Celebrate Hari Raya With Malay Heritage Centre's #LastKopekRayaFest

From 27 to 29 May 2022, revel in the festivities of Syawal at the Malay Heritage Centre’s (MHC) annual Hari Raya Open House!

This year’s celebrations, titled #LastKopekRayaFest, will be taking place both onsite and online, serving up a plethora of programmes and activities to engage in. 

With the Open House being the last edition before MHC presses the pause button for a centre revamp, visitors can expect an energetic, big bang “last kopek” (“last stretch”) weekend with entertaining live performances, vibrant art installations, fun drop-in craft workshops, storytelling sessions fit for the family and many more.

Here are some highlights that you and your family can look forward to:

#LastKopekRayaFest Launch Party

Venue: MHC Lawn
Date: 27 May 2022
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm
Fee: Register here (on first-come-first-served basis)

Join us for the launch of #LastKopekRayaFest as we celebrate MHC’s last Hari Raya Open House before taking a break for revamp. Be treated to two exciting performances that are not to be missed.

Opening the evening will be choral group Firqatul Wannazam, showcasing the dynamism of hadrah (a traditional Malay percussive & choral artform). The performance puts forward veteran members of Firqatul Wannazam 1921 who were active in the 70s to the 90s. This special item will feature a popular Hari Raya song set to a familiar hadrah rhythm, that was popular during their kampong days.

Following that, Malay traditional band Nobat Kota Singa will dazzle you with a keroncong Jazz concert, serenading audiences with classic keroncong songs and renditions of popular Hari Raya songs to get you in the best mood to celebrate Hari Raya.

Fesyen Forward

Photo Credit: Hafizah Jainal

Venue: MHC Courtyard
Date: Ongoing till 29 May 2022
Time: 10am to 9pm
Fee: Free admission

Imagine being a Malay woman in the 1950s and 60s living in the time of tea dances and the golden age of Malay cinema. What would you look like – and how would you dress? Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of eight different women through bold illustrations by illustrator, designer and visual artist Hafizah Jainal. From fashionable kebayas to demure baju kurung – pick the baju to suit your personality!

For more information, visit this link.

Kisah Raya Ramdan

Photo Credit: Mini Monsters Limited

Venue: MHC Auditorium
Date: 28 & 29 May 2022
Time: 11am to 12pm (English) | 2pm to 3pm (Malay)
Fee: $15 per parent-child pair | $5 per additional pax | Register here (on first-come-first-served basis)

Join storyteller and bilingual author, Rilla Melati, in this 60-minute storytelling programme based on her latest 2022 children’s festive tale picture book. Follow the story of Kisah Raya Ramdan, as a boy named Ramdan commemorates a very special Hari Raya!

Listen attentively to the story and participate in the pop quiz segment where children can stand a chance to win prizes. To complete this interactive experience, each pair of adult and child will work together to make their very own kuih paperweight and learn simple Malay phrases at the end of the session.

The programme is recommended for children aged 4 to 7 years.

Riang Ria Raya

Venue: MHC Lawn
Date: 28 May 2022
Time: 8.30pm to 9pm | 9.30pm to 10pm
Fee: Free admission

Riang Ria Raya is a joyous celebration, bringing people together after a successful fasting month. This 30-minute performance emphasises the importance of maintaining good relations with each other and to remember the value of being part of a community!

A collaborative effort between two Malay dance groups, DIAN Dancers and Mak Mak Menari (M3), Riang Raya Ria promises a day of singing to familiar Hari Raya tunes and tapping to iconic dance repertoires.

Resonance of Hari Raya

Photo Credit: Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts

Venue: MHC Lawn
Date: 29 May 2022
Time: 8.30pm to 9pm | 9.30pm to 10pm
Fee: Free admission

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the month of celebration, where Muslims all around the world celebrate after a month-long devotion to worship, self-purification and doing charitable deeds. From the very young to the old, this is also the time where they will visit, reconnect and seek forgiveness for past misdeeds.

The performance hopes to showcase those aspects, by performing evergreen Hari Raya songs such as, Pulanglah – an emotional song suited for this occasion – to Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza’s traditional but fast paced and popular song, Cindai.

Craft Workshop: Block Printing on Pouch

Venue: MHC Courtyard
Date: 28 & 29 May 2022
Time: Various timings 
Fee: $12 | Register here (on first-come-first-served basis)

In this workshop, you will learn the concept of block printing, the design considerations, fabric printing techniques and get to try your hand at wood block printing inspired by the collections from MHC’s ongoing Special Exhibition, Cerita (Stories).

Print seamless patterns or random repeats, pair different colours to create your very own colour scheme – think 2-3 complementary colours that go together – or if you’re feeling adventurous, go for contrasting schemes and make a statement!

At the end of the workshop, you’ll get to bring back a pouch that you printed yourself!

This workshop is suitable for ages 6 years and above. Parental supervision is required for children aged between 6 to 9 years.

Craft Workshop: Die Cut Raya Envelopes

Photo Credits: Malay Heritage Centre (unless otherwise stated)

Venue: MHC Courtyard
Date: 28 & 29 May 2022
Time: 12pm to 5pm
Fee: Free admission (Drop-in activity)  

Wow! A totally cool Raya envelope which can change colours, totally magical! This workshop allows you to customise your very own Raya envelope with decorative and colourful motifs, sparkles and border punchers to create different designs. Get creative and challenge yourself to make your own unique designs.

This workshop is suitable for ages 6 years and above. Parental supervision is required for children aged between 6 to 9 years.

For more heritage offerings online, you may also check out MHC's Facebook page.