Preserving Cultural Heritage of Orang Kallang and Orang Laut Communities

4 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for National Development (a) how will the Ministry ensure that the rich cultural heritage of the Orang Kallang and Orang Laut communities is meaningfully preserved and integrated into the development plans for areas like the Kallang Basin, Greater Southern Waterfront and Pulau Brani; and (b) whether the Ministry will establish working groups involving indigenous communities to ensure their perspectives and heritage are represented in these developments.

5 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for National Development (a) what measures will the Ministry take to ensure indigenous communities, such as the Orang Laut at West Coast Park, can continue using community spaces to practice maritime crafts and traditions; and (b) whether the Ministry will explore creating similar spaces in the Kallang Basin, Greater Southern Waterfront and Pulau Brani developments.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee): Sir, may I take Question Nos 4 and 5 together?

Mr Speaker: Please go ahead.

Mr Desmond Lee: Sir, as Singapore is a small city-state, we need to carefully steward our limited land resources and balance various competing needs. Wherever feasible, we will integrate elements of heritage significance into our plans and explore creative ways to recall and commemorate the heritage and identity of an area, such as through urban design, heritage storyboards, walking trails and others.

Our agencies will continue to engage local communities, as with all stakeholders, to ensure that developments are carried out sensitively and provide appropriate community spaces, where possible. For example, to support the Orang Laut community in the practice of their maritime crafts and tradition, members of the community have been granted permission to moor their boats and store fishing equipment at a site off West Coast Park, along with other licensed boatowners.

Mr Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I thank the Minister for his response. The Orang Laut are the seafaring indigenous people in Singapore and the Nusantara region that has thrived in Singapore even before 1819. There are many groups of Orang Laut, such as the Orang Laut Seletar, Orang Laut Selat, comprising of the seafarers from the southern islands, and Orang Laut Kalang, of which I am a descendant of.

The Orang Laut has cultures and traditions that are closely aligned to the sea. And there are advocate groups like Orang Laut SG, with founder Firdaus Sani, who is trying to keep the culture of the Orang Laut alive through workshops such as Turning Tides and Down Down di Pulau, which means "leaves of the sea", to create awareness of the cultures such as bubu trap weaving, launching of the boats, which Minister has shared just now, the food, and searching for gong gong, siput ranga and remis.

Can the Ministry consider having heritage trails that integrate into the development plans of the Southern Waterfront region or West Coast Park, or have markers or permanent spaces where the public can appreciate the rich culture of our indigenous Orang Laut?

Mr Desmond Lee: I would like to thank the Member for his suggestions. In fact, we will engage the Member on some of the ideas he has raised. We are in touch with Orang Laut SG, as well as the other members of the community and we will consider all these ideas that have been raised.