Speech by MOS Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim to Kampong Gelam Alliance (KGA), For The Launch Of The Place Plan For Kampong Gelam Historic Area
Jul 9, 2023
1. Good afternoon everyone. I’d like to thank you for joining us today to celebrate a significant milestone for Kampong Gelam – the launch of Kampong Gelam Alliance (KGA)’s Place Plan for the Historic Area.
2. As you know, Kampong Gelam holds a special place in the hearts of many Singaporeans and visitors. As a conservation area, it is cherished as a melting pot of rich heritage, diverse traditions and shared experiences. It is also a popular destination for visitors from all walks of life, with its vibrant and bustling streets.
3. We hope to sustain the distinctive character of Kampong Gelam for many years to come. To do so, we need to reaffirm the established values of the community, and continue to celebrate its rich Malay and Muslim heritage while embracing the wider multi-ethnic community. It is important for us to encourage the spirit of enterprise among both traditional businesses and new stakeholders, to strengthen and refresh the offerings of the area while remaining anchored in its history and roots. This has been made especially pertinent since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hastened the need for new ways to inject vitality into the area.
4. This is why KGA embarked on a journey to develop the Place Plan.
a. If you look back, it started from the Emerging Stronger Conversations held in end-2020 to discuss the impact of the pandemic on Kampong Gelam, and how we could address those challenges. From there, KGA progressively developed a plan to set out directions to move the Historic Area forward in the next five years.
b. I’m pleased to share that we have engaged widely and broadly in the process of developing the Place Plan. The Place Plan not only brings together the goals and aspirations of Kampong Gelam stakeholders, but also incorporates the views and ideas of other members of the public from all walks of life. In fact, we just had one engagement nearby, and people came forward to share their views. This is something that touched me, that people are so connected to this area, they want to play a part in this. So I want to thank the over 1600 people, who participated in a two-month long public engagement. Many thanks also to Mayor Denise Phua and her grassroots for lending support to the engagement and survey participation. This is something we sincerely appreciate.
c. These efforts have culminated in a strategic blueprint that sets out a clear set of values recognised and agreed upon by Kampong Gelam stakeholders. It also sets out a wide range of potential projects that will galvanise action with a common purpose to improve Kampong Gelam Historic Area.
d. As KGA's advisor since 2021, I am heartened by the enthusiastic participation and to see the plan come into fruition, reflecting the many interesting ideas brought up by people who care deeply about Kampong Gelam.
5. Let me share with you briefly about The Place Plan. The Place Plan covers five key areas which KGA will work with stakeholders and agencies to address by progressively introducing new initiatives over the next five years.
a. Identity: First, to strengthen Kampong Gelam Historic Area’s identity through ways that celebrate its deep culture and heritage, and promote the diversity of experiences it offers.
b. Economy: Second, to sustain Kampong Gelam’s economic landscape and the unique mix of businesses which gives the precinct its identity. This would entail supporting traditional trades while welcoming new, complementary business concepts, to continue drawing local and international visitors.
c. Placemaking: Placemaking is the next focus area. We aim to make the experience in Kampong Gelam Historic Area’s public realm more delightful and comfortable, through enhancements such as providing more public spaces where people can mingle and bond. One good example was the Ramadan Bazaar. You could really feel the atmosphere, not only the stalls around, but the people could really feel like they were part of the whole environment and landscape of the Kampong Gelam Historic Area.
d. Connectivity and Access: The plan also aims to build on Kampong Gelam Historic Area’s central location and make the area even more connected and accessible for visitors of all ages and abilities. This can be done through improved wayfinding to help visitors get around different attractions easily.
e. Activation: Last of all is to bring the precinct to life through an activation plan, where everyone can participate in a variety of events and activities to soak in Kampong Gelam Historic Area’s distinctive atmosphere and learn more about its story. Many people are interested and want to know stories behind it.
6. While these initiatives will take time to be conceptualised and implemented, I am excited that we already have some in the pipeline which visitors can look forward to.
a. This includes a partnership with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to showcase creative urban installations that tell stories of the rich and diverse heritage of Kampong Gelam, as part of the upcoming Archifest 2023 in September. These installations will inject vibrancy and enliven the public spaces around Kampong Gelam.
b. In KGA’s engagement, some participants also raised the idea of creating a cultural map as a repository of knowledge and resource for future planning. This is why KGA has also launched a cultural mapping project to document the rich layers of cultural assets such as heritage businesses, institutions and key buildings in the Historic Area. The public is invited to contribute locations and stories on this virtual map.
7. So what’s next? Moving ahead, I look forward to seeing KGA play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Kampong Gelam Historic Area.
a. It will work towards formalisation as a not-for-profit CLG (Company Limited by Guarantee). This will facilitate more in-depth and extensive partnerships with other businesses, organisations and public agencies, and equip it with more resources as it progressively implements the ideas in the Place Plan.
b. With the collective wisdom of its members – many of whom are esteemed figures with rich experience in entrepreneurship, community building and heritage preservation - I am confident that Kampong Gelam Historic Area will be further enriched into an even more attractive and distinctive place for all. When I join them for engagements, when we walk the ground together, the whole idea is to make the place more vibrant. They come from different backgrounds and expertise, and that makes it very interesting. The diversity of the people we have and the experiences – and how we come together for a common cause. It’s not only the place that is beautiful, but the people are beautiful.
8. The government agencies have also been working closely with KGA to support its worthy efforts, and will continue to do so.
a. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), as the agency overseeing heritage conservation and placemaking efforts in the Historic Area, has facilitated KGA’s engagements with Kampong Gelam stakeholders and the wider public, to seek feedback for the Place Plan.
b. Also, the National Heritage Board (NHB) has been supporting heritage businesses in the area through initiatives such as an organisation transformation grant to help them innovate in fields such as strategic planning, e-commerce and marketing as well as product development.
c. These demonstrate how the collective efforts of the community, businesses, institutions and public agencies can shape the future of our beloved Historic rea.
9. The journey thus far has enabled us to explore the collective values, priorities and supporting policies needed to strengthen Kampong Gelam Historic Area.
a. This is part of a greater endeavour to refresh Singapore’s social compact through major engagements in recent years such as the Forward Singapore exercise and the Long-Term Plan Review.
b. Such valuable opportunities for dialogue and co-creation will go a long way in shaping an endearing, liveable and inclusive home, where present and future generations can achieve their hopes and aspirations.
10. In closing, I thank KGA and each and every one of you who have given your valuable feedback and support on the Place Plan. I urge all of you to remain active participants on this journey. Together, we can sustain the unique ‘soul’ of Kampong Gelam, and ensure it continues to flourish as a centre of community, culture and enterprise for a long time to come. So I sincerely want to thank all of you. For some of my colleagues and stakeholders, the journey started many years ago. It was something that we had been talking about, something that we’ve shared together, and now we have done so. Covid-19 brought us closer together, to see what more can be done for the future of Kampong Gelam. Today is a very significant milestone. It is due to the hard work of all of you wanting to develop this Historic Area. All of us have an interest in making it more vibrant. I sincerely thank all of you, my colleagues, Mr Zaki, Mr Saeid, and many others, including Mayor. Thank you for making Kampong Gelam successful and more vibrant. It’s not about planning, but it’s about bringing people together. That’s the most beautiful part of this effort. Being diverse, there are many ideas. How over the last couple of years, we are able to bring these ideas together, allow opportunities for us to remember the past, and yet be relevant for the future generations.
11. Let me also say a few words in Malay. Kampong Gelam merupakan daerah bersejarah Melayu/Islam yang penting di mana ia merangkumi kepelbagaian budaya dan saling hormat-menghormati kewujudan bersama. Kami berharap dapat terus mengekalkan warisannya yang kaya dan pada masa yang sama berupaya menyuntik kesegaran agar ia kekal relevan dan menarik untuk generasi masa kini dan seterusnya.
12. Saya gembira kerana KGA telah berjaya menyiapkan Pelan Tempat bagi Kawasan Bersejarah Kampong Gelam selepas latihan penglibatan awam yang melibatkan lebih daripada 1600 peserta. Pelan itu merangkumi lima bidang – identity, ekonomi, ‘placemaking’, ketersambungan dan pengaktifan – dan akan menjadi panduan berguna untuk menjadikan Kampong Gelam tempat yang lebih menarik dan mempunyai ciri- ciri tersendiri. Saya berharap kita semua dapat terus mengambil bahagian secara aktif seiring dengan KGA dalam usaha untuk melaksanakan idea-idea dalam pelan tersebut, dan bersama-sama, kita dapat mengekalkan ‘jiwa’ unik Kampong Gelam untuk jangka masa panjang yang mendatang.
13. On that note, thank you for all your support, and I hope we will continue to work together to make the Plan a meaningful one.