On September 14, residents in Jurong were treated to an immersive experience of the Malay culture during a Bulan Bahasa 2019 event held at Yuhua Community Club. Bulan Bahasa (Malay Language Month) was first launched in 1988 by the Malay Language Council, as an initiative to encourage the Malay community to embrace their mother tongue in their daily lives.
Since 2011, the biennial event, Bulan Bahasa, has evolved to become an annual event. Over the years, various activities have been created during Bulan Bahasa to promote and instil greater confidence in the mastery of the Malay language. These activities also create a deeper appreciation for Malay culture and promote the preservation of its heritage.
At the Yuhua event, residents mingled through activities such as mass Silat exercises, Malay heritage cooking competition, storytelling for children below nine years old and other traditional Malay games. Madam Rahayu Mahzam, Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC, who attended the event noted the active participation of kids from the kindergartens in the Jurong District, including those run by the neighbourhood mosque.
“I am happy to see the participation of non-Malay students. It was great to see little children from different races singing popular Malay songs and recite the poem of advice,” said Madam Rahayu in a Facebook post. The event was also attended by Senior Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Mr Murali Pillai, Member of Parliament for Bukit Batok SMC.
Madam Rahayu, who is also the Chairman of the committee that put together Bulan Bahasa, said organisers hope that the community continues to find meaning in the use and appreciation of the Malay language. She added: “The Malay language has evolved from Sanskrit and Old Malay in the seventh century, and remains very much in use in our daily lives.”
