Activities
Conversations @ Main Lawn
Diving Deep: Living History of Singapore’s Southern Islands
11am
Did you know that Singapore was once made up of more than 75 islands and islets, each with their own names and stories? Among them, many of the Southern Islands were home to thriving communities. After relocation, much of their way of life has since blended into the social fabric of mainland Singapore.
In this community lecture, you’ll get to hear from researchers who not only have a deep understanding of the islands’ history, but some who have also lived and worked closely with the last of these island communities.
This panel will be conducted at the Main Lawn, free and open to all. While registration is recommended to help us gauge attendance, it is not required. Walk-ins are highly welcome!
Speakers
Syafiqah Ja’affar (Moderator)
Dr Imran Tajudeen
Dr Hamzah Muzaini
Dr Vivienne Wee
Ke Laut: Exploring Intercultural Connections
12pm
In the Nusantara, the sea is a highway – connecting people, places, and cultures. From the 1700s Teochew settlements in Riau to the Minangkabau tradition of merantau, maritime movements have long shaped rich coastal cultures. The Orang Pulau, too, shared trade and cultural practices with other coastal communities. Tune in to explore the intercultural flows that continue to shape our shared islander identity.
This panel will be conducted at the Main Lawn, free and open to all. While registration is recommended to help us gauge attendance, it is not required. Walk-ins are highly welcome!
Speakers
Nabilah Said (Moderator)
Charlene Tan
Piya Sukhani
Hafiz Rashid
Waves of Change: Culture, Nature & Sustainability
1 pm
Does the key to a sustainable future lie in the wisdom of the past? For generations, local and Indigenous communities have nurtured relationships with the natural world, guided by traditions and worldviews that honour the land and sea. Join us for a discussion with practitioners who work at the intersection of culture, community, and the environment to explore how traditional knowledge can shape the way we care for the world around us. Together, we’ll delve into the connections between nature and culture, the beliefs that sustain them, and the role that ground-up action must play in preserving both heritage and habitat.
This panel will be conducted at the Main Lawn, free and open to all. While registration is recommended to help us gauge attendance, it is not required. Walk-ins are highly welcome!
Speakers
Ilya Katrinnada (Moderator)
Nithiya Laila
Dr Faizah Zakaria
Courtney Saville
Pulau Voices: With Coastal Community Members
2 pm
Join us for a conversation with members of the Orang Seletar and Orang Pulau communities as they share personal memories of island life and their experiences of resettlement and adjusting to life on the mainland. It’s a chance to hear first-hand accounts, ask questions, and connect with the people who once called the sea and shore their home. Curious about what it means to be an Orang Pulau? Come by, listen in, and have a chat!
This panel will be conducted at the Main Lawn, free and open to all. While registration is recommended to help us gauge attendance, it is not required. Walk-ins are highly welcome!
Speakers
Aidli Mosbit (Moderator)
Hamid Aris (former Pulau Sekijang Pelepah islander)
Rohaini Rani (former Pulau Semakau islander)
Jefree Salim (Orang Seletar)
Workshops @ Tanah Dan Air & Community Hall
Learn Maritime Skills
By former islanders and island descendants
Hosted by skilled fishermen from the Orang Laut community, this workshop introduces participants to traditional fishing methods, such as bubu traps and jaring (gill nets).
Explore the unique materials, techniques, and cultural wisdom behind these maritime crafts, and learn how they’ve evolved over generations.
Community members Cik Hamzah (a former Pulau Sudong islander) and Faizal Sani (Pulau Semakau descendant) will share their lived experiences at sea and explain how fishing methods vary by season, location, and target species. Get hands-on and learn the maritime practices of the Orang Laut!
Introduction to Southern Islander Cuisine
With the women of the Orang Pulau community – Hosted by Azfar Maswan
What makes Orang Pulau cuisine so distinct?
In this hands-on traditional cooking workshop, our lovely maternal figures from Pulau Semakau share stories of foraging and preparing food for their families. Participants will learn about the ingredients, memories, and knowledge behind each dish, and taste the enduring flavours of the Orang Laut legacy.
Celebrated homecooks and former Pulau Semakau islanders Cik Nooraini and Cik Rohaini will lead this workshop, alongside Pulau Semakau descendant Rozita Rani. The session will be hosted by culinary content creator Azfar Maswan.
Beyond Plants: Nusantara Flora, Medicine & Cuisine
With Dapur Cahaya and Siti Flower Power
Our Flower Power workshop explores the various interpretations of local flora in Nusantara cuisine and the making of local medicines and traditional remedies such as jamu.
Participants are invited to the space to connect deeper with our Malay roots through sensory play, hands-on jamu-making, and end off with a closing chat on intergenerational knowledge, sustainable practices, and zero-waste traditions — all while enjoying keropok and sambal belacan.
HOSTED BY
Dapur Cahaya is a culinary platform dedicated to shining light on traditional Malay cuisine, founded by Suria. Through the platform, she explores the beauty of Malay cuisine by highlighting its flavours and ingredients, offering others an immersive journey into the heart of Malay culture. Dapur Cahaya creates a space for curiosity and exploration, inspiring others to come together in celebrating the vibrant world of traditional Malay cuisine.
Siti Flower Power is one of the last traditional medicine shops in Singapore, continuing the legacy of native remedies using local plants such as kunyit (turmeric).
Jong Workshop
With Fawzi Nasir from Pulau Sekijang Pelepah
A Jong is a miniature, unmanned racing boat, modelled after the Kolek, which were popular maritime crafts played in Riau, Johor, and Singapore.
Cik Fawzi Nasir, who grew up on Pulau Sekijang Pelepah (Lazarus Island), is a Jong enthusiast and has been actively working to bring back these heritage sports once commonly seen in our coastlines.
The Jong Workshop will be an introduction to the history, significance, design and the craftsmanship of the Jong. Learn the intricacies of this craft and participate in building a Jong together!
Coastal Elements as Natural Pigments
With Wild Dot
Join us to explore the colours of soil around Tanah Dan Air through foraging and painting with earth. Experience how soil painting connects us to our sites and senses.
HOSTED BY
Wild Dot is a nature art studio by Liz and Shirin that works with natural colours found in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Batu Lesung Making
With Mud Rock Ceramics
Discover the art of making your own portable batu lesung — a traditional mortar and pestle — using clay. In this hands-on session, participants will be guided through the process of shaping and sculpting a simple yet functional batu lesung.
Learn about the unique properties of the clay body used, and how different forms and designs can affect the way ingredients are pounded. Whether you’re curious about traditional tools or simply enjoy working with your hands, this workshop offers a creative and meaningful way to connect with heritage through craft.
HOSTED BY
Mud Rock Ceramics is a ceramics studio that primarily focuses on producing functional ware that are all 100% made by the hands of its founders and supported by its community.
Tales from the Nusantara: Under the Sea
In collaboration with Malay Heritage Centre
The Orang Seletar have long lived by the tides, and with the sea comes stories — some mysterious, some magical, and all unforgettable.
In this special storytelling session, Suhaili will share three remarkable encounters between the Orang Seletar and the creatures of the sea:
- A diver who braves the deep… only to be bitten by something no one could quite explain.
- A fisherman’s unexpected catch that stirs up a storm across the waters.
- A turtle who teaches a powerful lesson about freedom — and the strange ways luck can change.
Come listen, imagine, and dive into the enchanting tales of the sea!
HOSTED BY
Suhaili Safari is a Singaporean storyteller, actor, writer, and musician whose work onours memory, place, and identity. In Air (2024) by Drama Box, she helps give voice to the lived experiences of the Orang Seletar, one of Singapore’s indigenous coastal communities, sharing stories of resilience, belonging, and change. Her storytelling blends theatre, music, and community dialogue, drawing audiences into spaces where histories are remembered and futures reimagined.
Island Life @ Main Lawn
Traditional Malay Dance
by Tak Takut Kids Club
10:15am
Tak Takut Kids Club (TTKC) is a child-centric community development project by 3Pumpkins. Our name,
‘Tak Takut’ means ‘not afraid’, representing our hope for the
children to develop brave and confident selves.
We provide a safe and supportive space for children from vulnerable backgrounds, empowering them to connect, grow, and thrive.
Silat Gayong Demonstration
by Silat Seni Gayong Nagabura
3:00pm
Kami Anak Pulau
(We, the islanders)
by Asnida Daud
4:00pm
A heartfelt celebration of island life, identity, and culture—featuring a special performance by Asnida Daud, a performer with ancestral roots in Pulau Sudong.Asnida weaves the rich oral traditions of her island heritage ,breathing new life into the stories of her ancestors. Her performance is more than storytelling—it is a living tribute to the voices, memories, and rhythms of the Orang Pulau.
Experience an evocative journey through time, history, and heart—where every word connects past to present.
Joget Dangkung
Led by islanders from Pulau Samulun
5:00pm
Joget Dangkung – with music by Orkes Melayu Mutiar – is usually performed by large groups of dancers to create a lively sense of community and celebration, often featured at festive events like weddings or cultural festivals that highlight unity and togetherness within the community.
Orkes Melayu Mutiara is an intergenerational ensemble comprising islanders and descendants from Pulau Samulun, led by Cik Nasir Abdullah.
A Guided Walk
By Orang Pulau descendants and/or the Orang Laut SG Team
10am, 1pm, 4pm
An immersive experience into the history and culture of Singapore’s Orang Pulau, particularly the Southern Islanders. We’ll explore oral histories, sustainable local practices, and the impacts of urban development and climate change on the Orang Pulau cultures, where participants will be able to ask as much as they wish to.
Limited Capacity – Sign Up Now!
Film Screenings @ Hari Orang Pulau
Showcase of films by and/or about coastal communities in the region.
Film Screening
Bawang Puteh, Bawang Merah (1959)
[PG]
7.30pm
1h 33 mins
Free Of Charge
Limited Seating
The storyline of ‘Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah’ is speculated to originates from the Riau Islands in Indonesia. The influential classic 1959 Malay film was shot in many different locations in Singapore such as Bukit Timah and Botanic Gardens.
The film deviates from its source material, where Bawang Putih is portrayed as the evil stepsister rather than Bawang Merah in the original.
Courtesy of Cathay-Keris Films Pte Ltd
Source: Asian Film Archive
Short Film
Dara Duka Sang Pemain Joget Dangkung (2020)
[PG]
4.40PM
15 mins
Free Of Charge
Limited Seating
A short documentary film that records Mak Dare, or “Dara Duka”, is the only female leader of the only Joget Dangkung (traditional dance) troupe of the only Joget Dangkung group left in Tanjung Pinang.
Joget Dangkung is a shared traditional dance among the Southern Islands of Singapore and the Riau Islands, which is still being practised today.
Director: Novi Asti Lalasati
BPNB Kepulauan Riau
Exclusive Film Screening & Conversation @ CitySprouts Community Hall
Voices: Pulau Brani, Isle of the Brave (2024)
[PG]
7 PM
31 mins (5 episodes)
Free Of Charge
40 Participants
This poignant short film follows siblings Azman and Mardiana Abu Bakar as they return to the island of their youth, retracing childhood memories and uncovering the quiet resilience of a once-thriving southern island community. Through intimate interviews and rare archival footage, the film is a tribute not only to Azman’s memories, but also to his sister, Mardiana, whose reflections on childhood wonder, kampong solidarity, and quiet resistance round out a shared legacy of belonging.
The island’s villages — Masak Timah, Telok Saga, Selat Sengkir, and Spedo — come alive in their stories, each kampong echoing a distinct rhythm of life shaped by seafaring, tin smelting, maritime skill, and communal care.
This 25-minute screening will be followed by a conversation with former Pulau Brani islanders and descendants, featuring voices from each kampong.
Director: Yiqin Ng
Viddsee
what to expect at hari orang pulau?
what to expect at hari orang pulau?
We’ve curated a full day of programmes, including cultural performances, workshops, film screenings, thought-provoking panel discussions, games, family-friendly activities and more!
At Main Lawn
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Welcome to Hari Orang Pulau! |
| 10:15 AM | Performance Traditional Malay Dance by Tak Takut Kids Club |
| 10:30 AM | Welcome Address by our Guest-Of-Honour, Minister Desmond Lee |
| 11:00 AM | In Conversation Diving Deep: Living History of Singapore’s Southern Islands |
| 12:00 PM | In Conversation Ke Laut: Exploring Intercultural Connections |
| 1:00 PM | In Conversation Waves of Change: Culture, Nature & Sustainability |
| 2:00 PM | In Conversation Pulau Voices: With Coastal Community Members |
| 3:00 PM | Performance Silat Gayong Demonstration by Silat Seni Gayong Nagabura |
| 4:00 PM | Performance Kami Anak Pulau (We, the islanders) by Asnida Daud |
| 4:45 PM | Short Film Dara Duka Sang Pemain Joget Dangkung (Dara Duka, the legend of Joget Dangkung) by Novi Asti |
| 5:00 PM | Joget Dangkung Communal Dance with music by Orkes Melayu Mutiara |
| 7:00 PM | Film Screening Bawang Putih Bawang Merah (1959) |
| 9:00 PM | Terima Kasih Semua! |
at city sprouts
