Singapore Chronicles: Malays

The vicissitudes of history, from Raffles’ purchase of the Singapore island from a Malay sultan to the short-lived merger with Malaya, have left a lasting mark on the Malays of Singapore.

This book offers a glimpse of the community as it adapted to its minority status and responded to the myriad challenges of historical, social and political changes. Unlike among the Chinese and the Indians, there is remarkable cohesiveness within the community as most speak Malay and practise Islam. Yet, like the other communities, it struggles to retain its culture, tradition and values against the onslaught of urbanisation and Westernisation. With a focus on Malay leadership, education, religion, Syariah laws, language and literary tradition, this book evaluates how these aspects have evolved over the decades. Problems pertaining to the community’s socio-economic progress and future challenges are also discussed. This primer is an introduction to one of Singapore’s small yet resilient and remarkable communities.