SINGAPORE - When Singapore was established as a trading port back in 1819, the British were keen to attract Arab traders to these shores. But small as their numbers were - a 1824 census showed that only 15 of Kampong Glam's more than 9,600 residents were Arab - they play a key role in Singapore's development, using their wealth to build mosques, organise funds, develop lands, and even contribute to the music culture here.
The exhibition was together over a year by a team of nine young Singaporeans, led by 34-year-old graduate student Syed Muhammad Hafiz. The exhibition launch, attended by President Halimah Yacob and her husband, was preceded by AN@S' presenting awards to nine students of Arab descent who have excelled.
Singapore is becoming Malaysia