Friday, April 6, 2012

Dari 'Kampung' ke 'Wisma'

The Malay Village will be making way for the new 'Wisma Geylang Serai' civic centre.
AsiaOneWednesday, Apr 04, 2012
Akhirnya, 'Malay Village' di Geylang Serai yang 'hidup segan, mati tak mau' diberi nama baru. 
Ternyata, seruan untuk mengekalkan perkataan 'Melayu' dalam nama baru tidak dilayan. 
Apakah ini petanda awal "Melayu akan hilang" di Geylang Serai?
Mengutip kata-kata seorang rakan:
"The govt wants an edifice without a soul, a name without meaning, and a people without an identity. It's fully consistent."

Civic centre is named Wisma Geylang Serai
by Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE - The civic centre in Geylang Serai, which will be completed by 2016, will be known as Wisma Geylang Serai.

The name was finalised by a panel chaired by former Member of Parliament Yatiman Yusof, after taking into consideration the vision and intended uses for the centre, as well as the results of the online public voting in February from a shortlist of 10 names nominated by the public.

The panel felt that "Wisma" reflects the distinctive cultural identity of Geylang Serai, and is also forward-looking and cosmopolitan.

Mr Yatiman said: "The panel had considered the fact that 'Wisma' had been used as the working name for the civic centre. However, we decided that this should not prejudice our choice, as the final chosen name should be based on what best represents the civic centre as a distinctive and progressive cultural and community hub in Geylang Serai.

"This process has also unveiled the deep interest that the Malay community has in the cultural identity of the civic centre. I hope that the Malay culture and heritage will be expressed through the architecture and streetscape of the Geylang Serai precinct when it is fully developed."

The 10,000 sq m centre, which was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last August, is expected to house a Malay Heritage Gallery, the Geylang Serai Community Club, South East Community Development Centre, as well as some arts groups. 

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120405-0000055/Civic-centre-is-named-Wisma-Geylang-Serai

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Petisyen yang menuntut supaya perkataan 'Melayu' dicatitkan baru meraih 33 undi. Entah bila boleh mencapai sasaran 10,000 undi.   

Incorporate the word 'Melayu' in the naming the proposed civic centre in Geylang Serai
Dear Mr President
I just signed the following petition addressed to: The President of the Republic of Singapore.

"Incorporate the word 'Melayu' in the naming the proposed civic centre in Geylang Serai."

None of the 10 short-listed names have the word ‘Melayu’ (Malay) incorporated.

1. Hab Warisan Geylang Serai

2. Kampung Geylang Serai

3. Kampung Seri Geylang

4. Medan Warisan Geylang

5. Mutiara Geylang Serai

6. Pusat Sivik Geylang Serai

7. Sri Geylang

8.Wisma Gemilang Geylang Serai

9. Wisma Geylang Serai

10. Wisma Seri Geylang

The Chairman of the selection panel, Yatiman Yusof, explained that the new civic centre will house Geylang Serai Community Centre (CC), South East Community Development Council (CDC), a Malay Heritage Gallery, cultural art galleries and other community-related facilities. The redevelopment project seeks and hopes to preserve the strong Malay heritage of the precinct. Thus the 10 short-listed entries are deserving for consideration.

There are also certain activist who wish to literally call it ‘Malay Town’, without any official billboard signs or writings or even a landmark. A simple endorsement of the panel’s decision.

The Malay community are divided and wish to petition for the word ‘Melayu’ be incorporated.

The historical heritage of Geylang Serai as the heart of the Malay community. The Malay community suggested some names be considered for the upcoming civic centre in Geylang Serai.

1) Serambi Melayu @ Geylang Serai

2) Teratak Melayu @ Geylang Serai

3) Desa Melayu @ Geylang Serai

4) Nadi Melayu @ Geylang Serai

5) Wisma Melayu @ Geylang Serai

6) Medan Melayu @ Geylang Serai

7) Hab Melayu @ Geylang Serai

For fair argument and comparison, let us visit the LITTLE INDIA & CHINATOWN heritage in Singapore. What difference would it make if there isn’t any landmark for both these two historical places? Why cant the Geylang Serai redevelopment have a landmark with the word ‘Melayu’ incorporated into it.

The selection panel headed by Yatiman Yusof should have considered the majority's view rather than to subscribe to a narrow technicalities of the project concept or usage and refusing the simple 'identity' name to be embedded. It cause no harm for Singapore identity to be identified on a landmark of the area.


Sincerely,

Citizen of Singapore
[Your name]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

nak letak nama melayu pun susah sangat, dahlah istana kg gelam ditenggelamkan dengan memuziumkannya, kampong melayupun dibedok resevoirkan dengan air, apalah lagi yang ada!

BaitiBadarudin said...

Kalau tak dipertahankan, tiada apa lagilah yang akan tinggal.