Archival Interviews that mention Orang Seletar
Temah binti Tok & Paul Teo, 1986
- Temah binti Tok herself was Orang Seletar
- Paul Teo was Temah’s Chinese husband
- 3 reels of interview from the National Archives of Singapore
- 1st https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/7ffc2d74-115f-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=temah&keywords-type=all
- 2nd https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/f5d9f167-115d-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=temah&keywords-type=all
- 3rd https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/8005e4cf-115f-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=temah&keywords-type=all
- The main observations based on the interviews can be found in Mariam (2002), specifically p. 287 on the dichotomy between the Orang Seletar and their Malay counter parts: The Seletar lived in boats, move around, didn’t wear clothes (in the earlier times), not Muslims, dirty, kept dogs, gather shellfish and crabs for exchange, eat, sleep, defecate in the boats. Have their own language/dialect
- The same person (Temah) was mentioned in this newspaper article : 1981. 2 families who have turned their backs on city life https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19811227-1.2.36 and this Malay article Orang Seletar hampir lesap ditelan zaman https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/beritaharian19811227-1.2.22
- 1st reel summary
- Becik (one of the son’s of Batin Nentah, i.e. Batin Buruk’s brother. Buruk and Becik were brothers.) was Temah’s bapak saudara (paternal uncle)
- Paul was probably talking to another person at the back (probably the second interviewer)
- Temah does some translation of Seletar expressions/words (like verbs for eating, coming)
- There is another person other than Temah and Mariam, by the acronym MY, who is also Seletar
- ***In the transcript, there is the written word tian (=datang in Malay). The correct spelling is kian. Kian can also mean a welcoming party or a jamuan (according to my interviewees in Simpang Arang in 2019)
- 2nd Reel
- MY is Mak Yam/Mak Yang. Tinggal di sungai landas (Lives in Sungai Landas). Mak Yam is an aunt of Temah on her mother’s side. Mak Yam’s father is Nendah who is father of Becik. Becik’s siblings are Mak Yam and Temah’s mother (named Cocot/Kecot)
- Mak Yam says her father is orang melayu, her mother is orang seletar (Nentah is orang melayu?? Now remember, in this context orang melayu probably means orang laut that are islamicised or simply orang laut of the Southern islands)
- Wak Taha – relative
- Children of Temah: Michael, Robert, William, Roney, Haleena, Tina
- [my own interviews with relatives of Temah: Additional comments about Temah and Mak Yam according to Tanai]
- Temah is Minah’s and Roman’s eldest paternal aunt (大姑)
- Temah’s family lived in Kampung Tiram?
- Temah binti Tok (Tok being Temah’s dad, and Minah and Roman’s Grandfather)
- Temah died in Telok Kabung
- A daughter of Temah lives in Simpang Arang
Abdullah bin Ahmad, 1984
- https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/f0d5e00b-115d-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=orang seletar&keywords-type=exact
- time: 13:03 – 24:30 talks about Seletar
- Sighted near Tanjung Surat.
- 23:38 their language: Malay people cannot understand.
- The Seletar don’t go to Tekong, they just pass by.
Hassan bin Abdul Hamid, 1985
- https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/f5e4ed58-115d-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=orang seletar&keywords-type=exact
- from transcript (p, 10-11 / 50) The language of the Orang Kallang and Seletar are similar
Awang Bin Osman (Reel 30), 1985
- from transcript (p.1)
- Orang Seletar = Orang Laut = Orang Guduk Laut
- (Orang Gudu also mentioned in Name Variations)
Orang Seletar Digital Resource 