Staying true to its name, the NTU Malay Language and Cultural Society (NTU MLCS) strives to explore a holistic approach on the Malay language and culture, through various artistic means. As part of its mission, NTU MLCS aims to expand its reach and present a cultural festival titled Rentak Budaya as one of the efforts to combine Malay entertainment, culture and heritage in one event.

 

Rentak Budaya (RB) is a biennial event in collaboration of the Malay Heritage Centre which is inclusive of collective performances with other tertiary institutions mainly the ITEs, polytechnics and other universities. It is a public event held inclusive of collective performances with other institutions.

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2019 marks the third installation of RB and the theme was “Akulah Melayu” (I am Malay). The theme aims to increase the awareness of the various Malay ethnic group that exist in Singapore. A plethora of performances and cultural booths was held to bring awareness regarding the 5 main ethnic groups: Bawean, Javanese, Bugis, Minangkabau and Banjar. As part of Singapore’s bicentennial commemoration, the performances lined up also included our 200 years of history together with the current achievements and also future aspirations for the community.

 

Addition to the performances, there are also informative and interactive booths whereby visitors could visit to learn more about the various ethnic groups. Activities such as, costume testing, food tasting, cultural arts and even learning the basic dialect were included in the various activity booths. There were also food stalls for local businesses and for visitors to munch on while enjoying the plethora of performances that were in store for them.