Most Singaporean Malays are descended from different ethnic groups that are found throughout the
Malay Archipelago. Most notable are the indigenous tribes of the
Orang Laut, Local
Malays,
Javanese,
Boyanese,
Bugis,
Minangkabau,
Banjarese,
Sundanese, and
Bataks.
Orang Laut (Sea Nomads) According to Sopher (1977), the Orang Kallang,
Orang Seletar, Orang Selat and Orang Gelam were the
Orang Laut that lived in Singapore. The Orang Kallang (also called the Orang Biduanda Kallang) lived in the swampy areas in the Kallang River. They lived on boats and sustained their lives by fishing and collecting other materials from the forests. After 1819, they were relocated by Temenggong Abdul Rahman to the northern Singapore Straits at Sungai Pulau. In 1847 most of the Orang Kallang were wiped out by a smallpox epidemic. The Orang Seletar lived in the river swamps and the small islands surrounding mainland Singapore. They would often gather in the coastal areas, especially on the estuary of the Seletar River. They lived a nomadic lifestyle until the 1850s when they started living on land and followed the lifestyles of others living in Singapore. The Orang Selat lived in the harbour waters of Keppel Singapore. They were believed to have traversed the waters of Keppel Harbour since the early 16th century, making them one of the earliest settlers of the island. They sold fish and fruits to the trading vessels that passed the area. The Orang Gelam came from a tribe in
Batam Island. They were brought by the Temenggong of Johor together with a group of his followers to establish a settlement in the first decade of the 19th century. Many of the Orang Gelam who lived along the Singapore River served as boatmen for merchant ships while their womenfolk were fruit sellers on boats. The Orang Laut differed from the Malays in that they lived a nomadic lifestyle and lived at sea in their boats whereas the Malays lived in settlements in the villages on the land. One example of an Orang Laut is Mohammed Abdul Rahmah.
Malays proper (Johor–Riau) or village in Singapore. 1907. When Raffles came to Singapore, there were already hundreds of
indigenous Malays and Orang Laut living there. When Singapore became more developed and there were better economic opportunities, many Malays from
Johor,
Riau Islands,
Sumatra,
Penang and
Malacca came to Singapore. Many of these Malays lived in the towns and worked there. The census for 1931 showed that the total number of Malay men working here were as many as 11,290. Out of this number, 18% worked as fishermen and as many as 12% lived by farming the land. In the 1930s and 1950s, many Malay residents from Malaya were working in the British uniformed services. In 1957 alone, there were more than 10,000 Malays working in the uniform services because the British preferred them to the Javanese or
Malays from Indonesia (Betts, 1975:41; Djamour, 1959:5). However, during the period 1957–1970, most of them returned to Malaysia when their terms of services ended.
Javanese The largest Malay sub-group in Singapore are the
Javanese. They came from
Java in the
Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). In the 1931 Population Census, the number of Javanese in Singapore was 16,063. The 1981 Population Census, however, showed that they made up 6% of the Malay population. However, many Javanese had actually registered themselves as 'Malay'. It is likely that the actual percentage of the Javanese within the Malay population was much higher. An ethnographic study in 1990 estimated that approximately 50–60% of Singaporean Malays have at least some degree of Javanese ancestry. The Javanese came to Singapore in stages. In the mid-19th century, they came and worked as ironsmiths, leather makers as well as spice merchants and religious books dealers. There were also a group of Javanese printers and publishers in the Arab Street area. There were also a community of pilgrim brokers that played an important role in encouraging the migration of the Javanese to Singapore. There are many Singapore's area and neighborhoods that has Javanese names such as
Kampong Java,
Radin Mas, Kampong Pachitan, Kampong Wak Hassan, Kampong Kembangan, and others. being served in Singapore. Quintessentially Javanese in origin, the dish is now known as part and parcel of Singaporean Malay cuisine, reflecting the visible Javanese ancestry of many Malays in the republic. The political situation in the Dutch East Indies created by the Dutch government caused many Javanese to go through Singapore to travel to
Mecca to perform the
Hajj. From the mid-19th century until 1910, between 2,000 and 7,000 Javanese travelled to Mecca through Singapore until the regulations were eased (Roff 1967:39). Usually, these pilgrims would work in Singapore for several months or years before or after performing the hajj to earn money or pay their debts to their pilgrim brokers. Many of them stayed in Singapore and became part of the Muslim community in the city (Roff, 1967:43). A number of Javanese also came to Singapore with the help of the pilgrim brokers. They came voluntarily and a majority of them were young men who stayed in the lodgings of the pilgrim brokers until they found work. They worked as food sellers, gardeners and provided labour for the pilgrim brokers to build lodging homes for them. The pilgrim brokers also took in bonded labourers who worked for Malay or Javanese employers to clear forests to set up settlements in
Johor, Malaya (Roff, 1967:37). The activities with these bonded labourers continued until the 1920s. From 1886 till 1890, as many as 21,000 Javanese became bonded labourers with the Singapore Chinese Protectorate, an organisation formed by the British in 1877 to monitor the Chinese population. They performed manual labour in the rubber plantations. After their bond ended, they continued to open up the land and stayed on in Johor. After the Second World War, the total number of Javanese coming to Singapore continued to increase. The first wave consisted of conscript labour that was brought by the Japanese and their numbers were estimated to be about 10,000 (Turnbull, 1976:216). The second wave were those who moved to Singapore through Malaya. The 1970 Population Census showed that a total of 21,324 Malays who were born in Malaya (later Malaysia) had moved to Singapore in the years 1946–1955, and as many as 29,679 moved to Singapore from 1956–1970 (Census 1970:262-3). Interviews conducted showed that a majority of them were young men of Javanese descent from Johor who wanted to find a better life in Singapore. Most of them were not educated and not highly skilled and worked as manual labourers in the post-war years. In the 2010 census, Malays of Javanese descent numbered 89,000.
Sundanese Just like their more populous Javanese neighbors, the
Sundanese also have diaspora in Singapore. However, their numbers are limited, even small. Most of them prefer to identify as Malays of Javanese descent due to the Javanese dominance there owing to frequent intermariages as well as cultural assimilation. Their original territory came from the western part of
Java in
Indonesia which currently includes
West Java,
Banten,
Jakarta and a western part of
Central Java (
Brebes and
Cilacap). The number was around 500 to 600 people in 2003. However, most of them are no longer of pure Sundanese descent many are mixed with other Malay races. Most of the Sundanese people come from East Priangan, such as
Tasikmalaya,
Majalengka,
Garut and
Ciamis, mainly working as traders. There are also some from West Priangan and
Banten, such as from
Bandung,
Bogor,
Karawang and
Purwakarta, most of whom previously worked as government employees during the colonial era.
Boyanese The
Boyanese originally came from the
Bawean Island in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day
Indonesia). They built the Kampung Boyan (Boyanese Village) by the banks of the Rochor River, between Jalan Besar and Syed Alwi Road since the time of
Munshi Abdullah. Most of them came to Singapore in the late 19th century until the end of Second World War. The majority of them worked as horse cart drivers and later as motorcar drivers. They could not be considered poor as their lands in Bawean were fertile; they had come in search of cash earnings. They wanted to purchase jewellery made of gold and goods that they could bring back to their villages. Some also wanted to build a better life for themselves in Singapore. Most of them were young men who came and supported themselves, living in communal houses. There were several such houses built in Singapore. They were found in places like Adam Communal House in Ann Siang Hill, Teluk Dalam Communal House in Dixon Road and Dedawang Communal House in Sophie Road. There was also a village within the town area that was inhabited by the Baweanese called Kampung Kapur (literally 'Lime Village') in the western part of Kampung Boyan (Boyan Village). A mosque called the Masjid Bawean Kampung Kapur (Bawean Mosque of Lime Village) located at Weld Road was built in 1932. There was also a communal house that became the gathering point for writers and their friends from the literary group called Jejak Kembara (literally 'Wanderers' Steps') in the late 1970s. By the time of the first census in 1824, there were 1,951 Bugis recorded in Singapore, over 18% of the island's population of 10,683. Many Bugis pioneers and historical figures are buried in
Jalan Kubor Cemetery.
Minangkabau The
Minangkabau people came from Western
Sumatra. The Minangkabau people are known for their matrilineal social system and their tradition for travelling. They would leave their homes and travel in search of work, knowledge and experience. They would usually return home once they had fulfilled their objective. This tradition of travelling was a rite of passage for the young Minangkabau men and was considered a way for them to be in touch with the outside world. The Minangkabau people have been migrating to Malaysia and Singapore since long ago. In the 19th century, the cross-strait traders from
Payakumbuh and
Tanah Datar of
Minangkabau Highlands brought agricultural products from the interior of Sumatra to be sold at the port of Singapore. In the first half of 20th century, the majority of Minangkabau people who came to Singapore came from Pariaman and Agam in Western Sumatra. This only stopped when Malaya achieved independence from the British in 1957, when the immigration laws were tightened. The majority of they were engaged in business, apart as religious teachers and politician. They sold religious items, toys and clothes in Arab Street and Geylang. Another
Minang business that is quite well-known in Singapore is the Padang restaurant that sells
Nasi Padang. The Minangkabau people even formed an association at one time but this was subsequently banned during the 1962–66
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. Then in 1995, they established the Singapore Minangkabau Association with a mission to preserve and promote the Minangkabau culture in Singapore. After Singapore became an independent state in 1965, the majority of Minangkabau people either migrated to Malaysia or returned to Sumatra. Those who stayed in Singapore assimilated into the Malay community. Not many Minangkabaus brought their wives or women with them to Singapore. As such, many married the local Malay women and did not maintain strong ties with the other Minangkabau communities. By 1973, it was estimated that there were 200 Minangkabau families in Singapore and almost all of them were Singaporean residents.
Banjarese The
Banjarese originated from the southern and eastern coast of
Kalimantan in Borneo. Most came from
Banjarmasin in the area surrounding the Barito basin. These areas were used for the cultivation of paddy. The Banjarese who migrated to the Malay Peninsula were farmers who were experienced in paddy cultivation. They also migrated to spread Islam to the region, to escape poverty and the oppressive Dutch rule of their homeland. Some also wanted to escape the presence of wild animals that threatened their farms in Kalimantan. The Banjarese generally did not like to be employees. They preferred to be self-employed, working as either farmers or businessmen. The Banjar were also well known as jewel cutters and dealers in the region. Many came to Singapore to deal in the jewellery trade and had their shops in Arab Street. They even formed a Kalimantan Association in Singapore. The Banjarese made up a very small percentage of the Malay population in Singapore. In 1931, they numbered 445 out of a total Malay population of 65,104 (0.7%). In 1947, they formed only 0.3% of the population. This dropped to 0.2% in 1957 and 0.1% in 1970. By 1980 and 1990, the total numbers could not be determined, probably because the Banjarese have effectively assimilated into the Malay community.
Bataks The
Bataks are the smallest Malay group in
Singapore. Up to 1978, there were fewer than 350 Bataks in Singapore. Unlike other Malay groups that are predominantly Muslim, the Bataks are largely
Christians, including
Lutherans and
Seventh-Day Adventists. The Bataks had been coming to Singapore before the twentieth century, though little is known about those who arrived in the 19th century and before World War II. Most were young men in their twenties from the
Toba,
Mandailing and
Angkola people groups. The Bataks came to Singapore for economic, educational and social reasons. Many who arrived before the War had received their primary education in Batak and Malay. Some continued their studies in private and Christian schools, such as those supported by the Seventh-day Adventist organisation, which in 1915 encouraged Batak families from Sipirok, Angkola and Pematang Siantar in Sumatra to send their children to Singapore. English education was especially prized as it provided access to white-collar jobs on plantations in Eastern Sumatra owned by the Dutch and Americans. After completing their education, many returned home, while some married and brought their wives to Singapore. The Batak Christians were the first to introduce this practice. Most Bataks who arrived before World War II worked as gardeners, peons and manual labourers. During the Japanese Occupation, they were conscripted as foot soldiers or forced labourers, and some received military training in Singapore. After the War, many returned home, while others came from places such as
Medan,
Palembang and the
Riau Islands. Some found work as clerks, storekeepers or business partners with non-Bataks, while others joined the British army in roles such as soldiers, technicians and electricians. Some adopted Malay identity to gain access to military service or employment. In 1947, Bataks in Singapore formed the welfare organisation
Saroha ("one heart"), which aimed to support the community. The organisation lasted until 1954 and was briefly revived in 1958 but ultimately disbanded. Since then, most Bataks and their descendants have assimilated into the Malay community and identify as Malays. ==Ethnic composition of Malay population 1931–1990==