Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)


Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

BEACON OF PERANAKAN CULTURE. SINCE 1900.

At our monthly meeting in May, the General Committee, after much deliberation, decided on a tagline for the Association. Our tagline describes what we are and what we have set out to do.

For us to be a beacon is to be in a prominent position. It is to be aloft on the highest hill, tested by strong winds, yet also calmed by lovely breezes.

It means having a good reputation for integrity, clarity of purpose, and being a cultural champion for our community and society.

We also aim to be a courageous trailblazer and thoughtful gatekeeper, as our culture and community evolve in these fast-changing times.

The Association has achieved much thus far. It is due, in no small measure, to the foresight and inspirations of our founders and General Committees since 1900.

From the days of British rule to self-rule, to being part of Malaysia, and finally to our Singapore becoming a fully sovereign nation.

You will soon begin to see this tagline – Beacon of Peranakan Culture. Since 1900 – below our Association’s logo, when appropriate. Our logo was updated in August 2018.

EVENTS

The Association has taken great care in curating events for members since we started organising them in July 2018. The past and coming events are captured in the list attached below my letter.

The schedule for the second half of 2019 is not yet complete. Members should be alert to our digital announcements through e-mail, the Association’s Facebook page and our website.

Our events have been designed to span from the social to the scholarly. This is to reflect the demographics and interests of our membership.

A few events have even been experimental.

At this juncture, I would like to specially thank Nyonya Gwen Ong, our Head of Events. She has tirelessly coordinated almost all of these events. She achieved this with the help of both GC and Association members who gave their free time. It is a long list of helpers and I will certainly duly credit them in good time.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated team of GC members and non-GC volunteers to run the Association.

I have been described as a “slave-driver”, but they have all willingly put their shoulders to the tasks at hand for the benefit of members. I am sure the same sentiment is shared by you.

I would like to highlight two specific events coming up.

BABA NYONYA LITERARY FESTIVAL

The first is the Association’s inaugural Baba Nyonya Literary Festival to be held on the afternoons of 20 July and 21 July 2019. It was over subscribed within three days of its announcement. Details of this event were set out in my letter last month.

FORUM ON PERANAKAN IDENTITY

The second event is a forum that will be held at the Asian Civilisations Museum’s auditorium on the evening of Friday, 2 August 2019. This will be open to the general public with priority given to Association members. Details and a registration link will be announced soon.

We thank ACM for generously sponsoring the venue. The auditorium should comfortably accommodate the enthusiastic response we are anticipating for this event.

The Peranakan Identity Forum: Who Am I? will kick off with Dr Roger Foo from the Genome Institute of Singapore presenting his peer-reviewed findings from The Peranakan Genome Project – a study of DNA samples from members of the Singapore Peranakan community.

This presentation will be followed by a forum with a panel of scholars comprising Prof Leo Suryadinata (Senior Fellow at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute, adjunct professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies), historian, Prof Seng Guo Quan (Department of History, National University of Singapore), Dr Lim Beng Soon (Head, Malay Language and Literature programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences) and well-known Peranakan author Nyonya Josephine Chia.

My hope is that the sharing at the forum will be thoughtful and civil. Discussing identity, (especially among Peranakans!) has a way of getting people unnaturally riled up and emotional.

But if we treat this forum as yet another step in our exploration of our ethnic roots and cultural underpinnings, and keep an open mind in doing so while recognising that we all share a national identity as Singaporeans, we should be fine.

MEMBERSHIP

Our membership recruitment has been yielding much fruit. Since January this year we have registered 81 new members. Our total tally now stands at 2034 active members, after two members who passed on this year.

We are unable to contact 24 inactive members, based on repeated returned mails and the absence of any other means of contact except home addresses.

We are on target to hit our objective of 100 new members for every year.

Much of the push factor has been due to the fact that priority of registration in our events is being given to members. We would encourage fence-sitters to register soonest possible as our Life Membership fees will be raised from the current $128.

We are also studying the feasibility of limiting non-members’ access to the digital archive of our award-winning magazine, The Peranakan, on the Association’s website.

To date, we have not heard from the Registrar of Societies whether our Junior Membership initiative has been approved. We will continue to check with the agency and update members.

Dear Nyonyas and Babas, thank you for your understanding and continued support. Kamsiah manyak!


Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
30 June 2019

 

EVENTS CALENDAR 2019

JANUARY
19 January at the NUS Baba House
POTONG KERTAIR MERAH
RED PAPER CUTTING WORKSHOP
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Hands-on workshop by Nyonya Linda Chee and Nyonyas Samantha and Simone Tan

FEBRUARY
16 February at the NUS Baba House
WHO IS THE GOD OF WEALTH?
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Talk by Esmond Soh Chuah Meng, a final-year undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History at Nanyang Technological University.

MARCH
15 & 16 March at The Peranakan Museum
THE ARMENIAN STREET PARTY
In collaboration with The Peranakan Museum, before its two-year closing at the end of March for renovation.

17 March
GEM NEW START CENTRE CHARITY GALA DINNER
The Association’s choir, The Peranakan Voices performed at GEM’s Charity Gala Dinner to help raise funds for its many programmes in aid of giving female ex-offenders a new start in life.

25 March at Holiday Inn Express Orchard
The Peranakan MAGAZINE’S SILVER ANNIVERSARY DINNER
An evening to thank past and present contributors, editorial committee members, advertisers friends and donors who have supported the magazine.

31 March at Joo Chiat Community Club’s auditorium
THE ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

APRIL
13 April at the NUS Baba House
SEMAYANG CHENG BENG
CHENG BENG (清明) FESTIVAL: TALK ON ANCESTRAL WORSHIP PRACTICES
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Talk by Baba Cedric Tan, President of Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, and Heritage Consultant.

23 April at the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC)
A GUIDED TOUR OF THE HCC

26, 27, 28 April at Serangoon Gardens Country Club (SGCC)
FOUNDER’S DAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
A collaboration with SGCC

MAY
18 May at the NUS Baba House
CHARACTERISING STRAITS CHINESE CUISINE (Talk with Cooking Demo)
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Talk by food writer, Baba Dr Ong Jin Teong, a retired professor of Engineering at Nanyang Technological University.

25 May at the NUS Baba House
CHRISTIANISED PERANAKAN COMMUNITIES IN EARLY SINGAPORE, CIRCA 1830-1900
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Talk by Dr Marc Rerceretnam, a historian studying the role of religion within colonial society in Singapore. Also Baba Chan Eng Thai, a practising lawyer and an active member of the Peranakan community in Singapore.

JUNE
5 June at the Istana
BICENTENNIAL ISTANA OPEN HOUSE
A collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office
The Association, together with Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore, showcased aspects of Peranakan culture in their respective communities in the Istana’s open grounds.

JULY
3 July at the Raffles City Convention Centre
GALA DINNER TO CELEBRATE THE 114TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NUS YONG LOO LIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
The Association will showcase and promote Peranakan culture at the reception and cocktail session through beadwork and Peranakan jewelery displays and demonstrations.

7 July at The Yards
JOO CHIAT 60 FIESTA TO CELEBRATE JOO CHIAT’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY
A collaboration with the People’s Association (PA) and The Yard
The Association has curated a special bazaar and workshops comprising largely specialist food vendors and collectors to complement the various enrichments programmes the Yard has to offer. The PA coordinated the event and also organised an open-air screening of a movie for residents and guests.

13 July at Mary’s Kafe
FEMALE SONS: SILK, PATRIARCHY, MARRIAGE & THE MAJIE
Talk by historian Ang Chin Siew

18-21 July at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY EXPO (SIJE)
The Association was invited to be a community partner of SIJE. Members can register to enjoy visitation benefits including VIP passes.

20 July at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS)
REOPENING OF THE SCHOOL’S HERITAGE CORNER
Collaboration with SCGS
The Association will showcase aspects of Peranakan culture and traditions to help SCGS students and teachers better understand their school’s Peranakan heritage.

20-21 July at The Peranakan Gallery
THE BABA NYONYA LITERARY FESTIVAL
Writers, Readers and Moderators Josephine Chia, Kenneth Chan, Chan Eng Thai, Goh Eck Kheng, Stella Kon, Lee Su Kim, Lim Kay Tong, Shawn Seah, Christopher Tan, Sylvia Tan, Vivienne Tan, Ila Tyagi, Walter Woon, Robert Yeo and Ovidia Yu. And local publishers Ethos, Landmark, Marshall Cavendish and Pansing.

AUGUST
2 August at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) Auditorium
THE PERANAKAN IDENTITY FORUM: WHO AM I?
Dr Roger Foo of the Genome Institute of Singapore will present his team’s final findings from the The Peranakan Genome Project – a study of Singapore Peranakan DNA. Results from the study will be revealed at the forum. Following Dr Foo’s presentation, Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee, editor of The Peranakan magazine, will moderate a forum on the Peranakan identity. Forum panellists include writer Nyonya Josephine Chia, sinologist Prof Leo Suryadinata, historian Prof Seng Guo Quan, and linguistics professor, Dr Lim Beng Soon.

SAVE THE DATES

Several events are being planned from September to December 2019 and into 2020. Please continue to visit the Association’s FB and website weekly to catch them as they are announced. The events include a series of Dalam Dapor workshops with celebrity chefs, cookbook writers and home chefs; the launch of the Association’s Yeow Kwee Club for foodies; more talks on subjects ranging from culture, communities and societies, craft, collecting and department; and talks for our young members to introduce them tour culture, adat, naming conventions, etiquette and other subjects.

In the meantime, the following events have been confirmed.

SEPTEMBER
11 September with W!LD RICE at the brand new Wild Rice Theatre
EMILY OF EMERALD HILL: A SPECIAL TPAS EVENING
The Association and W!LD RICE present a very special evening for Association members. The fabulous Baba Ivan Heng will reprise the titular role in this seminal play by Nyonya Stella Kon and directed by Baba Glen Goei.

21 September at the NUS Baba House
DRESSING A PERANAKAN HOME WITH IKENOBO (Demo & Worskshop)
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
Demo by Sinsei Leonard Lim, possibly the only Ikenobo Master outside Japan in Asia permitted to present floral arrangements at the school’s founding Kyoto temple.

OCTOBER
Date to be confirmed at Marine Parade Community Club
TEA DANCE
In collaboration with the People’s Association
Joget to live music and song provided by The Merilads and The Peranakan Voices.

NOVEMBER
22 – 24 November in Melaka
32ND BABA NYONYA CONVENTION
Annual convention to be hosted by Persatuan Peranakan Cina Melaka (PPCM) in Melaka. The Association has sold out all delegate places to this convention.

DECEMBER
28 December at Joyden Hall
MALAM JOLLY WESTERN
The Association’s annual Dinner & Dance. An 8-course Chinese dinner will be served. Country & Western theme. Entertainment by Matthew and the Mandarins, The Merilads and The Peranakan Voices.

EVENTS CALENDAR 2020

JANUARY 2020
Date to be confirmed at the NUS Baba House
DONDANG SAYANG
Co-organised with NUS Baba House
By Baba Cedric Tan and Baba Chan Eng Thai

JULY 2020
18 July
THE PERANAKAN BALL GALA DINNER

NOVEMBER 2020
20 – 22 November
The 33rd BABA NYONYA CONVENTION
In Singapore, organised by The Peranakan Association Singapore