Today, 19th October 2009, is 30th Shawal 1430H. This year Shawal is among the several memorable ones I ever celebrated. The Eid celebration captured several joyous occasions. I spend meaningful time with old acquaintances and relatives that I had lost touch for many years. Majority of these countless happy moments happened during "Salam Lebaran 2009" organized by Persatuan Bawean Singapura (Singapore Bawean Association) or PBS in short, on 17th October 2009 at Grassroot's Club in Ang Mo Kio. The President of PBS, Mr Faizal Wahyuni, made the opening speech followed by a speech from the guest of honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, MP for GRC Sembawang and Senior Minister for the Ministry of Labour, who is also the advisor of PBS.
(The arrival of Mr Hawazi Daipi )
"Salam Lebaran" is PBS yearly event in the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr celebration during the month of Shawal. "Salam Lebaran 2009" was organized with the aim to foster close ties among Singaporean Baweanese simultaneously, preserving the Baweanese heritage and culture through stage performances by Baweanese celebrities such as Aziz Satar, Mahadi Shor, Imran Ishak and Hj Basri Alang. The Baweanese culture of helping out one another was projected in this event through Student Aid awards amounting to S$5,000/- sponsored by Lee Foundation given out to students from Kent Ridge Secondary, Bedok Green Primary and Madrasah Al' Ma'arif.
("Pokolan" the Silat Bawean performed by Mr Hj. Basri)
(The local Baweanese celebrities in Black)
The objective of this Eid gathering is also to recognize the achievements of several individuals within the Bawean community in Singapore. Every year several title awards are given out to several outstanding Singaporeans of Baweanese descent. This year award for the title Bawean Teladan goes to Hj Salleh Suhaimi; Bawean Budiman - the late Hj. Buang Bin Masadim; Bawean Cermerlang - Hjh Rohanah Bte Pagi and Nur Sarah Aqila bte Jamil; Bawean Jasawan - Hj Ismail (Basri) bin Alang, Ustazah Hjh Mariam bte Rauf and Hj Abdolah bin Lamat.
(Kassim Selamat, Hj Basri and Mr Morni)PBS Salam Lebaran 2009 left me with many good memories. This is my first experience attending such event. It had given me rich insight of the present day PBS; how it had transformed into a well established modern association (that I am proud to introduce it to the world) with preserved Baweanese culture without losing its roots and heritage; very different from the early days of its operation way back in 1960s through 1980s -the period I grew up among the Pondok people.
(A group photo with Dato' Aziz Satar)I am amazed to see the positive transformation of PBS, paving its way towards modernization, keeping up its pace in-line with the progress that is happening in cosmopolitan city-state Singapore. PBS is now as advance as its country, thanks to its members which consist of young professionals guided by the veterans; collaborating their abilities in continuing the efforts started by their forefathers.
(This post is dedicated to PBS. Thank you for the well organized event. I have no regrets attending it. Personally, I think all Baweanese descents should make the effort to attend the function. )
13 comments:
greeting.
im currently doing a research for my assignment about Boyanese people.
I take your link as my reference in doing the assignment. There's a lot of info from your blog.
i want to ask your permission and thank you from me.
Nurafaz, thank you for taking your time reading my blog and your interest in doing research about my race. I have no problem with you using my blog as reference for your assignment. Best wishes to you. :)
thankz.
can i ask few questions here?
many people they have little knowledge about this race, honestly, me too. But its kinda interesting for me. I search about it.
But I want to ask you personally, this type of race. The general surface of it, as I can put into my research.
Can you tell me something about your race. About the culture, if there any that you still practicing it? As what I read, the culture is almost same as the Malays, if i'm not mistaken.
p/s: sorry if i ask you a lot. There's something that i still confuse and blur.
No problem Nurafaz. I will attend to your queries soon. May I know in which institution are you studying.
i'm studying..
Multimedia Univeristy Malacca Campus
and this assgnment is for my Malaysian Studies
Sorry unable to get to you much earlier.
Well Nurafaz, you raised the same questions as my sister. We were then attending a cultural function in one of the big hotels in Batam Island, Indonesia. The Head of Cultural Department in Batam gave the opening speech. My sister was amazed to hear him speaking in Malay language fluently. Immediately she asked me, “Why is this man speaking in Malay like us, with no Indonesian ascent. Shouldn’t he be speaking in Bahasa Indonesia?’’. I replied her, ‘’This is because he is a Malay’’. She asked me again, ‘’How can he be a Malay when he was born and raised in Batam, in Indonesia’’. I explained to her that the indigenous people of Batam are the Malays. Batam is part of the Riau Lingga Archipelago –the homeland of the Malays. I further told her that only the Batam Malays speak Bahasa Melayu while those who speak Bahasa Indonesia are obviously from other parts of Indonesia –immigrants mostly from mainland Java. Then she asked me again, ‘’So what are we? Aren’t we Malays’’. I replied her, ‘’Look at your NRIC. What does it reads?’’. She answered, ‘’Boyanese’’. I replied her, ‘’Yes, we are Boyanese!’ I further told her that both of us are Baweanese (Boyanese) descent because our father was born in Bawean Island and his forefathers were born and raised there.
Such confusion is common nowadays. Most Baweanese from the younger generation, especially in Singapore, believe that they are Malays….my sisters, cousins, daughters, sons, nephews and nieces … all of them thought that they are Malays. Very sad indeed! This is one of the reasons this Blog of mine is created –to clarify the existence of this race –the Baweanese race.
In Singapore, Bawean people lives among the Malays in the Malay community due to the similarity in the culture and having the same religion. Similarly, the Baweanese in Malaysia are part of the Malay community too. Firstly, this is because they are from the same region –the Nusantara Region. Secondly, they are bound together by a common belief –i.e. Islam. Islam has provided a bond which bound the Baweanese (as well as the other Muslims from the different ethnic groups) and the Malays together; i.e. the Bugis from Celebes, Menangkabaus from Sumatra, Javanese from Java, Banjarees from Banjarmasin, Baweanese from Bawean and the original Malay -the inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula were held together by Islam, living in one big community, the Malay Community!
The ancestors of today’s Baweanese from all over the world were from the Bawean Island in Indonesia. Hence, the traditional homeland of the Bawean people wherever they are today, may it be Malaysian Baweanese, Singaporean Baweanese, Australian Baweanese, etc., is a small island situated in the Java Sea known as Bawean Island –The Women’s Island (Reference: http://bawean.org/baweanku.html ). The forefathers of these Baweanese were immigrants in the country they are residing now. Obviously, the Baweanese are not Malays. The Malays are the indigenous people of the Malay Peninsula and the Riau Lingga Archipelago. They speak Bahasa Melayu while the Baweanese especially the Bawean islanders converse among themselves in the Bawean language. However today, this language is dying, especially in Singapore. Generally, the descendents of the Bawean people in Singapore do not speak the Baweanese language. The older ones are comfortable conversing in Bahasa Melayu while the younger ones are comfortable conversing in English. This is because Bahasa Melayu is the National language of Singapore while English is the first language learned in schools as well as the language being used commonly in the working sector.
It is not surprising that the culture of the Bawean people is similar in many ways with that of the Malays. The Baweanese and the Malays are originated from the same ancestors (i.e. from the people of mainland Asia) and practice the same belief (i.e. Islam)! According to history (I was a history student before), the evidences that has been uncovered by archaeology clearly showed that in prehistoric times, the Malay Peninsula formed part of a land bridge for successive waves of migrants moving from the Asian mainland southwards towards Indonesia and Australia. It was written in a history text book, ‘’Jessy: Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei 1400-1965’’ by Joginder Singh (2nd revised edition 1974, Publisher: Longman Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur), that the first of these migrants may have been living in the Peninsula as long as five hundred thousand years B.C. Then a new group of people arrived from the Indo-China in about 8,000 B.C. Their descendants are the Senoi and the Semang aborigines of modern Malaysia. Then there were the migrants from the north from Southern China about five thousand years ago, bringing with them an advanced Stone Age culture. They are known as the Proto-Malays and they are the ancestors of the present Malay peoples of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Hence, the Baweanese and the Malays are the likeness of two cousins sharing the same grandfather! So are the other ethnic groups of this Nusantara region such as the Bataks, Bugis, Minangkabaus, Banjarees, Javanese, Balinese, Ambonese, etc…. However, like the majority of Bugis, Minangkabaus, Banjarees, the Baweanese and the Malays in the Malay Peninsula and Riau Lingga are Muslims (take note; the Malays of the Philippines are majority Catholics/Christians). This is another reason the Baweanese culture is very much similar –almost the same as the Malay culture. For example, Aqiqah, Qurban, Eid, Aqad Nikah, Circumcise, Thanks-giving (Doa Selamat), Tahlil, etc… However, the way they are being performed varies. For example, in Aqiqah, to the Baweanese, it is necessary to perform even though they know that it is not compulsory. It is because they feel greatly indebted to Almighty Allah for giving them off-spring to continue their lineage. They want to emulate closely the good act of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
The Baweanese are strong believer of Islam and among their strongest characteristic pertaining to this, is their proficiency in reciting Al-Quraan with perfect ‘Tajwid’. Generally, they are very good in ‘Berzanji’ – the reciting of the History of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. I was told by my late grandfather that before Islam, the Bawean Islanders practiced Shamanism (a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world). Then a pious Muslim (believed to be Middle-eastern) came to the Island and taught Islam to the Islanders. Gradually, the Bawean people accepted Islam and finally 100% of the inhabitants became Muslims. As a little girl, I used to hear the Pondok people talking about the Mystical Bawean Island. They said that non-Muslims would not get out of the Island alive once they stepped into it and air-planes could not fly over the island - it would crash! Is it true?... I have no comment.
In many occasions, likewise the Bugis, Javanese, Minangkabaus and others, the Bawean people and the Malays shared the same culture and traditions with certain differences -the likeness of two cousins sharing the same grandparents but not parents. For example in the art of self-defense, the Bawean people called it “Pokolan” and use the “Parang” while the Malays called it “Pencak Silat” and use the “Keris”. Look at their dishes; the Malays called the red chili soupy gravy, ‘Asam Pedas’ but the Baweanese called it ‘KelaTomes’ –the dishes look the same but taste different due to the portion of ingredients used. How about their attire? –the traditional older generation Baweanese women prefer sarong batik and kebaya than the Malay Baju Kurong. It is only the younger generation wears Baju Kurong, thinking that it is their traditional dress. The traditional costume of the Baweanese is the kebaya and sarong batik for the females. For the guys is the button-up shirt with a Mandarin collar-like and sarong pelekat –there is no ‘kain samping’…. just like any other typical traditional Indonesian attire!
Wow! Such a long reply! Well I need to go for now. I hope the above answered your queries. Best wishes to you.
salam
Endah.JR
wow..
it makes me excited.
I think my groupmates all think the same way I think.. ^_^
Its ok..
long explanation gives clearer view.
Truly, it was nice.
I really appreciate it.
You help me a lot. Thank you.
You are welcome! :D
Nurhafaz, I had updated my Blog so that you (and the rest of my readers) will have a clearer picture and better understanding about the Topic. I understand about the confusion. It is common because many unware of the difference in concept between "Malay Race" and "Malay Ethnic group". When we talk about the Malays in Malaysia and Indoniesia we are referring to Malay ethnic group. I also have included the links for you to read and analyse. Best wishes from me.
yeah,
i read about it.
Thanks you.
Now, it is not just for my research, it is for my knowledge. Something new that i discovered. huhu.. [it makes me happy]
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