Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

Annual General Meeting Will Proceed

Further to my letter to you on 14 March 2020, we are pleased to announce that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Sunday, 26 April 2020, as scheduled.

Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress Place

Time: 2.30pm

The WHO declared a global pandemic earlier this month with regards to COVID-19. Our government now requires that we defer or cancel events that have 250 or more participants until 30 June as a thoughtful measure to help lower the number of COVID-19 infections.

With this clarification, we will proceed with this year’s AGM as, on average, we have less than 100 members attending most of TPAS’s AGMs.

Precautionary Measures

We wish to assure members that all necessary precautionary measures will be taken. This year, the large seating capacity at Asia Civilisations Museum’s auditorium will enable us to ensure social distancing.

As the ACM has a seating capacity of 180, we shall only permit 60 TPAS members into the auditorium to maintain a one-meter distance between participants. Regrettably, others will be turned away.

We would advise members to please rest at home

• If they have returned to Singapore less than 14 days from overseas travel on 26 April
• If they feel even the least bit unwell
• If a family member is unwell
• If they have underlying ailments
• If they are pregnant, and
• If they are elderly

Proxy & Nomination Forms – A Way To Participate In AGM

We are mindful that there will be many among our members who are, rightly, concerned about COVID-19 and not turn up. We understand your concern. You can, however, still participate in the AGM by way of completing and mailing your Proxies and/or Nomination Forms to reach us at The Peranakan Association Singapore, Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 by no later than 2.30pm on 12 April 2020.

This will enable you to still exercise your vote, in absentia, on who you want to serve you.

Your GC will continue to monitor the situation very closely, as it is very fluid though under control. We shall update you as appropriate. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth.
Keeping the Culture Alive
23 March 2020

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Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING POSTPONED

We regret to inform Association members that our Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 26 April 2020, has been postponed to Sunday, 21 June 2020, 2.30pm, at Asian Civilisations Museum’s Ngee Ann Auditorium. We cannot thank ACM enough for its graciousness and understanding.

This is to be in full compliance with our government’s latest requirements on safe distancing, which will apply until 30 April 2020. Our members’ well-being and health are very important to us.

However, please understand that the situation is extremely fluid and uncertain. It may still be necessary for us to postpone the AGM again.

As Lawrence Wong, Minister of National Development, pointed out in his heartfelt speech in parliament recently, the situation was changing so fast that the government had to make quick policy adjustments.

We can expect the situation to stay like this for a long time yet.

In the interim, we will be exploring virtual meeting solutions as an option.

Members should please hold on to their AGM packs recently mailed to them. We will use them if and when we meet in June.

The Proxy and Nomination Forms delivered with the AGM pack will continue to be valid.

The deadline for submitting these forms to the Secretariat is now extended to 2.30 pm, 7 June 2020.

UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES

This year is our Association’s 120th Anniversary. We had been planning to celebrate it since late 2018. Until Chinese New Year this year, all had seemed well. Then the unexpected sprung itself ferociously on us, as it did everyone else – COVID-19.

We have had to cross out all our monthly events in this first half year’s calendar, except for the very successful pre-CNY foodie trail to Johor’s outskirts. We have pushed them to next year.

But it looks like the second half year’s events – which includes the second edition of our Baba Nyonya Literary Festival, The Peranakan Ball and our Baba Nyonya International Convention – may also fall victim to the same fate. We wait and see.

THE PERANAKAN BALL

We have received strong support for The Peranakan Ball to celebrate our 120th anniversary on 18 July 2020. Members and guests have taken up more tables than we initially anticipated, but we were prepared for this and made available more tables.
Preparations for the Ball are almost complete. Now, we have to watch for changes in the current situation which are happening so quickly and respond appropriately.

The Association would like to thank everyone for their unwavering support.

We are very thankful to President Halimah Yacob for agreeing to be our Guest-of-Honour at the Ball.

A big thank you:

– To our supporters, the 550 TPAS members and guests who have committed to the dinner that evening.

– To our other donors who wish to remain anonymous.

– To Nyonya Violet Oon who will curate the evening’s menu with her friends Nyonya Sylvia Tan, Baba Christopher Tan, and Shangri-La’s chefs.

– To Masaki Matsuzaki-san, City Advisor, Hachinohe City Aomori Prefecture, who will donate award-winning sake from Nagano’s 140-year-old Takanami Sake Brewery for each table and artisanal sake-infused chocolates from Japan for each guest.

– To the generous wine connoisseur who will donate specially curated red wine for each table.

– To The Takenover which will co-ordinate the fashion show that will feature exquisite cheongsams from Lai Chan, lovely sarong kebayas from Raymond Wong, and sparkling jewellery from Foundation Jewellers and Flower Diamond Boutique.

– To the many donors of our Raffle Draw prizes.

– To the artistes in our entertainment line-up: Danny Koh and The Goodfellas, Robert Fernando, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School Choir, and our very own choir, The Peranakan Voices.

– To Immortal The Design Station Pte Ltd for their beautifully designed collaterals.

– To artist Gabby Malpas who kindly donated a gorgeous Peranakan-themed painting which we commissioned for the Ball.

– To the gracious and kind owners of Shangri-La Hotel.

– And last but not least, to our Ball Organizing Committee – Nyonya Peggy Genevieve Jeffs and her team.

While we look forward to the Ball in July, we must also prepare ourselves for the possibility that it may have to be postponed to next year.

We have secured a date for this eventuality.

If we do have to move the Ball to May 2021, I would like to assure our donors, members and guests that the Association shall do the right thing.

Your General Committee, together with the Ball Organising Committee, will review the situation and take a decision around the middle of May.

We thank you especially for being so patient with us and not even asking if we plan to postpone or cancel it. Kamsiah!

CONVENTION

The bigger challenge facing us is the 33rd Baba Nyonya International Convention set for November this year.

Again, the event’s key elements are already fully in place.

But how do we sell tickets to the convention in such a crippling environment? When COVID-19 is on the rise in every country. When borders are closed, airlines are grounded, travel and personal mobility is curbed?

When businesses are failing, job insecurity and unemployment are on the rise, and when we can’t even see what is going to happen in this crisis the next day?

We pray for guidance as we anticipate, observe, decide and take one careful step at a time going forward.

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES

These are unprecedented times. We must come together as Singaporeans and join the national effort in the concerted battle against the virus.

Please be scrupulous about your personal hygiene, STAY HOME and go out only when you need to, avoid crowds – don’t add to them, be socially responsible, and maintain safe social distances wherever you are.

Most of all, please, please, take personal responsibility for your actions and prevent community spread.

May God bless each of you and your loved ones, keep you safe and healthy, and give you rest. Please take care and be at peace.

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 March 2020

The post Letters from the President: Annual General Meeting Postponed appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Dear members,

Further to my letter of 31 March 2020, this is a reminder about the postponement of our Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 26 April 2020.

It has been postponed to Sunday 21 June 2020, 2.30pm, at the Asian Civilisations Museum’s Ngee Ann Auditorium.

This is in full compliance with our government’s latest requirements during the Circuit Breaker period.

However, please understand that the situation is extremely fluid and uncertain, and it may still be necessary for us to postpone again.

In the interim, we will also be exploring virtual meeting solutions as an option.

Members should hold on to their AGM packs mailed to them in mid-March.

We shall still use them when we meet in June.

The Proxy and Nomination Forms delivered with the AGM pack will continue to be valid.

The deadline for submission of these forms to the Secretariat is now extended to 2.30 pm, 7 June 2020.

Proxy forms can be submitted by post to:  Raffles City P.O Box 1640, Singapore 911755.

We are facing unprecedented times. We must come together as Singaporeans and join the national effort in the concerted battle against the virus.

God bless you and keep your loved ones safe.

Colin Chee
President,
The Peranakan Association Singapore

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Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly letter to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

Navigating The Unknown

How does one safely navigate a ship without sonar across a sea filled with submerged mines?

Many governments around the world today, including Singapore’s, is facing this terrible challenge.

After five months into the global COVID-19 pandemic, we only know enough to mitigate and perhaps control it, but not yet enough to eradicate it.

Some experts have suggested that until a treatment is found for COVID-19, like that for the common flu, or a vaccine against the virus is ready for use, or the virus self-degenerates into something less virulent, the world cannot expect to return to the easy pre-COVID-19 days now or anytime in the near future.

Fortunately for us at TPAS, we have an easy choice. We have decided to be pragmatic not to sail straight into this sea of mines. We will simply sail around it.

Circumnavigating COVID-19

For a start, as mentioned in my 31^st March Letter to members, we postponed all our first half-year 2020 events to 2021.

We are now moving the events planned for the second half of 2020 to 2021. This includes our Literary Festival among others and, regrettably, events for our Junior Members as well.

And, our Annual General Meeting, which was to have been held Sunday, 26 April, was earlier on postponed to Sunday, 21 June 2020.

120^th Anniversary Milestone Events

Significantly, your General Committee has decided to postpone The Peranakan Ball from 18 July 2020 to 15 May 2021, and the 33^rd Baba Nyonya International Convention from 20-22 November 2020 to 19-21 November 2021.

The rescheduling of these latter two 120^th Anniversary milestone events has been especially difficult. We had been planning for them since late 2018 and were ready-to-go. More so the Baba Nyonya Convention because this may be its first known interruption in 33 years.

We know you will agree with us that this is the right thing to do. It will safeguard the well-being and the health of our members and guests.

These have been painful but necessary decisions in this unprecedented time of grief, anxiety, and growing economic and financial stress.

We also expect that the situation in our region and Australia will remain unpredictable for an indeterminate time.

We apologise for any inconvenience our changes may have caused our members, and also ask for their understanding and continued support.

It would seem, however, that there are always silver linings in every dark cloud.

The Peranakan Ball: 15 May 2021

We are especially grateful to Madam President Halimah Yacob who will still join us as the evening’s Guest-of-Honour.

The Peranakan Ball’s donors, partners and guests have been encouraging and kind. Many of our programme sponsors have indicated they are fully behind TPAS despite the Ball’s postponement.

Because of them, the Ball in May 2021 will still be very enjoyable, spectacular and meaningful, as planned.

The 33^RD Baba Nyonya International Convention: 19-21 Nov 2021

We are also thankful for the much-welcomed empathy and continued support from our partners, supporters and other stakeholders when they were informed last week about the postponement of our Baba Nyonya Convention.

They include the 13 other presidents of Peranakan associations in Southeast Asia and Australia, whose understanding we had sought.

On behalf of TPAS, I would like to sincerely thank our Convention partners who have been journeying with us – The Peranakan Museum, Gunong Sayang Association and the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore.

Also, to the Singapore Tourism Board, National Heritage Board and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre for their unflagging support.

Our big thanks to theatre doyens Babas GT Lye and Ivan Heng, director Baba Alvin Tan and playwright Nyonya Stella Kon, on whose play, Emily of Emerald Hill, the adaptation, The Matriarchs, will be based. And Baba Emeric Lau who will assist in the scripting of GT’s mother-in-law role.

Our appreciation also to our Symposium’s Keynote Speaker Baba Kwa Chong Guan. Moderators Baba Kennie Ting, Assistant Professor Nyonya Nala H Lee, and Baba John Teo. Panellists Professor Wang Gungwu, Associate Professor Farish A Noor, Dr Vivienne Wee, Baba GT Lye, Nyonya Josephine Chia, Baba Kenneth Chan, Baba Pillay P Krishnan, Nyonya Jackie Yoong, Baba Raymond Wong, Baba Christopher Tan, Baba Alvin Teo. And Hosts Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee and Baba Ivan Heng.

We count our blessings. Despite the major disruptions, the consequences have not been as harrowing as we had anticipated. Our stakeholders have graciously rallied around TPAS. Kamsiah manyak manyak.

 Until a bright tomorrow, please keep safe, stay at home, and stay healthy. God bless.

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
28 April 2020

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee April 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a letter to Association members about our AGM)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

The 2020 Annual General Meeting

In my 30 March letter to you, I wrote that we would very likely have to postpone our Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 26 April to 28 June 2020.

I had also signalled to you, then, that we might have to postpone the AGM a second time. It had already seemed the Covid-19 situation in Singapore would drag into June.

The government on 19 May announced re-opening Singapore in three phases. In all three phases, rightly, it has said that seniors should continue to take care and that the size of gatherings will still have to be limited.

Clearly, Covid-19 is not going away until a cure or a vaccine is found. We will have to learn to live and work safely around it until then, taking clear cues from our government.

Your General Committee (GC) has therefore decided to postpone the AGM a second time.

This time, a virtual* AGM will be held on Sunday, 12 July 2020 at 2.00 pm. It will be based on the alternative arrangements allowed under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Alternative Arrangements for Meetings for Registered Societies) Order 2020.

*A virtual meeting is a meeting with no physical location and is held electronically via an online meeting tool, such as Zoom.

This means the following:

Agenda of the AGM

1. The business of the AGM will be to pass the following Resolutions:
   • To receive and adopt the minutes of the AGM held on 31 March 2019.
   • To receive and adopt the president’s report for the financial year ended 31 December 2019 (FY2019).
   • To receive and adopt the audited accounts for FY2019.
   • To elect new members of the General Committee pursuant to Rule 25(a)(ii) of the Constitution of TPAS.
   • To elect an Honorary Auditor for the financial year ending 31 December 2020.

Nomination Forms

2. Documents pertaining to Resolutions 1(a) to (c), mailed to you in March this year, will continue to apply.
3. Nomination Forms in relation to Resolution 1(d) above received before 27 April 2020 will be accepted, subject to validation by the Honorary Secretary.
4. Going forward, the attached Form #1-Nomination Form for the roles in the GC and Hon Auditor needs to be signed by the nominating member as well as the nominee. Nominees have to be members of TPAS for at least a year as at 1 January 2020 and not be in breach of any of TPAS’s Rules and By-Laws as at the date of the Nomination Form.
5. The completed Nomination Form #1, together with the nominee’s passport size photograph as well as a CV of no longer than 300 words (both optional) must be emailed to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg  or mailed to Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 latest by 2.00pm on 12 June 2020. An online version of Form #1 is also available at the end of this letter.
6. The photos and CVs of the respective nominees for election will be posted on TPAS’s website and Facebook page as part of the pre-election announcement on 17 June 2020.
7. Members who submitted the Nomination Forms before 27 April 2020 may withdraw them and submit new ones if they wish.

Attendance. Quorum & Conduct During Virtual AGM

8. Members will not be able to attend the AGM in person because of the current Covid-19 restriction orders.
9. Those wishing to attend the virtual AGM must complete Form #2 Registration attached below and email it to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg  or mail it to Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 latest by 2.00pm on 26 June 2020. An online version of Form #2 is also available at the end of this letter.
10. The AGM’s quorum will be counted based on the number of valid proxy forms received and the number of members attending the virtual AGM.
11. Members may only attend the AGM by observing and listening to the proceedings by electronic means. Details of this will be shared only with members who pre-register to attend the AGM.

Right to Speak

12. As the virtual AGM is not interactive, all substantial and relevant questions pertaining to the agenda of the AGM will be addressed by the GC via TPAS’s website and Facebook page before the AGM.
13. If time permits, the Chairman of the AGM will read out the more substantive and relevant Qs & As during the AGM.
14. All questions must be emailed to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg or mailed to Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 latest by 2.00pm on 26 June 2020 together with your name (as it appears in our records), mobile number and address to enable us to verify your member status.

GC Members and Hon Auditor Candidates List & Proxy (Voting) Forms

15. The list of nominees for election for the roles in the GC and the role of Honorary Auditor for the term 2020-2022 and Form #3 Proxy will be posted on TPAS’s website and Facebook page and emailed on 17 June 2020 to members who have notified TPAS of his or her email address.
16. Proxy forms received before 27 April 2020 will, subject to validation by the Honorary Secretary, be accepted. Those received after 27 April 2020 will not be accepted. Members who submitted proxy forms before 27 April 2020 may still withdraw them and submit new ones if they wish.
17. Please be aware that members can only vote at the virtual AGM by completing and submitting Form#3 which will be disseminated on 17 June 2020. This means that voting must be done by proxy ONLY and there will NOT be any voting during the AGM proceedings.
18. All submitted proxy forms will:
    – By default, appoint the Chairman of the AGM as proxy.
    – Have to be completed and emailed to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg or mailed to Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 latest by 2.00pm on 26 June 2020.
19. As voting will not be conducted during the AGM, the proxy (voting) forms received and validated will be counted and the results announced by the Chairman during the AGM.

GC Decisions Are Final

20. All decisions taken by the GC with regards to the processes set out above will have been made in good faith and will be final.

Forms

Members can register to attend the Virtual AGM and submit their nomination forms here:

Online Forms

Form #1: Nomination Form

Form #2: Registration Form for Virtual AGM

Hard Copy Forms (PDF)

Form #1: Nomination Form PDF

Form #2: Registration Form for Virtual AGM PDF

In the meantime, we thank you for your understanding and patience and do continue to keep safe.

As each day passes, my wife Linda and I count our blessings and look to the hills with thanksgiving. May you continue to enjoy good health and peace of mind.

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
29 May 2020

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee May 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

The Peranakan Association Singapore congratulates wayang Peranakan doyen, Baba GT Lye, on being honoured as a Steward Of Singapore’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by the National Heritage Board.

The Award aims to recognise practitioners of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) who are dedicated to the promotion and transmission of ICH elements, and have made outstanding contributions in their field.

Baba GT Lye has been a wayang Peranakan practitioner for 36 years since his first foray into theatre in 1984 in Pileh Menantu, staged during the Singapore Arts Festival. The play was a landmark in wayang Peranakan which sparked a revival of Peranakan theatre. Before that, no Peranakan play had been staged in Singapore since the 1960s.

In his next role in 1985, Baba GT played the Peranakan matriarch for the first time – a role which would shape and define his career in Peranakan theatre. The strength of his performances stem from his personal experience and careful study of the speech and mannerisms of these matriarchs who have long since disappeared.

Over three decades, he has not only starred in 23 wayang Peranakan plays but has also contributed to the art form as a scriptwriter, co-director, dialogue coach and mentor to young wayang Peranakan actors. His mastery of the Baba Malay language is nonpareil. The bulk of his performances were in plays staged by the Gunong Sayang Association. There is no other living wayang Peranakan actor who has displayed the level of mastery of the art form like Baba GT Lye has.

Baba GT has also brought Peranakan culture abroad on cultural missions to France, China and Korea.

Earlier this year, the Association prepared and submitted Baba GT’s nomination to the National Heritage Board. Apart from compiling his extensive resume and highlighting his mastery of skills and practice in his field, we also approached members of the Peranakan community who know him and have worked with him to write letters of support for his nomination. The Association is deeply grateful and sincerely thanks the following individuals and our sister associations for their written support of Baba GT’s nomination:

• Baba Colin Chee for The Peranakan Association Singapore
• Baba Alvin Teo for Gunong Sayang Association
• Baba Ponno Kalastree for Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore
• Baba Ivan Heng, Cultural Medallion recipient, Founder and Artistic Director, W!LD RICE
• Baba Alvin Tan, Cultural Medallion recipient, Founder and Artistic Director, The Necessary Stage
• Baba Robert Yeo, Award-winning poet, playwright and author, BBM (Public Service Star) for distinguished performance in the Arts.
• Baba Peter Lee, Independent researcher and scholar of Peranakan culture, Honorary Curator, NUS Baba House
• Nyonya Cynthia Lee, wayang Peranakan performer
• Baba Kelvin Tan, wayang Peranakan performer (Female Impersonator)
• Baba Chan Eng Thai, wayang Peranakan performer
• Baba Richard Tan, Arts practitioner and educator, Artistic Director, GenerAsia
• Nyonya Josephine Chia, award-winning author of eight books, Winner, Singapore Literature Prize (Non-fiction) 2014

The post Peranakan Theatre Actor Baba GT Lye Wins Heritage Award appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Dear Life Members,

ADJOURNED ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF TPAS TO BE HELD ON 12 JULY 2020 AT 2.00 P.M.

I hope you are well.

On 29 May 2020 (“29 May Announcement”) we announced that because of the COVID-19 situation the Annual General Meeting (AGM) would be adjourned to 12 July 2020 and will be held virtually (by electronic means). This means that members will not be able to attend a physical meeting. Voting would be carried out via hard-copy proxy forms signed by members and submitted to the Honorary Secretary (see Paragraph 3 below “Submission of New Proxy Forms”).

The results of this voting exercise will be announced by the Honorary Secretary on 12 July 2020 during the Adjourned Annual General Meeting. Please read carefully the following paragraphs.

1. New AGM Notice & Proxy Form

(1.1) A new Notice of the Adjourned AGM dated 17 June 2020 (the “Notice”) and a new Proxy Form (the “New Proxy Form”) are being issued with this letter.

(1.2) You will find both the Notice and New Proxy Form (FORM #3) below:

Notice: https://www.peranakan.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NoticeofAdjournedAGM.pdf

New Proxy Form (FORM #3): https://www.peranakan.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Proxy-Form-17-June-2020.pdf

2. Treatment of Proxy Forms Submitted Earlier (from 23 March 2020)

(2.1) Members who have already submitted valid proxy forms before 27 April 2020 appointing a person other than the Chairman of the Meeting as their proxy do not have to submit the New Proxy Forms provided that:-

(a) they had indicated in their proxy forms how they wished to vote for or vote against on each resolution, and
(b) they do not withdraw the proxy form.

(2.2) In these circumstances, TPAS shall be entitled to, and will, treat such proxy forms as appointing the Chairman of the Meeting as their proxy to attend, speak and vote at the Adjourned AGM in accordance with their specified instructions.

(2.3) A member may withdraw a proxy form previously submitted by sending an email to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg to notify TPAS of the withdrawal, by 2.00 p.m. on 26 June 2020.

3. Submission of New Proxy Forms

(3.1) Submission by a member of a valid New Proxy Form (FORM #3) appointing the Chairman of the Meeting will supersede any previous proxy form submitted by that member.

(3.2) Please note that the New Proxy Form must be deposited at The Peranakan Association Singapore, Raffles City P.O. Box 1640 Singapore 911755 or emailed to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg by no later than 2.00 p.m. on 26 June 2020.

(3.3) A member who wishes to submit the New Proxy Form must either :-

(a) download, complete, sign the Form and submit it by post to the address provided in (3.2) above,

(b) or scan and submit it by email to the email address provided in (3.2) above.

(3.4) In view of the current COVID-19 situation in Singapore, members are strongly encouraged to submit via email their completed New Proxy Forms (FORM #3).

4. Virtual AGM

(4.1) Members will not be able to attend the AGM in person. It will not be interactive.

(4.2) We will be using the Zoom video-conferencing platform for our virtual AGM. The arrangements for the virtual AGM are in accordance with the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Alternative Arrangements for Meetings for Registered Societies) Order 2020.

(4.3) Those wishing to attend the virtual AGM must complete the Registration Form (FORM #2) attached below and email it to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg or mail it to Raffles City P.O. Box 1640, Singapore 911755 latest by 2.00pm on 26 June 2020.

Registration Form (FORM #2): https://www.peranakan.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FINAL-FORM2-REGISTRATION.pdf

(4.4) Note that instructions on how to attend the virtual AGM by Zoom will be sent only to members who have registered.

5. Closing of Nominations for New General Committee (“GC”) and Honorary Auditor

(5.1) Pursuant to the Constitution of TPAS, the members of the General Committee are to be elected at every alternate AGM, which means that they would have to be elected at this 2020 AGM.

(5.2) As at 2.00 p.m. on 12 June 2020, the Honorary Secretary received nominations for the following individuals to be elected to the new GC:

(5.3) As at 2.00 p.m. on 12 June 2020, the Honorary Secretary received a nomination for Emeric Lau to be elected as Honorary Auditor for the financial year ending 31 December 2020.

(5.4) You find the bios and photos of all the nominees listed in (5.2) and (5.3) on our Association’s website here.

6. Questions

Should you have any questions relating to the Adjourned Annual General Meeting, please send an email to the Honorary Secretary at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg by 2.00pm on 26 June 2020.

Please continue to keep well and we look forward to your virtual presence at the AGM. Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Ronney Tan Koon Siang
Honorary Secretary
17 June 2020

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(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

Recognising Our Heroes

It was a dream come true!

In October, last year, Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee gushed on the General Committee’s (GC) group chat: “Hooray! The National Heritage Board has announced a new national award for individuals and groups who have contributed to Singapore’s intangible cultural heritage!”

Since our inception in May 2018, this GC has discussed how we can recognise our community’s heroes. These individuals have contributed so much to the community and Singapore. Yet none had been formally recognised by the Association.

We deliberated extensively on this matter.

Do we do this on our own? How would we do it? What would it cost? How do we manage the dissonance that might result from our choices? What would be the criteria? Who should be on the selection panel? How do we prioritise? Will it be an annual award? If so, how soon? And will they still be around to receive it? Should we recognise them all at once? When do we launch it? During our 120^th Anniversary celebrations in 2020?

We had many more questions and could not reach a satisfactory conclusion. We were too pressed prioritising the many other challenges that daunted us then.

However, we decided we would try, as much as we could, to at least write about our heroes in every issue of our magazine, The Peranakan, going forward – individuals as well as corporate entities.

A Steward Of Intangible  Cultural Heritage – Wayang Peranakan Doyen Baba GT Lye

The Cultural Medallion has been awarded by the National Arts Council since 1979 to recognise individuals whose contribution to artistic excellence have enriched Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape. But not everyone who has made significant contributions is eligible to be nominated for this award.

I discussed our desire for a proposed award with someone from the National Heritage Board in July 2018 and was heartened to learn that NHB also realised the need for official recognition of heroes of cultural heritage. From our discussions, I learnt that a new national award might be in the works to plug this gap especially in the area of intangible cultural heritage.

To be honest, I had only a hazy idea of what intangible culture was. I googled it after the meeting.

The GC decided to wait and see whether NHB would launch the new award. If it did not happen by 2020, the Association would then revive the idea of our own award for our heroes. In our minds, we had already developed a rough list of deserving Peranakans.

So, when Dawn, our Head of Communications and Editor of our magazine, The Peranakan, shared the news of the new award with the GC, we were all very excited. She had attended NHB’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Symposium where the new award was announced by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Communications and Information on 30 October 2019.

The Stewards of Singapore’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Award recognises individuals and groups in the categories of the performing arts; traditional craftsmanship; food heritage; knowledge and practices surrounding nature and the universe; social practices, rituals and festive events; as well as oral traditions, expressions and language.

We all knew straight off who we would nominate – our much-loved Wayang Peranakan doyen, Baba GT Lye.

Dawn was tasked by the GC to lead the application for the award. She accomplished it very well.

She painstakingly called on each of GT’s past associates – those who had acted with him, those he had mentored and coached, and those he had advised. They all agreed without hesitation. They shared our sentiment and enthusiastically embraced TPAS’s nomination of GT. Our sister organisations – Gunong Sayang Association and the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore – generously endorsed our submission.

We thank all of them for supporting our long-overdue endeavour. (Please see the story “Peranakan Theatre Actor Baba GT Lye Wins Heritage Award“ )

As for GT, when Dawn first told him of our plans to nominate him for the award, he simply thanked her. Ever the consummate actor, GT kept a calm demeanour. A week later, when I chatted with him, he was clearly overwhelmed.

Appreciating A Former Team Member

The GC would like to also thank Nyonya Agnes Ng who stepped down early this year to focus on her growing consulting business when we were forming a GC team for the new term. As Assistant Hon Secretary since May 2018, she doggedly carried the heavy load of digitising our membership data. At the same time, she carried out other secretarial duties. I am glad that Agnes will make time, whenever she can, to help in TPAS’s sub-committees and also remain as a member of our choir, The Peranakan Voices.

The Virtual Annual General Meeting

The GC would like to thank members for their support of the upcoming AGM on 12 July 2020.

We would like to thank especially Babas Mathew Ho and Johnian Ng for being our Scrutineers. They oversaw the collection of mail and proxies on 26 June 2020, through to the mail opening, verification and counting of the Proxy Forms by the Secretariat sub-committee headed by Hon Secretary Baba Ronney Tan Koon Siang.

Admin details relating to the AGM will be shared directly, in early July, with members who have registered to attend the virtual AGM on 12 July 2020.

The Last Letter

While writing, it occurred to me this is my last monthly letter to members for this 2018-2020 term. It is unbelievable how time has dashed by since I first wrote to you in June 2018. I never anticipated that my letters would be regularly followed by members. But you did.

My monthly musings were meant to keep members updated on what was happening in the Association, share whatever was on our minds about the challenges we faced, and what we were celebrating. Clearly, there is always a need for information on what the Association is planning and doing.

Many of you have responded openly to me to share your thoughts and feelings as well. This is a precious connection. It has formed a certain trusting relationship between members and the Association otherwise unattainable.

Your honest, constructive and sincere feedback has let us listen to your heartbeat better. Thank you very much for helping us in the GC to serve you more effectively.

As we slip into the 2020-2022 term for a new General Committee, our wish is for your continued good health, your safety in these times of the Circuit Breaker’s second phase, and your general well-being.

Kamsiah manyak manyak, jaga badan baik baik, berkat bekumpul kumpul!!

(Thank you very much. Take care of your health. Bountiful blessings.)

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
30 June 2020

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee June 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

On 12 July, we held our 120-year-old association’s first-ever virtual Annual General Meeting. It was a success. There were no technical glitches.

We owe this to two of our new and young General Committee (GC) members – Nyonya Theresa Tan and Baba Tony Tan – who saw to the technical arrangements.

I am most pleased to introduce to TPAS members their elected GC for the new 2020-22 term.

• President: Colin Chee
• 1st Vice-President: Genevieve Peggy Jeffs
• 2nd Vice-President: Raymond Wong
• Honorary Secretary: Philip Yeo
• Assistant Honorary Secretary: Tony Tan (Technology Advisor)
• Honorary Treasurer: Ronney Tan Koon Siang (Heritage Advisor)
• Assistant Honorary Treasurer: Elizabeth Ng (Food Culture Advisor)
• Member: Gwen Ong (Head of Events and Heritage Advisor)
• Member: Dawn Marie Lee (Head of Communications, Editor, THE PERANAKAN Magazine and Head of Youth Outreach)
• Member: Ngiam May Ling (Legal Advisor)
• Member: Sylvia Peh (Accounts Advisor)
• Member: Josephine Tan (Technology Advisor)
• Member: Bryan Tan (Events Advisor)
• Member: Christopher Tan (Food Culture Advisor)
• Member: Theresa Tan (Fund-Raising and Technology Advisor)

• COLIN CHEE

  President
• GENEVIEVE PEGGY JEFFS

  1st Vice-President
• RAYMOND WONG

  2nd Vice-President
• PHILIP YEO

  Honorary Secretary (Member Relations Advisor)
• TONY TAN

  Assistant Honorary Secretary (Technology and Member Relations Advisor)
• RONNEY TAN KOON SIANG

  Honorary Treasurer (Heritage Advisor)
• ELIZABETH NG

  Assistant Honorary Treasurer (Food Culture Advisor)
• GWEN ONG

  GC Member (Head of Events and Heritage Advisor)
• DAWN MARIE LEE

  GC Member (Head of Communications, Editor, THE PERANAKAN magazine and Head of Youth Outreach)
• BRYAN TAN

  GC Member (Events Advisor and Senior Writer, THE PERANAKAN magazine)
• CHRISTOPHER TAN

  GC Member (Food Culture Advisor)
• JOSEPHINE TAN

  GC Member (Technology Advisor)
• NGIAM MAY LING

  GC Member (Legal Advisor)
• SYLVIA PEH

  GC Member (Accounts Advisor)
• THERESA TAN

  GC Member (Fundraising and Technology Advisor)

Click on each photo to find out more about our GC members (Term 2020-2022)

This is a strong team that will bring in the requisite bench strengths for our plans in the new term:

• Keeping our culture alive
• Identify and encourage young cultural torch-bearers
• Identify and nurture new leaders among our young to advance TPAS
• Ensure our finances are stable

I would also like to thank Rumah Kim Choo on East Coast Road for the use of its premises as the venue for the AGM.

Thank you once again for your encouragement and trust in us. We look forward to serving you.

Blessings,

Colin Chee
President
Keeping Our Culture Alive

The post A New Team for a New Season appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

The Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (PPBNKLS) has published a cookbook to commemorate its 10th Anniversary.

“Our Mamas’ Recipes – Traditional Peranakan Dishes for Special Occasions” is a tribute to nyonya grandmothers.

The book is a compilation of the treasured secret recipes of these home cooks who have lovingly prepared these dishes for their families for decades.

TPAS is happy to announce that we will have 160 copies of the book available for sale by pre-order only.

To pre-order

Please email Nyonya Gwen Ong at events@peranakan.org.sg with your

• Full name
• Phone number
• Number of copies ordered
• Screenshot of proof of payment

Payment

Send payment of $20 PER COPY by PayNow to UEN 200308634H

Collection

The collection date will be confirmed after orders are closed.

To be collected from:
Rumah Kim Choo
109 East Coast Road, Singapore 428801

The closing date for orders is 30 August 2020.

Look out for a review of this cookbook in the upcoming 120th anniversary issue of THE PERANAKAN magazine in September.

The post Sale of KL Association’s 10th Anniversary Cookbook: Our Mamas’ Recipes appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

CELEBRATING A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY

How does one celebrate a 120th Anniversary in a pandemic year?

On 17 August 1900, our forebears, the Straits Chinese British Association, was registered as a society in the British colony of Singapore.

We had planned to celebrate our anniversary this year with a bang – with two big events which have since been postponed to next year, with great reluctance, because of COVID-19.

The first event is The Peranakan Ball, originally slated for 18 July 2020. More than 500 members and guests had already confirmed their attendance. This anniversary fund-raiser is now scheduled for Saturday, 15 May 2021.

The second is the 33rd Baba Nyonya International Convention. It would have involved up to 500 delegates from all 14 Peranakan associations in Southeast Asia and Australia. We were going to host this annual regional event on 20-22 November this year. It will now be held over the weekend of 19-21 November 2021. This is the first time in 33 years that the event has been deferred.

For a while it seemed that we would have an uncharacteristically quiet 120th Anniversary. Can you imagine a tua seh jit (big birthday) without the typical lao jiat (merriment) on such a significant day?

Then something happened.

EMILY OF EMERALD HILL – OUR INSPIRATION

Baba Ivan Heng’s spectacularly successful free-to-view streaming of Emily of Emerald Hill on Wild Rice’s YouTube channel from 24 April to 1 May inspired us. It opened our minds to the diverse opportunities that technology could offer.

(At this point, I would like to thank Baba Ivan for his generous and unreserved sharing when I called him a few weeks ago for technical advice.)

In late April, buoyed by Emily’s wild streaming success, I asked Nyonya Gwen Ong, our Head of Events, to look into the possibility of doing a virtual event on 17 August 2020 to celebrate our Association’s birthday.

Having gotten used to holding our monthly GC and Peranakan Ball meetings and our virtual AGM online, I thought that we can still celebrate our 120th Anniversary by harnessing technology.

BIBIK BEHIND BARS, KENA AGAIN!

Sometime in late May, I received a call from Baba Richard Tan, artistic director of GenerAsia Ltd.

“Ba,” he said excitedly to me over the phone, “Shall we do something like Ivan’s Emily of Emerald Hill?”

Noting my pause, he added: “We can stream Bibik Behind Bars, Kena Again!” on YouTube.”

It was the show that the Association had commissioned GenerAsia Ltd to produce in 2015 to celebrate its 115th Anniversary, a sequel to Bibik Behind Bars, first staged in 2001.

Who can forget that raucous, hilarious musical about vivacious, fun-loving, cherki and mahjong-mad bibiks in Joo Chiat?

I thought it would be a timely and wonderful fit for what the GC had already hoped to do.

“Who has the master copy of the musical?” I asked, and added, “Because we don’t have it.”

“I have a high-definition master copy,” Richard replied.

It was all I needed to hear. I requested Richard to work this further and to discuss it with Gwen.

We decided that the musical will debut online on a Sunday afternoon – 16 August – instead of Monday the 17th, which is our Association’s actual birthday.

The musical will be live-streamed from Rumah Kim Choo, a lovely venue for our pre-show curtain raiser.

You won’t want to miss this free-to-view show that will be streamed on our Association’s YouTube channel.

Save the date, 16 August 2020 at 2.30pm.

Please subscribe to our Association’s YouTube channel here.

In the future, we also hope to create interesting content related to Peranakan culture for release on this channel. Subscribe to receive updates.

Many thanks to those who have already subscribed!

Selamat Sambot Hari Tua Seh Jit to our Association!

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
31 July 2020

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee July 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Don’t miss this special screening this weekend!

You can watch the live stream here:

The post Bibiks Behind Bars Kena Again: Screening details appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Sunday, 23 August 2020 from 9am

The Association collaborated with The Arts House to produce this video talk for their LumiNation festival.

Held alongside with National Day from 1-30 August, the festival explores our Singaporean identity through performances, talks and more.

Join Baba Peter Lee, independent researcher and scholar of Peranakan culture and history, and Honorary Curator at the NUS Baba House as he reveals how the lives of the Wee family (who once lived at 157 Neil Road) their neighbours and domestic staff, as well as the house’s contents, shed light on how migration contributed to the development of hybrid Peranakan culture.

The Arts House will release the video at this link and on their Facebook page on Sunday.

The post Online Talk On Migration and Peranakan Hybrid Cultural Identity appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION

On 16 August 2020, we celebrated the Association’s 120^th anniversary, our choir, The Peranakan Voices, 20^th anniversary, and Singapore’s 55 years of peaceful independence.

We shared our musical, Bibik Behind Bars, Kena Again!, commissioned in 2015 and first performed at The Peranakan Arts Festival, on YouTube and Facebook.  It turned out to be a very enjoyable surprise for many of our members, our families and friends.

At the time of writing, the musical registered an unexpectedly high 7,000 views, with another two weeks to go on YouTube and Facebook until 19 September 2020. You can still catch the show at:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2634437070152856&extid=OzttBoCKZthoYrKr

One useful observation we can draw from this enthusiastic reception is that there must still be much interest in our hybrid Peranakan culture. – from as far away as Spain, Paris, Germany, Texas, Australia and Malaysia according to our viewer data on Facebook. Our Baba and Nyonya diaspora has certainly spread wide and far.

Not only that, but we also have passionate supporters among our non-Peranakan members and friends as well.

We know because we have received complimentary notes and calls from many of you.

To our overseas viewers, we can only say: “Kamsiah (Thank you) for taking the time to keep in touch with us! Do take care and keep our culture alive too!”

And, to you, our loyal Singapore supporters: “You are the fuel for our torch. Kamsiah manyak manyak!”

A well-deserved thanks also to the Creative Director of GenerAsia Ltd, Baba Richard Tan, who wrote and produced the musical. He too received much positive mention in the feedback we received.

THE CHALLENGE

Our challenge must be to keep this interest in our culture burning if not at least lit.

In our fast-changing world, culture invariably will take a back seat in the contest for our time. For many of us, especially the young, it will be career before culture. It will be family and friends before culture. It will be being fashionable before culture. And so many other peer-group distractions before culture.

It seems to me, sometimes, that many of us do not really begin to appreciate our roots and heritage until we are past our mid-forties.

This is also borne out in the profile of our viewers, of the past two weeks, of Bibik Behind Bars, Kena Again!

Based on the viewing data of the video on our Facebook page alone, 70% were female over 65 years old, 25% were males over 65, and the remaining 5% were viewers aged between 13-64. We do not have viewer data for our YouTube channel.

OUR LEGACY

The above notwithstanding, our legacy must still be to identify, encourage and nurture our community’s young cultural torchbearers.

Also, to identify and nurture new leaders from among our young to represent and advance the community and TPAS.

The culture as our grandparents and parents know it and practised will gradually and inevitably drift away with the assault of modernity.

But, hopefully, we and the generations to come will be able to replace it with something new but faintly nostalgic and equally as unique that we can continue to call our own.

We can perhaps draw a golden strand from our past and weave it into the tapestry of our present, for the future.

In the process, we may just begin to light a growing pride in being Peranakan once again.

YOUR HELP NEEDED – GET US TO 1,000 SUBSCRIBERS

In our efforts to reach out to younger Peranakans and ignite their interest in our heritage, we have plans to share more engaging content related to Peranakan culture on our Association’s YouTube channel. Our channel currently has 774 subscribers.

In order to create Community Posts, we need to have a minimum of 1,000 subscribers. This will allow us to share other content related to Peranakan culture, among other additional functions that will make the channel more vibrant and useful a resource for all things Peranakan.

We appeal to you to please subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePeranakanAssociationSingapore

Please ask your friends and families to do so as well.

In the future, we also hope to create interesting content related to Peranakan culture for release on this channel. Subscribe to receive updates.

Many thanks to those who have already subscribed!

Selamat Sambot Hari Tua Seh Jit to our Association!

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
31 July 2020

The post Letter From Baba Colin Chee August 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Co-organised by the Association and the NUS Baba House

Join us for a virtual tour of the NUS Baba House, a beautifully restored, rare architectural gem in Singapore’s historic district of Blair Plain. Once the ancestral home of a Peranakan Chinese family, the Wees, the property was acquired by the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2006 with funds donated by Ms Agnes Tan in memory of her late father, the prominent Peranakan Chinese businessman and philanthropist, Sir Tun Tan Cheng Lock.

In 2007, the house was restored to showcase Peranakan Chinese material culture and aesthetics within a domestic setting. The interior takes visitors on an experiential trip into a Peranakan Chinese family home of the 1920s.

The NUS Museum, NUS Department of Architecture, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and The Peranakan Association Singapore were the main partners in this conservation project.

EVENT DATE: Saturday, 19 September 2020
TIME: 3pm – 4pm
PLATFORM: ZOOM (Details will be sent to those who register.)

There will be a live Question and Answer session after the tour with Danielle Sim, Assistant Manager (Outreach), NUS Baba House, and Dawn Marie Lee, a trained volunteer docent with the House since 2015.

This online event is exclusively for members of the Association.

To register, please email Nyonya Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg.

Please state your FULL name used in your membership registration

The post Enjoy a Virtual Tour of The NUS Baba House, 19 September 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

RISIS pays tribute to the Peranakans by putting a fresh spin on its tradition and translating them into timeless collections with contemporary pieces that still retain the very essence of its heritage. Each piece is a fine work of art and has been intricately designed to tell celebratory stories in honour of this fascinating culture. Unveiling a visual treat like no other, from tasteful blends of luxurious materials including semi-precious stones and jade to the emblems of Peranakan motifs, it definitely sparks a renewed interest in this heritage.

PRE-ORDER EXCLUSIVES JUST FOR YOU
ENJOY 5% OFF RISIS NEW Peranakan Moments Collection
Valid between 7th – 13th September 2020

RISIS presents Peranakan Moments, a collection ensemble with contemporary silhouettes, from the brilliantly curved open shank and beadwork rings that is stylishly stackable to necklaces with swinging pendants. Each piece is bejewelled with semi-precious gemstones.

Be the first to own it before it drops on 8^th October!

MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE DEAL

USE CODE TPAS10 for 10% discount OFF RISIS Collection

Nature-Inspired and Asian Heritage Jewellery | Artisanal Lifestyle Pieces
Every single piece of RISIS product is delicately handcrafted.
RISIS prides themselves on immortalizing real blooms into sophisticated pieces, preserving the best moments of nature forever.

The post Exclusive RISIS Specials for The Peranakan Association Singapore Members and Friends appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

COVID-19: Planning in Uncertain Times

As our government prudently opens up the Singapore economy, your General Committee (GC) has been busy deliberating on our next steps.

Our biggest challenge still is having to continually second guess the unseen around the corner, then calibrating and re-calibrating our plans.

The pandemic continues unabated in the USA, India, UK, Spain, France, South Korea, Hong Kong, and many other countries. Our only reliable planning assumption is that the COVID-19 virus is super resilient and completely unpredictable.

The Peranakan Ball 2021

We are still actively working towards having The Peranakan Ball as planned, on 15 May 2021.

However, we have laid other options on the table: outright cancellation, yet a second postponement, a virtual dinner, or even downsizing the number of guests to fit the permissible number.

The easiest is to cancel the Ball. But our nyonyas have been telling us about their newly tailored sarong kebayas and gowns, all ready to joget and have a ball with their kawan kawan!

Our key planning metric, therefore, is to not disappoint. As far as we can. You have so kindly stood by us. Kamsiah manyak manyak! We will do our level best not to let you down.

The 33rd Baba Nyonya Convention 2021

Even more challenging is planning the 33rd Baba Nyonya Convention, which we have also postponed for a year to 19-21 November 2021.

Will we be permitted to host nearly 500 delegates from the region by then?

Worse still, can we still hope to sell convention tickets in early 2021 to members from the 14 Peranakan associations in the Federation?

Especially if the current broadly negative sentiment and great uncertainty over border re-openings persist into March 2021, flight bans, high cost of airfares, mandated post-flight quarantines, restrictions on large public gatherings and safe distancing rules continue to take their toll.

To ensure safety and encourage participation, our energetic Head of Events, Nyonya Gwen Ong has been evaluating the feasibility of holding a downsized physical convention for Singapore delegates in tandem with a virtual event for regional delegates. We have been sounding out tech expertise to help organise a cross-border virtual event.

Of course, while planning for the worst, we are still holding tightly to the hope that the pandemic will be cleared by early 2021 so that we can push on with a full-scale event in November 2021 as planned.

Bibiks Behind Bars, Kena Again!

I never quite expected that streaming the high-definition (HD) video of a very niche musical called Bibiks Behind Bars, Kena Again! (BBBKA) on 16 August 2020 could be so well-received beyond our expectations.

Yet, the raucous staging of social-gambling bibiks in Joo Chiat and Katong, commissioned by The Peranakan Association Singapore five years back, was watched by nearly 8,000 viewers in its month-long livestream on TPAS YouTube and Facebook pages. The musical was streamed to celebrate our association’s 120th Anniversary on the next day.

We were heartened to receive donations totalling $2,218.12 from 11 well-wishers who generously responded to our very first online appeal for funds. To our kind donors, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Viewers also wrote in and called us. Among the many comments: “I loved the show very much! It was a good community effort to keep our culture growing and glowing!” “The first segment was nice and informative. Kudos to the Peranakan Association!” “What this show has done is to add another good brick to our Association’s reputation.” Thank you, all, for your thoughtful notes and compliments.

Our Tech Team, comprising Nyonyas Victoria Chanel Lee, Theresa Tan, Josephine Tan, Dawn Marie Lee and Baba Tony Tan, made the broadcast possible.

Behind the scenes was nerve-wracking. Nothing must go wrong. And nothing did! Right up to the early morning hours on the day of the live streaming, Victoria and her brother-in-law were working to iron out technical glitches. Kamsiah manyak manyak.

Particular thanks also to Baba Richard Tan, artistic director of GenerAsia Ltd, who initiated the collaboration with TPAS. Richard wrote and produced BBBKA in 2015 as a sequel to an earlier 2001 musical, Bibiks Behind Bars, also staged by TPAS with our choir, The Peranakan Voices.

Special thanks, to Baba GT Lye and Baba Chan Eng Thai for their specially composed pantons (see below) to commemorate several milestones – the TPAS anniversary, The Peranakan Voices 20th Anniversary, and Singapore’s 55 years of independence.

You can also watch them recite the pantons here on our Association’s YouTube Channel:

Finally, our thanks to the choir and General Committee members who ‘zoomed’ in to send their virtual well wishes on Singapore’s birthday.

TPAS 2020-2022 Roadmap and 120th Anniversary Magazine

The bumper anniversary issue of our beloved magazine, The Peranakan, should be on its way to TPAS members sometime in October.

In this issue, please take time to read about our roadmap for the upcoming term, the challenges we face, potential solutions, and the opportunities to showcase our culture.

In closing, may God bless you and your loved ones. Thank you for your continued support, keep safe and always watch for the glimmer that comes with each morning dewdrop!

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
30 September 2020

Two pantons composed in celebration of Singapore’s 55th Year of Independence

Panton by Baba GT Lye

Panton by Baba Chan Eng Thai

Panton by Baba Chan Eng Thai in celebration of The Peranakan Voices’ 20th Anniversary

The post Letter From Baba Colin Chee September 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

Are Cultures Pure?

Culture can be very exclusive to a community. It manifests the community’s symbols, language and literature, values, beliefs, behaviours, practices, food and artefacts.

Culture often clearly identifies or defines a community. It distinguishes one’s way of life. As a result, culture has an in-built capacity to differentiate and separate communities. 

Yet, can a culture be considered pure? Not since communities came into contact one with another, I think.

Do Cultures Unite or Divide?

When I shared this reflection among a few friends recently, one of them replied: “…culture (should) unite us, not divide us.” 

He took the words right out of my mouth.

Can culture unite us or divide us? 

I truly believe culture can be a very bright torch for inclusiveness if communities in one society are willing to celebrate their common and shared traits as well as the differences.

There are countries which have become successful melting pots of migrant communities and their respective cultures. For them, diversity is a rich stew from hundreds of years of trade, transmigration and acculturation. Even colonization.

Chinese Peranakan Culture

Our uniquely hybrid Baba and Nyonya* culture in Southeast Asia is a precious example. 

It has been in the making since the 15th century when Chinese traders first settled in the Malay kingdoms of Southeast Asia. They had come to the region to trade, chase dreams of riches, or simply to survive. 

Eventually putting down roots in their adopted homelands, they formed families with Malay women from the archipelago. The Peranakan Indians (who were mainly Hindus) and Jawi Peranakans (Muslim Indians) share the same acculturation process as the Chinese Babas and Nyonyas.

Below is an excerpt of my message to our Association members in the upcoming edition of our magazine, The Peranakan:

Our forefathers’ evolving culture was (and is) an amalgam of their homeland China with deep influences drawn from the Malay archipelago – Bugis, Batak, Balinese and more – whose women they married or were brought into their households from as far back as the 15th and 16th centuries. 

Less so, but just as evident, were the influences from the Indian, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British communities with whom they mingled and did business for over 500 years until the early 20th century. 

In a way, one could describe their heritage and customs as multi-cultural, from those early years.

Let Culture Unite Us, Not Divide Us

This acculturation could only have been possible with our forefathers’ pragmatic migrant attitude of “live and let live”.

It also helped that they were very likely open to diversity. They would have shared, adapted, and welcomed cultural transmissions while building a life for themselves and their families. 

They would have respected and been sensitive to the social sensibilities of especially their hosts, and everyone else who came to this region to trade. Just to get along.

As our Southeast Asian cultures mostly bear evidence of cross-fertilisation, in small and big ways, it should be easy for us to celebrate our commonalities as well as the differences. 

Better if we can come together in the spirit of gotong royong** to share, understand and be amenable. Then, we can all enjoy something richer and more binding. 

Let us respectfully learn from one another and live in harmony. Our world is too small for us to fret, to be disagreeable, and to want to live separately isolated one from the other. 

In the larger context of our little island, we are all Singaporeans. I have said this several times before.

Let culture unite us, not divide us.

Below are pantons specially composed in Baba Malay by Baba GT Lye for the Association. I humbly leave them with each of you, with much goodwill.

Kamsiah, Baba GT for the moving pantons, and my dear wife, Nyonya Linda Chee, for assisting in the translations.

Culture is Our Lifeline

For the Solidarity of our Nation

Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
30 October 2020

Click here to send Colin a note

NOTES
Baba is a reference to Chinese Peranakan men. It is an honorific term, of Persian origin, used as a loan-word in India and then in Indonesia and Malaya as a term of endearment for one’s grandfather, father or wise man.

Nyonya is a reference to Chinese Peranakan ladies. It is an honorific word used in Indonesia and Malaya to describe a foreign married lady. The word is likely borrowed from the Portuguese reference “dona” meaning lady.

Gotong royong is about sharing and mutual help among members of a community and/or society.

The post Letter From Baba Colin Chee October 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Join Dr Marc Rerceretnam, a historian studying the role of religion within colonial society in Singapore, in this talk where he elaborates on the historical convergences between the Straits Chinese community alongside the beliefs and practices of the Christian religion.

There will be a Q&A session after the talk.

Date : Saturday, 12 Dec 2020
Time : 3-5pm SINGAPORE TIME
Venue : Zoom

Registration closes on 5 Dec 2020. Zoom login details will be emailed to all registrants.

This event is open to the public.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please login to the Zoom event with the FULL NAME you used in your registration.

We will not admit unregistered participants or names not on the registration list.

UPDATE: All places fully booked. Registration closed.

About the Speaker

Dr Marc Sebastian Rerceretnam is a Sydney-based historian and research consultant. He has a Ph.D. (Economic History) from Sydney University. He has been affiliated with the Peranakan Association of NSW (Sydney) for many years. He specialises in a wide array of areas and has published extensively on the following topics: Singaporean community interaction with British colonial governments, the role of religion within colonial society, intermarriage in 19^th century Singapore, the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Singapore and, lastly, a series of research pieces on the history of an Australian sport.

Marc is a recipient of the 2019 Lee Kong Chian Fellowship, issued by the National Library Board. He is completing a research project on the formation of early Roman Catholic communities in Singapore, going back to the 1830s.

The post (UPDATE: All places fully booked. Registration closed.) Online Talk: Christianised Peranakan Communities in Early Singapore, Circa 1830-1900 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of the Association.)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

A HUNGER

There must be a deep hunger for Peranakan culture. I draw this conclusion from the more than enthusiastic responses I see on social media to things Peranakan.

Here are some examples.

Baba Alvin Oon’s audacious and edutaining two-day Virtually Peranakan Fest of 10 livestreaming sessions a week ago attracted nearly 40,000 views from around the world.

When The Peranakan Association Singapore together with GenerAsia, streamed in August a recording of its raucous 2015 musical, Bibik Behind Bars, Kena Again!, it garnered nearly 8,000 views worldwide.

A week ago, when TPAS announced its online talk: Christianised Peranakan Communities in Early Singapore, 1830-1900, its limited capacity of 100 pax rapidly maxed out within four hours of release, regrettably disappointing many who were late to register.

The stay-at-home convenience of Zoom and similar online meeting apps has led to a sudden blossoming of shared virtual experiences through webinars and meetings.

Other social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Snapchat are probably also stirring up interest among millennials.

Facebook alone has Peranakan-themed groups catering to fans of Peranakan culture – food and recipes, batik, jewellery, ceramics, furniture and other aspects of material culture, Baba Malay language and pantons, and genealogy amongst others.

We are very fortunate to have members of our community taking ownership of their culture and propelling it forward. They are also our flag-bearers!

And the Association’s FB page and Website have been attracting a quarter of a million views annually, a reflection of public interest in the culture.

A RETHINKING

This has led the General Committee (GC) to rethink how it can better harness technology to more effectively be a beacon for Peranakan culture, especially among the young.

The Association has for a long time pursued the following:
1. Presenting and propagating factual knowledge about the culture through its magazine, The Peranakan, talks and events.
2. Keeping its members and the public connected with what’s happening within the community.
3. Encouraging members to learn more about their family and community heritage.
4. Encouraging all who are passionate about things Peranakan to fully live our culture, make it relevant, and shape it to our lives and times. Only in this way can our living culture evolve, stay vibrant and be sustainable.

In relation to (2) and (4) above, the Association can build greater public awareness of our culture through our digital platforms – cultural initiatives and developments, talks, books, events, even experimentations within and around our community.

The challenge for us is this: How do we go about doing this without pretending to be arbiters for the culture, or being accused of conflict of interest, or worse, favouritism, and at the same time NOT be completely paralysed into inaction by an overarching concern for what people might think or say?

By using modern day communications tools, the Association, as a steward of the culture, can be a strong and positive champion.

Not necessarily alone, but always, as far and as much as possible, working with partners with a shared passion, or alongside them.

This is because we believe that no single organisation has a monopoly on good ideas, creativity, comprehensive skill sets, manning, material and funding resources. One association alone will never be able to organise everything for everyone.

But, at the very least, we can start by building greater awareness of interesting cultural initiatives that are happening around us.

THE PERANAKAN MAGAZINE, ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

I would like to apologise, on behalf of GC, for the delay in the publication of our 120th anniversary magazine The Peranakan. Due out in October, it has become a reluctant victim of COVID-19 and unplanned circumstances.

It should be out by this December, and we wish you happy reading when you have the bumper magazine in your hands! Much love and thought have gone into it.

Please take care and keep safe. Have a wonderful holiday season, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

God bless you all and your loved ones.

Colin Chee
Keeping the Culture Alive
30 November 2020

Click here to send Colin a note

The post Letter From Baba Colin Chee November 2020 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.