Living in Pondok Kalompang Gubuk

At back lane - My two younger sister and my brother. Photo taken in the 1970s.

 

At back lane - Me and my only brother. Photo taken in the 1970s.

My two younger sisters and I were born at Pondok Kalompang Gubuk in the 1960s, each about two years apart. My Mom told me that the midwife from KK Hospital came down to our home to help with the delivery.

I remember vividly the time I was a little girl playing with my sisters and friends around my age. My childhood friends were from nearby pondok. "Ponthuk" is the proper Baweanese pronunciation for the word "Pondok". Two shophouses away from my home used to be Pondok Tachung and across the road on the left side used to be Pondok Pangga.

My siblings and cousins at the entrance of our home in the early 1970s.

My sisters and I went through the changes in time as we grew. We experienced living in a pondok and witnessed the changes in life-styles of the pondok residents as they made progresses through the years -in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

My sister, brother and cousin Anam. Photo taken in the 1970s.

The back lane was our playing ground whenever our footballers mamang were not available to bring us to the Kampong Kapor Community Centre.

Generally, pondok residents had to follow rules and regulations of the particular pondok they were living at. These rules and regulations vary among each pondok. At Pondok Kalompang Gubuk, some of the general rules were; lights to be switched off at certain time; one was not allowed to spend too long in the shower; and the bachelors, including the male guests who were mainly seamen, were not allowed to go to the second level. The seamen usually spent a night at the Pondok and left Singapore the next day.

The Bachelors of Kampong Kapor in the late 1950s / early 1960s

A huge, high table covering one-third of the living room became bed to these men during the night. The 'ambin' as it was called, being placed against the three walls of the room on the right (as one sees it from the entrance door). Each men slept on thin mattress that could be folded and kept on the shelf mounted to the wall just above the right window. During the day, it became an area for relaxing. The men usually sat on the 'ambin' as they chat with each others.

The site where the "ambin" used to be.

Above this window there used to be the shelf for keeping the folded mattresses.

Photo was taken in the 1980s.

Below the "ambin" was a store-like place where plates, glasses and cutlery used for functions were kept in wooden boxes. These were bought with the funds collected from pondok residents and also members who once lived at Pondok Kalompang Gubuk. When the "ambin" was dismantled and thrown away during the 1970s, the wooden boxes including the contents were shipped to Bawean to the people living at Kalompang Gubuk village.

The site where the long dining table used to be.

This photo was taken in the 1980s.

They were preparing a birthday party for little Anam.

Opposite the "ambin" was a long dining table for the men to have their meals. It was also used to welcome male guests. Tea or Coffee with pastries were prepared by Mak Lurah and served by Pak Lurah (as the host). It was at this table that the General Meetings were conducted. Pondok residents and members used to gather at the dining table for discussions. Generally, every pondok in Kampong Kapor had their individual committee headed by the Pak Lurah. A treasurer was appointed to collect membership funds from pondok members. He also collected the rent and utility money from the pondok residents. This system was prominently seen during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The middle room at the ground floor and the front room on the second storey was for married residents. There were many families in these two huge rooms. The wardrobes were placed in such away that they acted as partitions between the spaces of each family, while the entrance to each of these spaces were covered by curtains.

The middle room on the second storey was for the ladies. My granddad, Pak Lurah Haji Siddik who was the Head of Pondok Kalompang Gubuk between the 1960s to early 1980s, occupied the rear small room on the second level. At this level, there was a toilet and shower room mainly used by the women.

The features on small space accommodation area were very prominent during the 1960s. Through the years, this space area grew bigger as more pondok residents moved out to live in HDB flats. By the 1990s, only one family still living at Pondok Kalompang Gubuk.

My grandmother doing her cooking.

This area was a small part of the kitchen.

Photo taken in 1980s.

The women of Pondok Kalompang Gubuk shared a communal kitchen. Each family was given a space to do their cooking. It was a huge kitchen. There was a big "ambin" used for work space in preparing food. The "ambin" was also used by the women and children to have their meals. Some married couples also had their meals there too.

My youngest sister playing model posing for the camera.

Photo taken in the early 1970s at the backlane of our pondok home.

At the rear part of the pondok, there was a back door. This door opened to the back lane. This rear area of the pondok was the place for washing clothes. The women washed their family clothes in front of the toilet and shower room. They took turns one after another. The washing was done only after the men had showered and went to work.

The rear part of the Pondok, in front of the toilet and shower room.

Photo taken in the 1980s.

In the late 1960s, a small room was built on the second storey above the kitchen at the rear part of the pondok. This room was my family's room. It was built by my granddad who was good at carpentry work. Carpentry was his hobby during his off days working as a PUB driver. This room was well built and often used during weddings. The bride usually used this room to get dress and be ready for the wedding ceremony.

My family's room. The Photo were taken in the 1970s during a wedding occasion.

I enjoyed living in pondok. It left me with beautiful memories of my childhood life. My family and I left Pondok Kalompang Gubuk in 1974 to live in HDB flats. Eventually, many followed my father's footsteps. They purchased HDB flats and moved out from the pondok.

The Bachelors of Kampong Kapor.

My father on the left most, with his friends acting out as musicians.

Photo taken in the late 1950s.

History of the Singaporean Baweanese

I read about the history of Singaporean Baweanese in the book entitled "Singapore The Encyclopedia". I bought this book from Borders about few months ago. It is an interesting book full of information about Singapore. Personally, I think every Singaporean should own this book.

The book wrote an accurate account about the lives of the early Baweanese settlers in Singapore. It clarifies that the Baweanese were immigrants who set their foot in this Sunny Island. The book shows a photograph of a group of early Baweanese living in Singapore in 1910. They look very much like any other native Indonesian people. Obviously they are not Malays.

Majority of the Singaporean Chinese, Indians, Eurasions as well as some Malays always assume that the Baweanese are Malays because they communicate in Malay language and learn Bahasa Melayu in National School as their mother tongue. As I had explained in my previous post, the Malay language has been widely spoken by the Baweanese since the colonial days because it is the language of the Malays who are the indigenous people of Singapore. It is also because they embraced the same religion as the Bawean people.

After Singapore's independence, there is a valid reason for the Baweanese to communicate in Malay language -it is the National Language of Singapore. Today, the Malay language is spoken widely by the Singaporean Baweanese with several Baweanese words in it.

According to the book, "Singapore The Encyclopedia", the Singaporean Baweanese are the descendent of migrants from the Indonesian island of Bawean and their ancestors constitute the third-largest immigrant population of Singapore's Malay community. The book continues to describe the early Baweanese who came to Singapore. It wrote that the first Baweanese are thought to have come to Singapore in 1824 on a BUGIS ship. Below is an excerpt of the written facts in the Book about the Baweanese.

"...According to an 1849 census,there were 763 Boyanese, mostly men, in Singapore. The numbers increased gradually due to continuous immigration prior to World War II; however entry was more strictly controlled in the post-war period, especially after the implementation of the Citizenships Ordinance in 1957.

The present Boyanese population is mostly made up of the descendants of these earlier immigrants. According to the 2000 population census, there are 51,849 Boyanese in Singapore. A notable aspect of Boyanese culture is the tradition of merantau, the migration of men from the island in search of work. Historically, the Boyansese migrated to Singapore from Bawean Island in Indonesia in search of urban, waged work.

From the onset, the Boyanese settled in Kampung Boyan, at the bank of the Rochor River between Jalan Besar and Syed Alwi Road. They organized themselves into Pondok or Ponthuk (communal lodging house) communities where they formed a social structure that ensured that their welfare was taken care of until they were economically secure to set up their own home. These houses usually catered for groups of migrants who came from the same district of village.

Houses were also located in other parts of the city, including Pondok Adam at Ann Siang Hill, Pondok Teluk Dulam at Dixon Road and Pondok Dedawang at Sophia Road. The Boyanese were also among the early residents of Serangoon Road. Some of them established themselved in an area call Kampung Kapor, which was west of Kampung Boyan..."

Buy the book "Singapore The Encyclopedia" to read more. And yes, Kampong Kapor is the area at Jalan Besar in the vicinity of Little India -the area where I was born and spend my childhood life. This will be the theme in my next post.

Infusion of Malay culture into Baweanese lives

Aunt Jamaliah and her family.

A Studio Photo taken in the late 1950s.

Notice my older cousin was wearing the Malay traditional Baju Kurong.

My late father's photo albums had helped me to recall my childhood life living at Pondok Kalompang Gubuk in the 1960s. It was during the period whereby the Baweanese language was widely used among the Singaporeans of Baweanese descent. Majority of them communicate with other races in Malay language with Baweanese accent. My late grandparents used to speak to me in Baweanese language with mixture of Bahasa Melayu.

When the Baweanese from Bawean first came to live in Singapore, they were unable to speak the Malay language i.e. Bahasa Melayu. Since this language was widely spoken by the indigenous people of Singapore, i.e. the Malays, it was necessary for them to learn the language. It became even more prominent after the independence of Singapore when Bahasa Melayu became the National Language of the country.

Other than the above factors, the Baweanese living in Singapore speak the Malay language due to the fact that they shared the same religion as the Singaporean Malays. They mingled with the Malays and gradually like the other Indonesian ethnic groups living in Singapore such as the Javanese, Banjares and Bugis, they were recognised by the Malays as part of their Community.

My cousins in Baju Kurong -the traditional costume of the Malays.

Photo taken in the late 90s during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Gradually, the Baweanese living in Singapore began to dress like the Malays, putting on the Malay traditional costume. Young Baweanese ladies replaced the Kebaya and Sarong Batik with the Malay attire -Baju Kurong. The men started to put on Baju Melayu with Kain Samping Songket.

My cousin in Kebarong and her daughter in Kebaya.

Photo taken during Eid in late 1990s

However, today there are some Singaporeans of Baweanese descent who continue to put on the Kebaya but with some 'adjustments' and 'innovations'. Such Kebaya are called Kebarong. It is actually the infusion of Baju Kurong into the Indonesian Kebaya with the elimination of the Sarong Batik. There are also those who continue to put on the Kebaya without any changes.

My sister in Kebaya while my aunt in Baju Kurong.

Photo taken in 2003 during Eid.

Through the years, the Singaporeans of Baweanese descent and other Singaporean Muslims from other Indonesian ethnic groups were very much infused and blended into the Malay Community that other races in Singapore such as the Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians acknowledged them as Malays. It became more confusing when inter-marriages between these ethnic groups occurred. Today, there are many marriages between Baweanese and Malays or Baweanese and Javanese or Baweanese and other races creating profuse confusions on the Baweanese culture and heritage especially to the young Singaporeans of Baweanese descent.

Nowadays, it is difficult to identify the Baweanese living among the Malays.

Look at the above photo. Is this a Baweanese family? What do you think?

Fortunately, through Ministers' speeches and National campaigns, the Singapore Government reminds Singaporeans not to forget their roots and heritage. The Singapore Identity Card (NRIC) plays an important part in this area too. The race identity of Singaporeans is made transparent through NRIC. Hence, a Singaporean of Baweanese descent has an NRIC with his/her race clearly printed on it as Boyanese ('Boyanese' is the spelling in Singapore for 'Baweanese'). This clearly shows that the Baweanese are not Malays.

The Baweanese in Kampong Kapor

My late father used to have a hobby that is useful to this blog. He collected photos of his family, relatives and friends. The photos were kept neatly and arranged nicely in an album. Thanks to him that now I am able to share some of the photos -the Bawean people living in Singapore during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The photographs below depict the lives of the Baweanese living at Kampong Kapor, the Bawean Village in the Little India area.

 In the 1950, 1960s and 1970s, studio photo taking was very popular.
Above is the photograph of my paternal aunties and uncle-in-law.

Kebaya with Sarong Batik is the traditional attire of the Baweanese women
-the typical traditional clothing of any other Indonesian ethnic groups.
Above is the photograph of my paternal aunties and relatives.

During occasions such as Wedding, Aqiqah, and other celebrations whereby lots of guests were invited, pondok men helped out with the preparation of drinks while pondok women helped the host with the cooking of food. In the above photograph, my Dad with his group of friends were helping out with the serving of drinks.

The female guests were welcomed by pondok women via the back lane entrance. During the feast, the guests sat on the floor. In the above photograph, my Mom with other female guests were having dinner at the rear area of the pondok. They were sitting on the floor, enjoying the food together.

 

The male guests were welcomed by pondok men at the front entrance. They were served at the front most part of the pondok, i.e. the living room. Notice the similarity between the culture of Arab Muslims and the Bawean people in Singapore during feast as depicted in the photographs above. The men were separated from the women. They sat on the floor instead of dining table. They used their right hand to eat, sharing a tray full of food in a group of four or six.

My Uncle, the Army Captain

Captain Soaidy Bin Ali in his army uniform - Photo taken in 1960s.

 

The late Captain Soaidy Bin Ali was my uncle. I addressed him as 'Obek' since he was my mother's oldest brother. 'Obek' is a Baweanese word for older uncle. Obek Sairi (the name I used to call him) was good at handling rifles and had won several prizes in air-rifles competitions.

 Some of my uncle's winning plaques during the period of his Army Career -Photo taken in 2001

After his retirement from the army, my uncle became an Imam in one of the Masjid nearby his home. Uncle Soaidy was excellent in reciting the Holy Qur'aan. In fact all of his siblings are able to recite the Qur'aan beautifully. This was due to my grandfather's strict method of upbringing his children. Like any other typical Baweanese in those days, my grandfather was extremely particular in educating his children with Qur'aan knowledge -the ability to recite the Holy Qur'aan correctly and fluently was his priority.

 

My Mom on the right most at the front row. She won a prize for Qur'aan recitation -Photo taken in 1950s.

Unlike any other ordinary Baweanese, my grandfather was a far-sighted person who believed the importance of education. He sent all his children to school and all of them completed their studies. Some of my aunties and uncles made it to tertiary level. Thanks to my grandfather, Uncle Soaidy was an educated man.
 

Uncle Soaidy at the right most with his maternal uncle standing in the middle, and friends -Photo taken in the early 1950s at Johor Bahru

Uncle Soaidy was born in Ipoh, in the state of Perak, Malaysia. He received his early education in Johor Bahru at English College. He married a Baweanese descent lady, living nearby Pondok Kalompang Gubuk. I address his wife as Obek Hatma. They were blessed with five children. My uncle passed away in August 2000 due to old age. He was then 65 years old.
 

My Uncle's wedding photograph -Photo taken in late 1950s

Uncle Soaidy with his wife, sister-in-law (Cikgu Mon from Tun Seri Lanang Secondary School), and my mother -sitting beside him. Photo taken in the 1960s during a wedding held at Pondok Kalompang Gubuk. The front most room at the second floor of the pondok was converted to a wedding hall. During such occasion, all the beds were dismantled and the wardrobes were shifted to the side of the room

At another wedding occasion. I was the little girl sitting beside my younger sister at the front. Behind were my two aunties and relatives. Standing at the rear was Aunt Suaidah and sitting in the middle was Aunt Dalila. Notice the wardrobes being shifted to the side of the room. Photo taken in late 1960s.

Obek Sairi and Obek Hatma as I always remember them -Photo taken in early 1960s.

My Uncle, The Guru Ngaji

Ahmad Bohari Bin Ali with his two sons and a niece - Eid 2000

Ahmad Bohari is my other uncle who played football during his teenage life. However unlike uncle Ahmad Sayuti, he played for a very brief period of time as he was not selected to be in the youth national team.

As his niece, I address uncle Bohari as 'Mamang' because he is the younger brother of my mother. 'Mamang' is a Baweanese words which means 'younger uncle'. Uncle Bohari is two years older than Uncle Sayuti. He is the one who resemble my late maternal grandfather. He has the most of my grandfather's appearance. Like my mother, he has a remarkable voice that enable him to read the Qur'aan with a rhythmic-like recitation which is soothing to the ears. During his free time, he teaches children to recite the Qur'aan thus, becoming a Guru Ngaji whenever he is not at work at the laundry servicing company. Generally, the Baweanese are good at reciting the Qur'aan.

Uncle Bohari is married with four children -three boys and a girl. The oldest child, Yan, will be completing National Service (NS) very soon and is looking forward to continue his studies at the University. Yan, is one of my favourite cousins. He has good manners and indeed he is a remarkable, distinguish young individual. He brought much pride and joy to the family with his successful academic achievements. Yan reminds me of my late grandfather as he inherited most of my grandfather's fine qualities of a charismatic gentleman.

Aunt Suaidah's family -The last to leave Pondok Kalompang Gubuk

At the main entrance of Pondok Kalompang Gubuk -Photo taken in 1996.

35 Upper Weld Road left me with fond memories of my childhood. It was my home for twelve years. I was in primary six when my family moved out from pondok to live in our new HDB home at Kallang Bahru. It was December 1974. However, I always returned to my pondok to visit my maternal grandparents, uncles and aunties. I adore them very much. Back then, only one of my two aunties was married with young children. Her name is Suaidah, the younger sister of my mother. During those days I enjoyed very much visiting the pondok as I found joy in baby-sitting my little cousins, Anam, Fauzi and Nur. Of the three, Anam was my favourite.

Little Anam with my mother - Isn't he adorable? -Photo taken in the early 80s.

I address Aunt Suaidah as Cik Ende. When I was ten years old, I used to help her to baby-sit baby Anam while she was busy doing her house chores. When I was in my teens I used to bring little Anam to the movies. I remember the time when we were watching Jaws at Rex Cinema. I found him sobbing at the end of the movie. He told me he was sad to see the lady was eaten alive by the shark. Anam was then, only six years old.

An interior area of the pondok, leading to the Kitchen. The door at the rear opens up to the kitchen - Photo taken in 1996

Gradually, one by one the residents of Pondok Kalompang Gubuk moved out to live in HDB flats. Aunt Suaidah's family was the last family to leave the pondok. It was time to do so for the date to leave was due. Back then, her three children were still schooling. Anam was in Polytechnic, Fauzi was in college and Nur was in secondary school. It was a very difficult period for Aunt Suaidah and finding a new home was not easy. Nevertheless she found a rented unit at Eunos to live in. Today, my aunt is a proud HDB home-owner. She is all smiling as her children are now young professionals holding rewarding jobs.

At the living Room which is the front most part of the Pondok Kalompang Gubuk -Photo taken in 1996