On The Malay Heritage Trail...

After scratching the surface of Kampong Glam on my last trip to Singapore, it was rather time to dive a bit deeper and immerse myself in the sights and sounds of the remnants of the Malay heritage of Singapore...

This is where the trail began - Bussorah Street!

Originally, the road was called Sultan Road but was renamed in 1910  after Basra (then called Bussorah) in Iraq...

The area around Bussorah Street was where pilgrims from the entire South East Asian region used to gather before setting off for Mecca on their Haj pilgrimage. This place developed an ecosystem that supported the pilgrims - cheap inns and eateries as well as shops that stocked up the pilgrims for their voyage sprung up in Kampong Glam...

My first stop - the Malay Heritage Centre...

A view of the Sultan Mosque from the Malay Heritage Centre across the North Bridge Road...

Istana Kampong Glam, the abode of the erstwhile royal family (the Tungkus) of Singapore, is today reincarnated as the Malay Heritage Centre...

I remembered Geraldine's passionate narration stories of the deceit and treachery that were behind the Sultan ceding Singapore to the British... 

Malay artwork on a pennant...

Staircase inside the Istana...

Prominence of Temasek in Nusantara, or the Malay world...

Medieval shipping routes...

Sulawesi - the island with the funny shape, that's where the Bugis people come from...

A guide in traditional Malay dress...

The appointment letter Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first president who was a prominent Malay journalist. Today, his portrait adorns Singapore's banknotes...

Test of the appointment letter...

Medallions presented to Yosuf bin Ishak by the Sultan of Brunei...

Medallion presented by the Federation of Malaysia...

Traditional headgear...

Headgear of Malay soldiers...

The will of Temenggong Raja Daing Ibrahim of Johor bequeathing his empire to his son Abu Bakar, who is regarded as the father of modern Johor... This turn of events also marked the ascent of the British dominance of the Malay peninsula...

Belt buckles and traditional seals...

Who are the Malays?

The western powers carved up the Malay kingdoms between themselves - Java and Riau went to the Dutch (modern Indonesia) while the Malay peninsula and Singapore went to the British... The losers in this game were the Portuguese...

Genealogies of the rulers of the region can be traced back to Sang Nila Utama, who is credited with the sighting of the merlion!

Portraits of the Rajahs of Johor!

The pilgrims' route to the Islamic holy city, Mecca...

A Malay reliving the history of his ancestors!

Malay furniture...

Neeti would have loved this piece...

This piece of chinaware is indeed exquisite...

Exotic chinaware with Islamic motifs...

Items of everyday use in a Malay household...

Coffeeshop talk led to the growth of nationalism...

Malay publications from yesteryears...

An Arabic typewriter... my Dad had a similar-looking Olivetti QWERTY typewriter...

Islamic calligraphy...

Malay gossip and film magazines...

Malay cinema...

I guess Malay films were shot and produced at Balestier!

Immigrants from the Malay peninsula into Singapore brought with them their traditional musical heritage...

Traditional musical instruments...

The starting point?