I'm Malay with Bugis ethnicity. My dad is a Bugis and my mom is Javanese. My grandparents came from Demak, a town in Central Java, Indonesia.
I'm not quite certain of Singapore's identity because Singapore is a multicultural country, and I believe that the differences in cultural and racial ethnicity are part of the community’s identity itself. I feel that the Malay identity is less strong here in general, compared to Malaysia or Indonesia, but it resonates with me. I feel that I bond closely with the Malay community.
This is my mom's ancestral gold brooch. My great-grandmother passed it down to my grandmother and now to my mother, and they are to be passed on to me. I just find they are very unique and invaluable – invaluable because they are very precious and very meaningful as they can be.
Yes, when I was exposed to the Western media while growing up in my teens, I think it diluted my appreciation of my own culture. And now that I've grown, I see that there is much more to learn about my own culture. That resonates with me and empowers me.
I think labels and stereotypes make living terribly harder in Singapore. Because I know as a Malay, I have to work twice as hard to prove that I am not lazy. And this accent attached to my voice does not represent my moral capacity and intellect.
