PM Lawrence Wong at the Malay Heritage Centre's Reopening Festival (Apr 2026)

My Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues
Chairman and Board of the Malay Heritage Foundation
Ladies and gentlemen

I am very happy to join you this evening for the re-opening of the Malay Heritage Centre.  Let me begin with a few words in Malay, our National Language.

Selamat tengah hari, dan salam sejahtera. Warisan masyarakat Melayu Singapura adalah sebahagian daripada kisah negara kita. Warisan anda – ialah warisan Singapura.

Sebab itulah, kami tubuhkan Taman Warisan Melayu lebih dua puluh tahun lalu untuk menghargai warisan ini bersama semua rakyat Singapura.

Hari ini, kita raikan pembukaan semula Taman Warisan Melayu dengan wajah yang baharu. Taman Warisan Melayu kini tampil dengan pameran yang lebih segar dan kemudahan yang lebih baik. Semoga usaha ini dapat mendekatkan generasi muda kepada kisah silam kita. Dan membantu mereka menghayati nilai bersama serta memupuk jati diri Melayu Singapura yang unik.

Pusat ini milik masyarakat dan kejayaan pusat ini bergantung pada kita semua.

Saya harap kita semua akan terus menyokong Taman Warisan Melayu dan menjadikannya ruang yang menghidupkan warisan kita sekaligus memberi inspirasi kepada generasi akan datang. Terima Kasih

Refreshing the MHC

I was here at this opening of the Malay Heritage Centre more than 20 years ago. I was a civil servant. The tent was smaller in scale; certainly we did not have the parade. So I am glad that we are here more than 20 years later, a much bigger reopening with our first cultural parade.

Coming back today, I am reminded of what this place means—not just to the Malay community, but to Singapore as a whole.

I see many familiar faces – people who were part of the original journey.  You have helped to build and sustain this Centre over the years. Our pioneers, veteran leaders, our former colleagues from Cabinet who are here, all of you who have been here steadfastly contributing to this Centre. Thank you for all your contributions!

Over time too, I too have returned often – and brought many overseas guests here.

Not just to visit the MHC. But also to enjoy the delicious Malay cuisine at the Gedung Kuning and the surrounding restaurants. And to see landmarks like Masjid Sultan, and soak in the atmosphere of Kampong Glam – its culture, history and life. 

This is what makes the Malay Heritage Centre special. It is not just a museum or heritage centre. It is a living part of our story.

But even the most meaningful institutions must evolve.  And that is why over time, we decided that the Centre needed to be refreshed. Partly out of necessity, because this is an old building and the facilities needed upgrading. But importantly, to enable it to better fulfil its mission as a living centre for Singapore Malay culture.

We took care not to rush the process.  So we took our time to do a proper refresh.  Over the last three years, the National Heritage Board consulted widely – heritage experts, community groups and stakeholders, and many others. 

What we see today is a result of this shared effort.

And I am delighted to be back one more, this time as your Prime Minister, to re-open the Centre. 

Our Malay Heritage 

The refreshed Centre continues to honour the rich heritage of our Malay community – a heritage that is integral to our national story.

From our earliest days, Singapore was connected to the wider Malay world, or nusantara. People, ideas, and traditions flowed through this region and through Singapore. Over time, they took root here, and became part of who we are. 

This Malay heritage is not monolithic. It’s rich and diverse – made up of many groups with roots across the region, of course people from the Malay Peninsula itself, but also Javanese, Bugis, Minangkabau and others. Each with its own traditions and customs, and yet over time, these distinct strands have come together here in Singapore.

All these are captured in the theme of the refreshed Centre — “dari rantau ke rumah”. It speaks of journeys – from across the region, to Singapore. Of communities coming together, and putting down roots here. And of how these diverse beginnings evolved into a shared sense of home.

Today, Malay culture continues to flourish in Singapore – from the pantun we heard earlier to the batik and songket worn with pride.

The refreshed Centre tells this story in new and meaningful ways – connecting more deeply with a new generation of Singaporeans. It’s not just about new artefacts and exhibits – although there is plenty of these. It goes beyond static displays to offer more immersive and interactive experiences. And there are many talented artists who have contributed to these immersive exhibitions and installations. Visitors can engage with stories through these curated spaces that bring history to life. In doing so, they can better understand how our past has shaped who we are today, and how it can guide us forward.

All of these efforts matter. I am always reminded by a conversation I had with the late Cultural Medallion recipient Cikgu Yusnor Ef some years back, where he said to me, and I quote, “the soul of our nation is our heritage. Without a past, we will have no present, without a present, we will have no future.”

Uniquely Singapore

And so it is through this heritage – lived, shared, and renewed across generations – that a distinct identity has taken shape here in Singapore.

And what we have today is not just a Malay culture but it is a Singaporean Malay culture.

It draws from the richness of the wider Malay world – its traditions, customs, and beliefs, which have been passed down from our region to our nation, and across generations.  But importantly, it is shaped and defined by our shared experiences as Singaporeans.

Over the last 60 years, we have journeyed together as one people, regardless of race, language or religion – to build our nation and to make Singapore our home.

And we have done all these as a multi-racial and multi-religious society, living together in peace and harmony – with every community preserving its identity, while at the same time contributing to a larger, shared Singaporean identity. 

Many Singaporean Malays have contributed to this journey. Many of them are well known. Like Pak Zubir Said, who composed countless Malay songs, including our national anthem. And Puan Noor Aishah, the spouse of our first President Yusof Ishak, who championed Malay heritage and devoted herself to many social causes.  But there are also others who worked quietly but no less meaningfully. Like Puan Saleha, also known as Puan Haliza.  She was Singapore’s first female Malay editor.  In the 1950s, she transformed Fesyenmagazine into a weekly sensation reaching tens of thousands across Singapore and Malaysia.  Many were so devoted that they would make the trip to Jalan Sultan just to meet her in person.  Puan Saleha believed that reading empowered women, and dedicated her life to this cause.  And you can see her magazines in the refreshed MHC galleries.

There are many other stories like these. And in their own ways, each of them helped to shape modern Singapore.

These are stories we must continue to tell.

Because they remind us that nation building is not the work of a few.  It is the work of every citizen,  across generations.

So through the refreshed MHC, we want to bring to life the stories of all these personalities.  So that current and future generations can learn from them, and carry forward the values they stand for. 

Beyond the Centre

Of course the heritage centre does not stand alone.  It is part of the wider Kampong Glam precinct – one of Singapore’s most historic districts.

I encourage the Malay Heritage Centre to work closely with the partners here, and I’m glad you have already started doing so, I see many of them here, including our friends from Kampung Gelam Alliance, and the many partnerships you have forged, to even make this cultural parade possible. Work closely to celebrate the shared heritage of this area, and keep the precinct alive and vibrant.

The Government will continue to do our part to support these efforts – by working with stakeholders, and supporting heritage businesses and cultural activities.

I also encourage the Malay Heritage Centre to deepen collaborations across communities. Create more opportunities for dialogue and exchange – through cross-cultural performances and programmes. Make this a space where culture is not preserved but lived and shared; where more Singaporeans can experience our Malay culture for ourselves, and gain a deeper understanding of our roots and shared identity.

And in this way, we can ensure the Malay Heritage Centre and Kampong Glam are not just spaces for one community in Singapore, but places of shared meaning – that will be precious to all Singaporeans and that we all can take pride in and cherish together.

Conclusion

This refreshed Malay Heritage Centre is the result of many partnerships – between the Malay Heritage Foundation, the National Heritage Board, community stakeholders and all who contributed their ideas and efforts.

So today I want to say to everyone, thank you all for your contributions and for making this possible.

Ultimately this Centre does not belong to any one organisation.  It belongs to all of you.

So I hope you continue to support it, take ownership of it, and keep it vibrant for many more years to come.

May the Malay Heritage Centre continue to be a place where we remember our past, celebrate our culture, and renew our shared commitment to Singapore. Thank you very much.