My Motivation

In Memoriam (of the Arab legacy)

I wanted this to be a personal documentation of the 'learning journey' I embarked on in trying to rediscover the Arab community and its legacy in Singapore, as well as crafting my own reflections in the process. So far, all through my schooling years i have studied about the Chinese and Indian coolies that help build the country from scratch however rarely do I hear the credit being given to another group of people, the Arabs, who contributed significantly to the rise of the Islam community in the nation.

Growing up in a Malay-Muslim household, I have heard these names so often in passing however I have not tried to find out the stories. I knew i was curious so I thought this would be a perfect time to start rediscovering this group of influential persons whose stories are somehow 'hidden' in our Singapore story. In the course of this module, I had learnt how important social memory is and how it can be moulded and malleable to fit a certain narrative. Perhaps i wanted to relive the Arab community's contributions and achievements in my own manner.

I wanted to learn more about this special community through its People and Places. I spent half a day walking around the Kampong Glam area in Bugis because i have recalled it was an area where Arab traders settled and flourished during our colonial times. I spent time talking to the shopkeepers as well and discovered newer stories i had never known. However, i felt it was not extensive enough coverage on the extent of the legacy hence i further researched on material online regarding the Arab families. All in all, this is a synthesis of all the materials I have gathered, and typed in this blog for all to read.