Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed,
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Professor Tommy Koh,
Chairman, National Heritage Board
Mrs Lee Suet Fern,
Chairman, Asian Civilisations Museum
Excellencies and distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for inviting me to join you this evening at the launch of the exhibition Sumatra: Isle of Gold, a key event of the National Heritage Board’s Fokus Indonesia Festival.
2 This exhibition is part of the National Heritage Board’s ongoing efforts to engage the ASEAN region through its annual country festivals – starting with Vietnam in 2008, the Philippines last year, and now Indonesia. Fokus Indonesia provides Singaporeans and visitors the opportunity to get up close with the rich and diverse Indonesian culture and heritage.
3 The proximity of the two countries, the strong and longstanding bilateral relations, and the plentiful and wide-ranging attractions both countries possess have encouraged many Singaporeans to visit Indonesia, and vice versa. According to statistics, Singapore and Indonesia have consistently ranked among each others' top sources of visitor arrivals. In addition, many of us may have relatives, families, friends or colleagues from Indonesia, and Indonesian culture, heritage, cusine and traditions are familiar and much appreciated.
4 Our governments enjoy warm and substantive relations, and we work closely together bilaterally, and at international fora such as ASEAN and APEC, to advance common interests. On the economic front, our links are substantial. Since 2001, Singapore has consistently been among the top five investors in Indonesia. In 2009, bilateral trade was S$58.5 billion, and Singapore was Indonesia's largest foreign investor. Now, with this exhibition, we are also reminded of the ties – both historical and current – between Singapore and Sumatra.
5 The legendary connection between the two islands goes back to the 13th century. Accordingly to the Malayannals, the name Singapura was bestowed on our island by its founder Sri Tri Buana, or Sang Nila Utama, as he is known to most Singaporeans. He was a prince of the Srivijaya kingdom based in Palembang in Sumatra. Since then, there have been close trading ties between Singapura and the trading centres along the East coast of Sumatra. Some Peranakan families in Singapore can trace their ancestry to places such as Medan, Jambi, Palembang, Bangka Islands and Bengkulu. In the ACM’s Southeast Asia gallery, visitors can see a set of wedding garments, which was given to the museum by the family of Sultan Abdul Rahman, the last ruler of the Sultanate of Riau Lingga, who lived in Singapore in the early 20th century.
6 Today, Singapore and Sumatra remain close. To cite an example - earlier this month, Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo visited Meulaboh in Aceh to attend the handover ceremony of the Cut Nyak Dhien Meulaboh General Hospital, part of reconstruction projects pledged by the Singapore government to those most affected by the tsunami.
7 This exhibition Sumatra: Isle of Gold is made possible through ACM’s partnership with the National Museum of Indonesia, as well as the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden. Through this exhibition, we hope that more Singaporeans and visitors here will come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the past and present of this fascinating island. With its outstanding natural beauty, diverse cultural heritage and rich history, Sumatra has much to offer, both to travellers and to visitors at the ACM.
8 From beautiful Lake Toba in Medan in North Sumatra, the lush jungles of the Mentawai Islands and the verdant rice terraces of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra – Sumatra offers endless picturesque landscapes. Present-day Palembang, one of Indonesia’s oldest cities, was the seat of power for the Srivijaya kingdom, one of Southeast Asia’s greatest maritime empires. In his travel records, the famous Tang dynasty monk Yi Jing wrote about six months spent learning Sanskrit in Palembang, which was also an important centre of Buddhist learning.
9 This evening, we are delighted to be joined by our Indonesian friends both from overseas and from Singapore. Thank you for being a part of this event and for sharing your history, culture and heritage with us in Singapore.
10 It is now my pleasure to declare the exhibition open. Thank you.