SINGAPORE - Growing up, Mr Morni Sulaiman's Baweanese grandparents would speak the Malay sub-ethnic dialect at home but converse in Malay with neighbours who were Javanese.
As a young child unaware of the difference between languages, it was not until Mr Morni - who is now 78 - started schooling and read his birth certificate that he became conscious of which sub-ethnic group he is from.
"It was indicated on my birth certificate as 'Baweanese', so I realised that there are Baweanese, Javanese and also people from other Malay sub-ethnic groups like those from Malacca and Perak," said the retiree, who used to work in banking, on Friday (March 25).
While he did not live in a ponthuk - a communal house that is unique to the Baweanese - visits to his relatives' ponthuk exposed him more to the Baweanese dialect, and he picked it up.
Mr Morni was speaking about sub-ethnic Malay identities, alongside others at a panel representing five sub-groups - Baweanese, Minangkabau, Javanese, Bugis and Banjarese.
Members of the five groups have worked with the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) on exhibitions and programmes to showcase their social history and cultural heritage as well as unpack the diversity of Singapore's Malay community through the centre's Se-Nusantara series.
The first exhibition, on Baweanese culture, was launched in March 2014 at the MHC, which is managed by the National Heritage Board (NHB) in partnership with the Malay Heritage Foundation.
Friday's panel came as the centre launched a Malay and English commemorative publication to celebrate its collaboration with the five sub-ethnic communities under the Se-Nusantara series.
It was an occasion for the centre's staff as well as the communities they have worked with to take stock of efforts to share heritage through exhibitions, tours, performances and other programmes since MHC reopened in September 2012 after a 16-month refurbishment.
The centre will close for a scheduled revamp for at least two years after July this year.
Mr Morni, who has been part of the Persatuan Bawean Singapura (Baweanese Association of Singapore) since 2006, said his involvement with the Baweanese exhibition as well as visiting the exhibitions showcasing the different sub-groups have enriched him culturally and linguistically.
"Baweanese and Javanese are seldom used now, hopefully MHC will encourage more sub-ethnic groups to come forward and contribute, so that future generations will not forget what shaped us," he added.
Ms Faridah Jamal, 59, a music instructor and conductor who is Banjarese, said being Singapore's smallest sub-ethnic community, they would not have been able to showcase their heritage on a large scale without the MHC's initiative.
Her sister Fauziah Jamal, 65, a freelance interpreter and translator, added that recounting stories told by their grandmother for the Banjarese exhibition and its related programmes has reminded her of the importance of recording family history.
Malay Heritage Foundation chairman Norshahril Saat said moving forward, he hopes the MHC will explore working with groups from peninsular Malaysia, and others such as Jawi Peranakans and Hadhramis.
Dr Norshahril, a senior fellow at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, urges the MHC to look into developing more oral history content, which he said is an important form of documentation.
He added that Malay intangible cultural heritage practices should also be better tracked to boost education and transmission efforts.
"We need to encourage a community to come forward and share their stories. Not only about culture, language or food, but also placemaking - what different localities in Singapore mean (to the various communities)," he said.
Echoing his sentiments, NHB chairman Yeoh Chee Yan said the rich cultural diversity of Singapore's Malay society is not widely known in the nation and the region, perhaps "due in part to the lack of documentation and representation".
She added that the social histories and cultural heritage of the Malay community are "one of the most important motifs in the rich tapestry of cultures that make Singapore a much-loved home for all of us".
Mr Faezan Redwan, 38, a Javanese gamelan music practitioner, hopes that the revamped MHC will continue to champion Malay performing arts and provide artistes with a platform to showcase their talent.
Mr Morni said it will be important for the centre to tap technology to reach younger audiences. He suggests recreating scenes and environments from the past using digital tools so that they can experience life from the perspective of their ancestors.
The commemorative publication, titled Se-Nusantara: Our Stories, A Shared Heritage, comprises nine articles written by community partners and MHC staff. It retails at the centre for $55.
