Building on the Past for Our Future, Supported by Our Communities and Patrons

The past two years have, as you've heard earlier, really hit the museums and the heritage sector very hard.

1. Your support in these difficult, quite unprecedented, times have helped us to continue with our mission of celebrating Singapore's heritage and at the same time, quite importantly safeguarding for future generations to appreciate, to know, and to associate and identify with.

Importance of Heritage in Today's Society

Indeed this mission is a very critical one. Heritage is indeed very central to our whole notion of identity. 

1. It shapes who we are, how we think, where we come from, and how the world sees us. 

2. The sense of common history and also shared experiences connects us to Singapore as a cohesive, inclusive community, anchored together by that sense of shared memories, shared heritage and  mutual trust.

3. And it requires a whole-of-society effort to invest in the protection and the celebration of that heritage.

Our SG Heritage Plan (2018-2022)

Recognising this, in 2018, NHB launched Our SG Heritage Plan.

1. As Singapore's first masterplan for the museum and heritage sector, it outlined broad strategies for five years from 2018.

Now, almost 5 years on, I would like to congratulate NHB on the progress that this community has made so far.

1. And today at the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC), we can clearly see what we have achieved under the plan, when you take a glance at what we have around us.

Our places

The Malay Heritage Centre is a site that's located in a historic space.

1. Gazetted as a National Monument on the eve of Singapore's Golden Jubilee in 2015, the Istana Kampong Gelam was once the seat of Malay royalty in Singapore, testament to Singapore's long links with the wider Malay world throughout Southeast Asia.

Beyond the Malay Heritage Centre, we have stepped up efforts all around Singapore to recognise and celebrate our tangible heritage.

1. We have gazetted three new National Monuments – representing key aspects of our history – to bring the total number of National Monuments to 75. The most recent of course being the Padang, gazetted last week on National Day

   1. It was made possible as we have updated and revamped the Preservation of Monuments Act, to recognise the value and significance of other sites beyond just buildings and structures. The Padang is the first time we've recognised and preserved as a National Monument, an open site that is not a building or historical structure in particular.

   2. And in doing so, also helping NHB to better protect our tangible heritage, to keep up with the changing times.

2. You are also likely have to come across the many markers that signpost our heritage trails – five of which were just launched in the past five years.

These highlight the diversity and also despite our relatively small size in Singapore, the geographical spread of our physical heritage in every corner of Singapore.

Our Treasures

At the same time, we can also learn about the lives of people in the past through artefacts – that are tangible, and better understand the people who have come before us, how they have lived their lives and what was special to them.

1. This is only possible if the artefacts themselves are accessible to the public.

This highlights the importance of NHB museums and our heritage institutions in showcasing these treasures and their significance in exhibitions.

1. For example, the MHC collects and displays artefacts in exhibitions that showcases the lesser-known stories of those in the Malay community:

   1. This includes “Urang Banjar: Heritage and Culture of the Banjar in Singapore.”

2. You may also recall: 

   1. the National Museum of Singapore's “An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s – 1819”; and

   2. The Asian Civilisations Museum's “Living with Ink: The Collection of Dr Tan Tsze Chor.”

3. These exhibitions showcase our historical interconnectivity with the wider region around Singapore, the richness and diversity of our heritage, and explains in many ways our multicultural, multi-ethnic society that we so cherish today.

We have also revamped the Changi Chapel and Museum and the Reflections at Bukit Chandu, refreshing their content and enhancing their accessibility.

Due to the constraints unfortunately brought about the COVID-19 pandemic, NHB also explored new ways to present our treasures in the past 2 years – new innovative ways to reach out to a broader newer audience as well:

1. With physical galleries closed, NHB introduced digital offerings such as 3-D virtual galleries, and augmented reality recreations of significant artefacts. I think it's something to be said about the advent of the digital world that we can see old artefacts in a new light on the screen in the comfort of our homes.

2. These go beyond, as I said, the constraints of physical boundaries for a more intimate look – and you can also, on your screen, turn it around 360 degrees to look at it more closely,

3. Allowing many more Singaporeans the accessibility and also the ability to learn about our forefathers and in their own way, connect with our heritage in a far more visceral manner.

Our Cultures

There are also other parts of our shared heritage that go beyond just physical structures and artefacts

1. Regular visitors here at the MHC would be familiar with its programmes celebrating artforms such as dikir barat, and of course also wayang kulit.

2. We have also been treated to a short bangsawan performance earlier – I thought it was magnificent. it is not often that you see this and I thought it was a real special treat this evening for us to see that performance, albeit a small snippet of it.

   1. This ceremony comes on the back of the MHC's Bangsawan Festival, showcasing the oldest form of Malay theatre that is still being practised in Singapore.

   2. And it is important for us, not just to enjoy the performances, but to ensure that they are passed on for future generations – our children and their children – to continue, to appreciate, enjoy and  understand where we came from through these performances.

These are part of our Intangible Cultural Heritage or ICH – cultural practices and traditions that we still see today. 

1. These reflect the way we live, we work we play.

2. And spanning across different cultures, ethnic communities and religions.

3. We have to ensure that such ICH are continued and passed down to future generations.

NHB has made great strides in safeguarding and celebrating our ICH.

1. We have the Stewards of ICH Award, recognising the efforts of stalwart practitioners in keeping these practices alive – people who are experts in these areas, people who are able to pass on these traditions, teach them and ensure that they live out in future generations.

2. At the same time, we also felt the same sense of pride when our Hawker Culture was inscribed onto UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,  in 2020.

These occasions inculcate a sense of pride, a sense of who we are in Singapore, an interest in ICH amongst the wider public and also more importantly, our young people, our youth. Because our youth are our future, and we have to pass on to them that bit of heritage that allows them to continue with that spark, to always remember our special place in Singapore, where we came from, how we are special, and how that special trait continues to live on in future generations of Singaporeans.

Our Communities

Our ICH draw their vibrancy from so many different, diverse communities that come together in Singapore.

1. In our multicultural society, each community is special, bringing with them their own unique stories, their practices, their traditions, and their perspectives, and together as a whole making up our unique national identity. And with this whole being greater than the sum of our parts, because all of these special, diverse traits make us that special Singaporean.

To celebrate these stories, NHB has worked closely with communities to empower them through various initiatives,

1. Fostering a sense of co-ownership with the community; and

2. Also ensuring a diversity of voices in our Singapore story.

For example,

1. The MHC plays a central role as a heritage institution to share the rich histories and traditions of our Malay community, with initiatives such as a digital edition of its annual Hari Raya Open House to celebrate festivities virtually during Circuit Breaker.

2. NHB has also introduced new galleries and spaces that celebrate specific aspects of local and community heritage.

   1. These include the Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery, exploring traditional artforms practised in the Chinatown area.

   2. Not far from here, we have the Street Corner Heritage Galleries: Kampong Gelam, showcasing the precinct's heritage businesses.

Together, these efforts showcase the different stories in Singapore, and provide us an important platform for that cross-cultural dialogue.

Building on the Past for Our Future – Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0

I must say that I have given you a snippet of what we have achieved so far. We have come quite far – but there is always more that we can do, more that we can expand into, more that we can do better at, and more that we can do to pass on that special heritage.

1. We revamp our museums and heritage institutions from time to time, to enhance their attractiveness, reassess the narratives presented, and the presentation and the showcases.

2. The MHC, will soon be closing its doors later this year to revamp, to better preserve our National Monument, and to innovate with fresh content and presentation through new technology.

And our approach towards our future masterplan will be no different.

NHB has already been working hard to think about the next five years, as the first five years draws to a close. And the next five years will be Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0.

1. NHB has collected views on the future of the heritage ecosystem from more than 650 stakeholders and participants across 50 different focus group discussions.

2. A public engagement campaign has also been conducted to collect feedback from all Singaporeans, and that is still ongoing.

Building on the strengths of the first masterplan, NHB will focus on four pillars:

1. We will continue to strengthen a strong and confident Singaporean Identity through our shared heritage, ;

2. Second, encourage further ground-up initiatives and Community ownership, to let the public have a stake in and feel invested in that shared heritage;

3. Third, to lead the sector in creating economic opportunities to strengthen its connection with Industry; and 

4. Fourth, to facilitate Innovation though building capabilities to future-proof the sector

Many of you would also have passed through Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 booth when coming this evening.

1. We would be happy to hear your thoughts, your views, your suggestions, and maybe even your own aspirations on how you think about heritage and what it means to you, so that we can take [these thoughts and ideas] on board as we chart our path for Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0.

Importance of Cultural Philanthropy

Our achievements and ambitions tonight, is the night to recognise those who have made this possible, and that's not possible without the strong support from all our patrons here this evening.

Your support has helped us to enrich our exhibitions, campaigns and our programmes, and the way in which we have presented these to the public.

1. Whilst indeed 2021 has been difficult for everyone, 31 patrons have contributed more than $1.6 million to museums and heritage initiatives in Singapore. And for that, I and NHB are tremendously grateful.

I would also say that these contributions extend beyond just cash donations. Let me give you a few examples:

1. We are very grateful for Ms Agnes Tan's donation of Straits Chinese objects, which has helped deepen our understanding of the Straits Chinese community's culture.

2. I would like to also thank Mr Russel Wong for his donation of 79 photographs, presented in the Asian Civilisations Museum's Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto exhibition, augmenting ACM's collection as a museum of decorative arts; 

3. Finally, Dassault Systèmes Singapore, for sharing their expertise to develop a virtual reality experience of the Tanjong Pagar Railway station as the highlight of the PSM50: Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Singapore's Preservation Journey special exhibition.

I hope you had a chance to catch all three of these very special exhibitions.

Conclusion

To conclude, let me thank our patrons once again for believing in the value of culture and heritage in our society. I think we all are here because we have that shared belief, that shared desire and aspiration to transmit this heritage, to make sure it stays alive in each of us, and its stays alive in future generations.

Without your generous contributions, we would never have been able to do justice to the diversity and the richness of our shared heritage. And indeed in Singapore, we sit in the middle of the most richly diverse region in the world – language, religion, culture, traditions, practices – and we occupy that special place in the middle of this archipelago.

1. So your contributions have helped to galvanise spirits in a time when such inspiration, over the last two and a half years especially, have been really sorely needed.

I am very assured that we can continue to count on everyone's support as we embark on the next phase for our heritage and museum sector.

1. And I look forward to working closely with everyone

2. To build a better society for each other through our shared experiences, to foster that deep sense of pride in our national identity through our shared heritage.

On that note, thank you very much for being here, enjoy the evening, and once again, I hope to be able to mingle with you and have a chat and persuade you that this is truly, truly a very worthy cause.

Thank you.