Malay Heritage Centre Embarks On Next Phase Of Redevelopment

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah SINGAPORE, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) has embarked on its next phase of redevelopment which involves refurbishment works to its museum as well as two temporary exhibition galleries and the opening of a new visitors' centre and a flexible performance space. Situated amidst Istana Kampong Gelam, Gedung Kuning and the surrounding Kampong Gelam precinct, the Centre acts as a vital heritage institution for the Malay community in Singapore. During this period, the MHC, together with the Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF), will continue to engage the public with fun and exciting programmes showcasing the best of Malay art, culture and heritage. The main focus of the redevelopment works involves the re-conceptualisation of the museum's permanent exhibition hall. The new storyline of the revamped museum will highlight the history of Kampong Gelam as a port town and its significance to the Malay community, and showcase the different aspects of Malay culture and heritage that originated from the Indo-Malay Archipelago. It will also highlight the connection between the past heritage of Malays in Singapore and the present, while acknowledging the progress of the Malay community and its contributions. The configuration of the revamped MHC will also honour the layout of a traditional Malay house, with five permanent galleries. The galleries and their themes are: Anjung (Arrival), Perintis (Pioneers), Kehidupan (Living and Working), Pustaka (Language, Literature and Publications) and Kesenian (Arts and Culture). The refurbished permanent galleries will also feature more artefacts drawing from MHC's collection, the National Collection as well as contributions from the Malay community. The permanent galleries will be complemented by two temporary exhibition galleries which will play host to travelling exhibitions and help keep the contents of the revamped museum fresh and appealing. To complement the new permanent and temporary galleries, the existing auditorium of the MHC will be transformed into a flexible performance space. The new space will be used by the MHC for a variety of purposes, including film screenings, plays, dance performances, seminars and workshops. -- BERNAMA