Singaporeans Visit Batam For History Lesson
A group of students from Singapore, recently visited Batam to discover their own history! They made the short ferry ride in to look at original Malay design houses.
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Malay Limas Potong
To get the best example of this type of house design, they went to Kampung Melayu in Nongsa. Located there is the Malay Limas Potong house design.
Why? You may ask. “Well this particular house style no longer exists in Singapore”, said their guide from Batam’s tourism office.
Also in the group were students from China and India. They were also seeking to study and understand the local customs. They noted that many household items and even events such as wedding ceremonies were also still heavily influenced by Malay culture.
The Limas Potong house is managed and cared for by the the local Batam government. They are actually in ongoing talks to place the structure in the hands of local authorities. This is so that they can create a center for local tourist education. The tour guide said the house was already open to anyone that wished to go and see it. Plans were also being drawn with local travel agents to provide tours.
At the Batam Mayors Office
Prior to visiting the house, the students went to the Mayors office to get a taste of the Malay language assisted by the deputy mayor. He was quick to point out that their national anthem is actually still sung in Bahasa Malay.
The group was then given a taste of Malay food, as well as an overview of Batam and its incredibly quick growth in the past 30 years.
They were though, surprised to discover that Batam’s official anniversary is December 18 celebrating time dating back to 1829. Not only that, but Batam’s population of over 1.3 million was a point they found astonishing.
Food shopping and Tourism
The tour guides and deputy mayor were keen to point out the diversity of places to visit in Batam as well as the many different types of food available. The students were keen to take the guides up on their suggestions. Visits to Abang Island, seafood tasting at a kelong and some shopping at Nagoya Hill for layer cakes, snacks and Batik was good advice.
This is the fourth official visit to Batam this year from Singapore. The relationship between the islands continue to get stronger.
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