Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF) Sembang Ilmu Series returns in 2021 with its third session. This edition, jointly-organised with the World Scientific Publishing Co features the editors of the book, “Beyond Bicentennial: Perspectives on Malays”, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Mr Wan Hussin Zoohri and Dr Norshahril Saat and three Malay youths from different fields of study. The two-hour forum reflects and re-examines the Malays’ contributions to Singapore’s history and development.
Saturday, 6 February 2021 – The Sembang Ilmu Series (SIS) made its first 2021 appearance with a forum based on the book “Beyond Bicentennial: Perspectives on Malays”. Deep dive into the impact of colonialism on the Malays, the significant roles organisations and religious leaders play in strengthening elf-confidence in the community, were some of topics that were hotly debated during the two-hour session.
Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, former Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and a community leader, gave a brief background about the book which he co-edited with Mr Wan Hussin Zoohri, a former Member of Parliament and community leader, and Dr Norshahril Saat, Senior Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He shared that it is important to be aware of Singapore’s Bicentennial milestone and reflect upon how the nation has transformed significantly over the past two centuries into a cosmopolitan and multi-racial society. Mr Zainul also candidly shared a personal anecdote of getting “almost killed” in a racial riot.
Following that, Mr Wan Husin Zoohri, affectionately known as Pak Wan, stressed that SG Bicentennial Commemoration presents a great opportunity for all to revisit the past and rethink about the presence and contributions of the Malays in Singapore’s early and modern history. Pak Wan further commented that if Singaporeans are to put this book against the background of Singapore’s history as well as that of the Malay Archipelago’s, the voice of the Malays in the region do matter. He cited some examples to show the tremendous development in the education system compared to the past, and that the Malays have a symbiotic relationship with the government. According to him, Yayasan Mendaki provided the catalyst and boost in laying the foundation for Malay’s academic development.
Ms Liyana Nasyita Shukarman, 27, a Masters student from Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), then spoke about “Encapsulating and Awakening a Critical Historical Consciousness”. She shared that the book is a good illustration that promotes critical historical consciousness as it is multi-perspective, where there is a recognition of pre-1819 history of Singapore and most importantly, it features many prominent figures in the Singapore Malay society. Ms Liyana opined that if Singaporeans, especially the Malays, do not take a critical approach in scrutinizing colonialism, this will eventually lead to a blind reference towards history. She also felt that we should not disregard the literary elites and tradition. This is important because of their role in recording the voices of the marginalised, as well as their critique on values held by rulers and leaders of the time.
Mr Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohd Khair, 24, an undergraduate from Yarmouk University, Jordan was next to present his paper “Islamic Traditions in 2021 and Beyond: Reevaluating Its Role in Our Malay Community”. His presentation touched on the nexus of Malayness and Muslimness, centrality of Islamic traditions within the community and how these influence the social, cultural, economic aspects of the Malays. Mr Ahmad also delved into the historical context of Islamic traditions and Islamic laws and institutions. In his opinion, the latter are enactors of our Islamic traditions (eg: AMLA, mosques, madrasahs and etc) and we should appreciate their presence while respecting their restrictions at the same time.
What does it mean to be Merdeka? This is the title of Ms Nur Hikmah Md Ali’s presentation. Nur Hikmah, 22, is an NUS undergraduate. She started her presentation by giving an overview of the issues of educational and women’s development in the Malay/Muslim community and sharing a quote from one of Malaysia’s well-known thinker and philosopher, Mr Kassim Ahmad. Ms Hikmah highlighted some of the issues evident in education such as the lack of acknowledgement of the psychological and socio-historical impacts on colonialism, even beyond the colonial period. Taking a snapshot of the women’s development in Malay/Muslim community today, Ms Hikmah is of the view that women activism is sorely lacking as most women’s groups tend to focus on the family and welfare matters. She felt that there is also a pressing need for an effective representation the political and civil spheres. In terms of development issues, building for the future requires a critical reflection on our community’s values and what kind of society do we envision to be.
The session concluded with a Q&A segment where speakers and discussants addressed questions from the audience. Close to 30 participants attended the session. SIS is part of an ongoing initiative to provide our youth with a discursive platform to discuss and reflect on issues that matter for the Malay community, in collaboration with MHF. The first session on the theme of “History and Power: Portrayal of Malay Community” was held in March 2020, followed by the second instalment on “Malay Language” in September 2020. SIS session will mostly be delivered in English.
Useful Links
Media Coverage
1. Berita Mediacorp (6 Feb 2021) – Forum Sembang Ilmu Ajak Belia Bincang Sejarah dan Masa Depan Masyarakat Melayu Singapura
2. Berita Harian (22 Feb 2021) – Sumbangan, Suara Masyarakat Dalam Pembangunan, Sejarah S’pura Perlu Diterus, Diperteguh
Papers
1. Encapsulating and Awakening a Critical Political Historical Consciousness: Liyana Nasyita Shukarman
2. Islamic Traditions in 2021 and Beyond: Reevaluating Its Role in Our Malay Community: Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohd Khair
3. What It Means to Be Merdeka? Issues of Educational and Women’s Development in the Malay/Muslim Community: Nur Hikmah Md Ali
Suara Belia
1. A Revisit of Our Past in Realising The Aspirations of The Youths for The Future: Syazwani Sanep