Host of activities planned for ‘hub of the Malay community’
The popular Hari Raya bazaar will be held in Wisma Geylang Serai. TODAY file photo.
SINGAPORE — A showcase of dying trades, a space for the curation of Malay art and the hosting of the annual Hari Raya bazaar are among the things the public can expect when the “hub of the Malay community” opens next year.
Wisma Geylang Serai will not only help to keep the Malay culture alive but is also for the “larger non-Malay community to know more about the Malay community”, Senior Minister of State (Defence and Foreign Affairs) Maliki Osman said today (July 30).
Speaking to reporters before the 40th anniversary celebration of the Malay Activity Executive Committees (MAECs), Dr Maliki said the centre will cater for three kinds of programmes.
The first is national “signature” programmes, like the MAEC Council’s (Mesra’s) annual cultural and musical show Gentarasa, as well as the Hari Raya Bazaar, a fixture of the Geylang Serai district during Ramadan.
Part of the bazaar will be held inside the centre, and Dr Maliki said there will be “different elements”, such as merchandise from the region.
Secondly, Wisma Geylang Serai will host integrated programmes in collaboration with various partners, like the National Arts Council and the National Heritage Board.
Community-based activities are the third type of programmes, with the MAECs to bring in different performances on a regular basis.
Other services at Wisma Geylang Serai include a family service centre as well as a daycare centre for children and seniors. The Geylang Serai Community Club will also be co-located there.
Speaking in Malay at the MAEC anniversary dinner, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said Wisma Geylang Serai will be “a distinct heritage space that the Malay community will be proud of” and “the centre of (Mesra’s) outreach activities”.
The centre was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2011 National Day Rally speech. Previous reports said its opening was delayed twice because the process of consulting stakeholders took longer than expected.
