{"id":3745,"date":"2025-12-29T04:23:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T04:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peranakan.org.sg\/theperanakanmagazine\/?p=3745"},"modified":"2025-12-09T05:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T05:07:15","slug":"kasih-sayang-dan-warisan-caring-for-our-babas-and-nyonyas-in-a-changing-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peranakan.org.sg\/theperanakanmagazine\/kasih-sayang-dan-warisan-caring-for-our-babas-and-nyonyas-in-a-changing-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Kasih Sayang dan Warisan: Caring for Our Babas and Nyonyas in a Changing Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nyonya Karen Wee Siew Lin, Khalida Begum, and Dan Ng of the Lions Befrienders Service Association
highlight the importance of connecting through culture and caregiving<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Apa gunanya panjang umor,
kalau tak ada yang sayang?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What use is a long life, if it’s lived without love?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the colourful quilt of Singapore’s communities, Peranakan culture is one of the most vibrant threads\u2014rich with ornate kebayas, hearty nyonya dishes, and the musical charm of Baba Malay. But as our babas and nyonyas grow older in a rapidly modernising world, they face a double challenge: to age well and keep the culture alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Chilli Padi to Caregiving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Peranakan families were tight-knit. Elders lived with their children or grandchildren, often stirring sambal in the kitchen while telling stories from their youth. But today, as families get smaller, busier, and more global, our beloved elders are often left alone. The comforting sounds of Baba Malay are fading, and so are the daily interactions that once passed on language, values, and recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t just about nostalgia\u2014it’s about connection. Without language and tradition, caregiving becomes clinical. But with them, it becomes kasih sayang\u2014love, legacy, and care wrapped into one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Silver Tsunami is Here<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singapore is becoming a super-aged nation. By 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older. Our elders will outnumber our children. The government’s Age Well SG programme is working hard to ensure seniors can age in place\u2014in their homes and communities, not institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the question for us, the Peranakan community, is: how do we make sure our elders don’t just grow old\u2014but grow old with dignity, meaning, and identity?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Modern Kampong for Our Elders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where Lions Befrienders comes in. Through a network of Active Ageing Centres (AACs), they are building a modern-day kampong spirit\u2014bringing seniors together not just to stay active, but to stay culturally alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n