Pesta Raya 2025: Celebrate the best of Malay arts and culture with Esplanade
Here is a closer look at the main attractions, from a landmark theatre production from Cultural Medallion recipient Atin Amat to a celebration of a pop icon's body of work. PHOTOS: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY
Pesta Raya 2025: Celebrate the best of Malay arts and culture with Esplanade
SINGAPORE – The Esplanade's Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts has become a fixture of Hari Raya festivities after more than two decades.
Its 24th edition, to be held from May 9 to 12, will showcase the best of Malay arts and culture. Besides ticketed shows, there will be free programmes at the arts centre's various spaces.
Look out for Pesta Pasar, the biggest outdoor marketplace to date at the festival with more than 35 stalls curated from the region in collaboration with Me-You Market.
Here is a closer look at the main attractions, from a landmark theatre production from Cultural Medallion recipient Atin Amat to a celebration of a pop icon's body of work.
Teater Kami's Salina travels back to 1950s kampung
Ariati Tyeb Papar and Fir Rahman star in Teater Kami's staging of Salina.
PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY
Director and playwright Atin Amat has hung on to the set of the 1950s kampung drama Salina for more than 30 years. The set will be reused in the restaging of her adaptation of the Malay-language novel as part of Pesta Raya 2025 – Malay Festival of Arts from May 2 to 4.
Theatregoers who caught Teater Kami's stagings of Salina in 1993 and 1997 will thus recognise bits of Kampung Kambing (or Goat Village in Malay) at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The props will include trinkets the Cultural Medallion recipient salvaged from the bygone Sungei Road Thieves Market and a tempayan (stoneware jar) from her old kampung home.
In Salina, the story's titular protagonist fights to survive in the aftermath of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore. Forced to become a sex worker while supporting her unemployed lover, Salina lives in a squatter village converted from a goat pen where 'the walls are thin and the roofs are leaky', a setting Atin has tried to recreate faithfully.
READ MORE HERE
Malaysian songwriter Habsah Hassan started her music career in Singapore
A concert featuring songs by Malaysian lyricist Habsah Hassan will be held at the Esplanade Concert Hall.
PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY
It is apt that the first concert dedicated to the songs of Malaysian songwriter Habsah Hassan, who has written lyrics to more than 1,000 songs sung by stars such as Siti Nurhaliza, will be held in Singapore.
Held at the Esplanade Concert Hall on May 2, Dari Sudut Hati, Habsah Hassan (From The Heart Of Habsah Hassan) features Malay pop veterans and her frequent collaborators such as Jamal Abdillah, Rahimah Rahim and Salamiah Hassan singing the hits Habsah wrote in the last five decades.
'I'm very moved by the fact there will be a concert of my songs held in Singapore because that was where I started writing,' the 75-year-old tells The Straits Times in a recent Zoom interview from her home in Kuala Lumpur.
READ MORE HERE
Hafidz Rahman goes beyond comedy with one-man show about Bollywood obsession
Singaporean performer Hafidz Rahman plays a Malay man obsessed with all things Bollywood in My Name Is (Not) Khan.
PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY
Singaporean social media personality and performer Hafidz Rahman is best known for skits during which he plays characters such as Bonda Bedah, the middle-aged Malay woman with an acid tongue.
For his next live performance, a monologue titled My Name Is (Not) Khan, he will debut a new character – Harith, a Malay man obsessed with all things Bollywood.
Despite his reputation for comedy, Hafidz says the audiences should not go into the performance, which is staged in English, and expect a stand-up show.
'It's a very fun show, but it is not a stand-up comedy set,' he tells The Straits Times, adding that the performances explore themes of Bollywood, race, microaggressions, meritocracy and racism.
READ MORE HERE
Indonesian choreographer Hartati revisits history
Dancers will move through paddy hay and interact with it in Indonesian choreographer Hartati's work, Jarum Dalam Jerami.
PHOTO: ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY
The last time Indonesian choreographer Hartati, 59, was in Singapore, it was for the grand opening of the Esplanade in 2002.
She was the choreographer for the then-Singapore Dance Theatre's Reminiscing The Moon, which was directed by celebrated Indonesian dancer Boi G. Sakti for the opening festival.
'It was fascinating,' Hartati, who goes by only one name, says of the project. 'I took my three-year-old daughter to stay in Singapore for 1½ months with the team.'
READ MORE HERE
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
9 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Malaysian woman apologises to 11-year-old daughter for 'only' spending $300k on her birthday, Malaysia News
A Malaysian influencer has apologised to her daughter for 'only' spending RM1 million (S$303,000) on her 11th birthday, drawing criticism from netizens. In a video posted to Farhana Zahra's TikTok account on Monday (June 2), she documented the elaborate celebration and also apologised for the amount she'd spent for the special day. "This is all mum can afford. Mum only spent 1 million for this birthday," she wrote in the clip. At the start of the video, Farhana, who has over 1.8 million followers on the social media platform, is seen walking down the stairs holding two of her daughters as photographers snap photos and guests cheer. Midway through, she presents her daughter with gifts, which included a brand-new Apple desktop computer and a Rolex watch. Behind the family stands a large banner adorned with pink balloons. But the surprises didn't end there. Toward the end of the video, her daughter, Yaya, is gifted with a black Toyota multi-purpose vehicle, prompting a heartfelt hug between mother and daughter. @farhanazahra91 Selamat ulang tahun Yaya yang ke 11 tahun, besar da anak mama, semoga cita-cita untuk menjadi business women berjaya menjadi kenyataan 🥺 #farhanazahra91 #farhanazahra #cikna ♬ original sound - Farhana Zahra Former driver gifted a brand-new Mercedes In a separate video, Farhana, who's reportedly a beauty and lifestyle brand founder, surprised a special guest — her daughter's former driver — with a brand-new luxury car as part of the birthday celebrations. The red Mercedes-Benz was unveiled after being delivered to the car porch by a trailer truck, drawing the attention of party guests. Farhana then expressed her gratitude to the driver, who had worked for the family for two years, and gifted him the car. She also wished him success in his career as a technician and expressed hope that the gift would support his future journey. In the comments section of the post, several netizens have criticised the lavish spending, with some questioning the mother's parenting style. One commenter wrote, "Even 10 ringgit, if given sincerely from a mother's heart, is more meaningful than spending 1 million just to show off for content." Another said the gesture felt emotionally conflicting, adding: "I don't know if I should be happy or sad, but either way, this doesn't seem like the right way to raise a child." One commenter also chided: "I know you're a successful founder, but don't say 'only one million.' It might be a small amount to you, but to others, it's a lot." Both videos have since garnered over three million views and more than 196,000 likes combined. [[nid:687329]]
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Malaysian entrepreneur apologises for spending only $300k on daughter's 11th birthday
Ms Farhana Zahra (left) also gave her 11-year-old daughter an Apple computer, a Rolex watch and a Toyota Vellfire multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). PHOTOS: SCREENGRABS FROM FARHANAZAHRA91/TIKTOK A Malaysian entrepreneur has come under fire after revealing that she spent RM1 million (S$303,700) to throw a lavish birthday for her 11-year-old daughter, and apologised for not spending more. Besides a celebration that featured balloons and cakes, Ms Farhana Zahra, who runs a beauty and dietary supplement business, also gave her daughter extravagant gifts. Among them were an Apple computer, a Rolex watch and a Toyota Vellfire multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). 'Forgive mama, this is all I could afford to give you. I only spent RM1 million for this birthday,' she posted in a June 3 TikTok video, which has since gone viral with over 2.2 million views. She also wished that her daughter's dream of becoming a businesswoman will come true. The video opened with her, her husband and three daughters all dressed up in matching black outfits descending a grand staircase. They stepped onto a stage outside the house where they and the assembled guests sang 'Happy birthday' to her eldest daughter, whom she called Yaya, before the unveiling of the gifts. Ms Farhana said Yaya's wishes are fulfilled on an almost daily basis, leaving her unsure of what else to give to the little girl, adding that she hoped the 'little gifts' will make her happy. The video and Ms Farhana use of the word 'only' to describe the amount she spent, did not go down well with netizens, who accused her of flaunting her wealth and trying to gain attention. 'Not to be rude, but trying very hard to show off,' a netizen with the handle Aiman said. Another netizen, Mono, said: 'That's not the right way to raise a daughter... I think you're overreacting and trying too hard.' Others noted the impracticality of the gifts, especially the car, given that the girl is still too young to drive. '(I) need to know the logic of giving cars to a child... They can't even drive, no they're not even going to drive knowing they can afford (to hire) drivers,' said a netizen with the handle Njwa. In another follow-up video, Ms Farhana also surprised her child's former driver with a luxury car as a token of appreciation. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
Former Mediacorp actor Zhang Yaodong spotted taking orders at Tampines coffeeshop
In a Xiaohongshu post, the user said the stall belongs to Zhang Yaodong and he was working that day because his employee had resigned. Dorcas Lim The Straits Times June 4, 2025 Singapore-based Malaysian actor Zhang Yaodong was spotted manning a steamed seafood stall at coffee shop 9007 Kopitiam in the Tampines industrial area on June 4. Clad in a plain white tee, the 47-year-old was standing in front of the cash register and appeared to be taking orders from customers. The Xiaohongshu user, who posted under the account Xiatiandeyuer about the sighting on June 4, said the stall belongs to Zhang and he was working that day because his employee had resigned. Amid the hustle and bustle, the user noted that the former Mediacorp artiste was polite, and affirmed Zhang in her post by saying that there is nothing better than correcting one's behaviour after making a mistake. The bachelor's image took a hit in July 2024 when rumours surfaced about him fathering children out of wedlock with women of different nationalities. The allegations resulted in him filing a police report, with his manager adding that he would not be addressing the issue again. But in November 2024, Zhang took to Instagram to commemorate his holiday to South Korea with his two daughters, confirming his fatherhood for the first time. In February, Mediacorp's talent management agency The Celebrity Agency stated it was no longer representing him and he has not participated in the filming of any new shows. Zhang, whose parents used to be hawkers, reportedly used to run a catering business and opened a roast meat stall in a foodcourt. He also ventured into Taiwanese cuisine, selling beef noodles in his home town of Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, he opened an Asian fusion restaurant, Maru, in Tanjong Pagar, but it has since closed. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
