. It is a pity to dislike a culture when you don't anything about it. So instead of deliberating on her story, I thought it would be good to share a little about Malay weddings. 

You see..Singapore is a dynamic multi-racial society..my generation and the of my parents and grandparents grew up in kampungs or village settlements in the early 1900s right up to the 1960s..During kampungs days, the Malays and Chinese and Indians lived together and co-exist in harmony..of course there were the civil riots incidents in the 1960s but other that our parents and grandparents have neighbours of other races which became their close friends for many years of their lives.

Racial harmony continues to be a part of an important curriculum in schools today, ie Social Studies. Children are taught about other races and their unique cultures and religions practices. All cultural festivities are celebrated and acknowledged. They are taught to be tolerant of one another and identify themselves as Singaporeans and not just a Malay, a Chinese or an Indian. Or any of the other minority races for that matter. During the Mooncake Festival for eg, they made lanterns out of ang pow packets and during Deepavali, they learn about the meaning behind the festival of lights.

In Singapore, perhaps 70-80% of Malay weddings are held at the void decks. This practice goes back many years ago, perhaps even when the public housing concept first started. The rational of having it at the void decks (of the groom’s and bride’s parents house), is simple – Malay weddings are major affair..invites can be as many as 2000 guests or as few as 500. Food is catered from one of the hundreds of wedding caterers in the business and every so often, a DJ is hired to provide some entertainment to the guests, play the music and make the appropriate announcements upon the arrival of the happy couple. The ‘noisiest’ of a Malay wedding perhaps comes from the kompang accompaniment which signals the arrival and departure of the bride and groom.

A more elaborated wedding starts on the Saturday, where the solemnization or the ‘akad-nikah’ takes place, followed by photo-taking and changing of costumes etc. Guests can come either on Saturday but preferably on Sunday. It is not uncommon to see the Chinese and Indians, friends or neighbors, or colleagues of the couple or their family, attending to a Malay wedding, enjoying the food and being part of the celebration.

Culturally and religiously, it is encouraged to have a reasonable celebration for the newly married couple. The wedding celebration serves as an ‘announcement’ and introduction of the newlyweds to relatives and friends, in addition to sharing in the joy of the couple on the marriage.

Hence, to manage costs and make it more accessible to family and friends, void deck weddings seems to be the ideal choice in Singapore’s context. In recent years, there is new trend among the couples. Those who are willing to spend more money do have their weddings at fancier restaurants and hotels. There are also couples who now prefer to have their weddings on Saturdays only, hence making it a simpler one day affair but just as elaborated. This is actually a much preferred trend, so that Sunday is left for immediate families to rest and re-charge.

Amidst the Amy Cheong eposide, I came across a somewhat light-hearted post by a local Malay celebrity on his FB account. Click here to read more.

Malay wedding is a rich cultural practice, one that will most likely stay for many many years to come. In the Singapore context, this practice equals to that of other races like the Chinese funeral, the Thaipusam, the prayer-offering during the Hungry Ghost festival etc..Living in a public housing neighbourhood, one cannot hide away for it..or complain so that they will go away. 

Live and let live..

Here are some photos of Malay weddings in Singapore :