Istana Compound
Daily: 8am to 9pm

Museum
Mondays: 1pm to 6pm    (Last entrance at 5.30 pm)
Tues-Sun: 10am to 6pm (Last entrance at 5.30 pm)

Cultural Show
Wednesday, 3.30pm

Istana Compound: Free

Museum Entrance: $3 adults, $2 children (7 – 12 years old) and senior citizens, free for children below 7 years old
Cultural Show: $10 adults, $5 children and senior citizens. (Please enquire by phone 6391 0466/ 6391 0453 or email enquiries@malayheritage.org.sg)

Programmes for Schools: Please enquire by phone 6391 0466/ 6391 0453 or email enquiries@malayheritage.org.sg

First take the MRT to Bugis Station (EW12) or take bus service no. 7, 32, 51, 63, 80, 145 197 from North Bridge Road,

bus service no. 2, 7, 12, 32, 33, 51, 63, 80, 130, 133, 145, 197 from Victoria Street or

bus service no. 10, 14, 16, 70, 100, 107, 196, 401 from Beach Road.

Be enthralled by the story of the Singapore Malays, their roots, struggles, aspirations and role in the nation-building process in our Malay Singapore Museum.

Kampong Gelam

Discover the role of Kampong Gelam as the centre of Islamic learning and literacy in the late 19th century, where Muslim immigrants form the Malay Archipelago stopped to buy supplies before embarking on their journey to Mecca. Walk through a kampong setting to relive the old living conditions of the Malay community and its transformation to modern Singapore today. Take a glimpse at the Malay film-making industry and view the unique 3-D model of an early Malay settlement in 1819. Guided tours of the museum are available through prior booking.

Gedung Kuning

Another anchor point at the two-acre Istana grounds is the Gedung Kuning (meaning “yellow mansion”), built around 1860 and believed to have been commissioned for Tengku Mahmoud, one of Sultan Hussein's grandsons. The yellow color seems to support the claim of a connection between the building and the royal family. In 1907, Gedung Kuning was sold to a wealthy Malay merchant, Haji Yusuf Haji Mohd Noor, and was transformed into a beautiful home for his family. Today, the Gedung Kuning operates as a fine-dining restaurant known as Restoran Tepak Sireh which serves traditional Malay fare, such as nasi padang (rice served with a choice of dishes such as fish, chicken, eggs and vegetables).

Cultural Program

Experience the grace and artistry of Malay customs, festivals and performing arts at the Centre’s daily cultural programme. Be enchanted by traditional dance, martial arts (silat) and even participate in the music-making by playing Malay instruments such as the angklung.

Malay Pottery

Art is also an integral part of Malay culture. Pottery programmes are conducted at the Centre led by Singapore’s most renowned potter, Iskandar Jalil. Or try your hand at batik (a form of fabric art) – you’ll go home with a beautiful reminder of your trip in Singapore!

LIFE AT KAMPONG GELAM

Kampong Gelam was the first Malay settlement in Singapore . Raffles allocated the area to be the settlement for not just immigrants from the Malay world but also for Muslims. This explains the presence of Arabs and the Jawi Peranakans (Indian Muslims) in the area.

In late 19 th and early 20 th century, Kampong Gelam was a bustling settlement. It was the hub of the publishing world not just in Singapore but around the region. Famous publishing and printing firms like the Al-Ahmadiah Press was located in Kampong Gelam.

Various Malay ethnic groups like the Javanese, Baweanese, Bugis and Macasarese congregated in Kampong Gelam. The Javanese were by far the largest group. Their presence is symbolized in the famous Pondok Jawa (Javanese Hut) located in between Sultan Gate and Kandahar Street . The building was torn down a few years ago because it was deemed structurally unsafe. But, in its glory years, it was the focal point of activities for the Malays in the area. Wayang Kulit (shadow plays) performances were held here. The Pondok Jawa was also well-known for the satay peddlers who sold satay from mobile carriers which they carried on their shoulders.

Soon, Kampong Gelam was able to attract more food vendors and became known as the place to go to for traditional Nasi Padang, which originates from West Sumatera .

Kampong Gelam was also famous for dishes that one would not find elsewhere in Singapore then. An example would be the sambal jenganan . This peanut sauce is eaten with a mixture of lightly-broiled vegetables like long beans, bean sprouts, kangkong, soya bean and the famous Javanese staple, tempe .

The residents of Kampong Gelam did not have to bother to set up stalls to peddle their food. Simple brass or aluminium trays were set out in front of the house. Anyone is welcome to come into the homes to buy food. This is part of the kampong spirit which treats every resident as family.

Kampong Gelam was also well-known for being the centre of the haj-related businesses. Pilgrims on their way to Mecca will visit the area to shop for the things that they would need for their long journey by sea.

The former owner of the Gedung Kuning ( Yellow Mansion ) was well-known for his famous green fabric belt which was used by the pilgrims. Haji Yusof Mohd Noor was also the man behind the velvet songkok, the head gear used by Malay men until today.

Every haj season, Kampong Gelam would become the focal point for the would-be pilgrims and their families. It is here that thay congregate to meet their organizers before setting off to the ports to board their ships.

Come the fasting month of Ramadan, Kampong Gelam would bustle into life. Bussorah Street is home to the famous bazaar specializing in dishes and desserts favoured by Muslims when they break their fast. The bazaar is still organized every year in Bussorah Street , although on a much smaller scale than before.

Needless to say, Hari Raya was a special occasion in Kampong Gelam. The presence of the Sultan Mosque was a bonus for Kampong Gelam because Muslims from all over Singapore would congregate here to perform the Hari Raya prayers in the morning. Muslims are encouraged to put on new clothes within their means on Hari Raya. This is to mark a victory over the temptations and wrong doing during the month of Ramadan. Come Hari Raya, Kampong Gelam was alive with colourful baju kurung as the Muslim men and their children came to perform the morning prayers. As in other Malay kampong at that time, the morning prayers would be followed by a family breakfast featuring ketupat ( rice cakes wrapped in woven coconut leaves), lodeh ( spiced cococut gravy filled with vegetables like long beans, cabbage, tempe, tauhu, potatoes), beef rendang ( highly spiced beef) and a variety of cakes and sweet meats baked especially for Hari Raya.

The Malay Heritage Museum

Our Malay Singapore Museum has 9 galleries housed in both floors of the Istana Kampong Gelam will tell the story of the Singapore Malay culture malay history, their roots, struggles, aspirations and role in the nation-building process.

1 st Floor Galleries

Gallery Foyer
The Malays was a maritime society, and this Foyer, which welcomes visitors to the Museum, will showcase the material culture of the Malays as a maritime society. Artifacts are presented at two central Wall Units. This is further supplemented with an audio-visual presentation capturing the rich diversity of the Malay people.

Gallery 1
Johor Riau Lingga Kingdom : A Political Overview
Before 1819, Singapore was part of an important Malay maritime entity - the Johor-Riau-Lingga kingdom. The signing of the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty permanently divided the kingdom into two - Johor and Singapore came under the British and Riau-Lingga under the Dutch spheres of influence.

This gallery captures the fascinating aspects of the kingdom and the colonial policies which eventually divided it permanently.

Gallery 2
A unique 3-D model of the Malay settlement in Singapore in 1819 takes centrestage in this gallery. The model illustrates the geographical landscape of Kg Gelam in that period, where Sultan Hussein's estate was just a few steps away from the beach.

Rare prints from the late 19th to the early 20th century would further illustrate life in those early days of Malay settlement.

Gallery 3
Kampong Gelam as the Center of Literacy & Pilgrimage
A little-known fact is that Singapore , and Kampong Gelam in particular, was the center of Islamic learning and literacy in the late 19th century. Singapore was the hub of the publication and distribution industry for religious writings. Kampong Gelam itself boasted a few important industry-players like the Al-Ahmadiah Press.

Muslim immigrants from the Malay Archipelago made their way to Singapore before embarking on their journey to Mecca . Some spent a few months in Kampong Gelam to work and save enough money for their trip. Most would-be pilgrims came to Kampong Gelam to buy the supplies needed for the long journey by sea.

Gallery 4
Kampong Gelam
This gallery is devoted to capturing life in Kampong Gelam in the days when the royal palace was a focal point of cultural and religious activities.

A mural painting depicts the tragic fire which razed Kampong Gelam in the mid 19 th Century. Munsyi Abdullah's poetic verses capture in amazing details the events on that fateful day.

2nd Floor Galleries

Gallery 5
The Malay Community from 1900 – 1945
The beginning of the 20 th Century was a time of great change for Singapore 's Malay community. As more and more immigrants arrived in Singapore to make a home for themselves, there was a growing sense of being Singaporean Malays, rather than Javanese, Jawi-Peranakans, etc. This new-found identity found expression in literary writings, and in the rise of popular art forms like the bangsawan.

Gallery 6
Malay Cultural Expressions 1946-1964
The optimism and enthusiasm that lay hidden and buried beneath a rigid and harsh Japanese Occupation was now released and allowed to run unfettered in the years after the war. The manifestation of this free spirit resulted in a period of increasing cultural activities within the Malay community.

Singapore became a major centre of Malay literacy, culture as well as the hub of the Malay film-making industry.

Gallery 7
Independence and the road to nationhood
The immediate concerns of the government in the immediate years after independence are with development and nation building. Efforts and resources were channeled into housing, education and employment.

A large proportion of the population were still living in villages without electricity and running water. Life for Singaporeans changed dramatically with the move from the villages to HDB flats. It was a period of adjustment, but also a sense of optimism that things were picking up for the new nation.

Gallery 8
Participating in a new society
This gallery captures the Malays as part of Singapore 's multi-cultural, multi-religious society. Careers, festivals, customs, aspirations are all captured here in the form of multi-media presentations.

Batik Workshops, Pottery Workshops, Cultural Dinner Program, Malay Cultural Showcase, Malay Heritage Walk.