I'm Malay. That's to put it simply. But I am of Malaccan and Minangkabau descent, so my dad's Malaccan and my mom is of Indonesian descent. My grandparents from my mom's side, came down to Singapore during the war.
Actually, I'm not quite certain what is the Singapore identity? Because I think the country is still finding its identity. There is no clear definition of what is one unifying Singapore identity, so to say that I resonate with it — I'm not entirely sure. We're a multicultural society right, a mishmash of different cultures, so I guess being part of this community is an identity in itself.
This is a baju kurung, well baju Melayu, top from a Malaysian label called Behati. Why did I choose this to represent myself? I guess it is a representation of the Malay identity and, you know, ethnic outfits are always thought to be backwards or something traditional. There's actually so much that you can glean from tradition and modernity. So I chose this because that's a representation of not only my cultural heritage and background, but it is something that is not just an ethnic costume lah. That's what people like to call it. It is an outfit that you can wear beyond festive occasion as well.
I have actually worn baju kurung tops with pairs of jeans and pants (other than during specific occasion or weddings, of course). I chose one specifically from Behati because the designer, Calvin, is Chinese and he understands this idea of “cultural melting pot”. It does not look like a typical baju melayu, I guess. I mean, it is lah, but it can just be worn as a normal top as well.
They are so exposed to global perspectives and international designs or international cultures, that they can forget their own culture. But at the same time, the onus is also on them, because they live in a digital world where everything is literally at your fingertips, you just need to type it in and search for it. There's so many resources out there that's available now, that may not have been available in their parents’ time. So while I feel a bit sorry for them, I also don't because I think it just needs more work. I mean, I had to work to appreciate my culture a bit more.
They are so exposed to global perspectives and international designs or international cultures, that they can forget their own culture. But at the same time, the onus is also on them, because they live in a digital world where everything is literally at your fingertips, you just need to type it in and search for it. There's so many resources out there that's available now, that may not have been available in their parents’ time. So while I feel a bit sorry for them, I also don't because I think it just needs more work. I mean, I had to work to appreciate my culture a bit more.
