The Eurasians in Singapore

The Eurasians in Singapore are families made up of a mix of European and Asian cultures. These include an intertwining of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Chinese, Malay and Indian pedigree. These families have lived in Singapore for many generations.

Updates on the current Eurasian community can be found in the Eurasian Association, particularly their Eurasian Newsletter, Cuisine page and Forum which covers topics ranging from geneaology search to receipes. The Malacca Portuguese Eurasian Association has more information and colour.

Kerry Reutens has attempted to develop a portal on local Eurasians and has an interesting short article on who the Eurasians are. More details are available in the Wikipedia article about Eurasians although even this is yet to be completed. The Cristao article on the language of Portuguese Eurasians has great depth however.

The Eurasian Company of the Singapore Volunteer Corps gives invaluable insight to the contributions of this voluntary team of military men. It displays photos, a muster roll, articles and a detailed bibliography.

Fernandis'article describes the challenges of identity facing Portuguese Malaysians.

Eurasians often have complex geneologies but this hasn't stopped them from working out their family tree. Families like the Shepherdsons, Theseira have put up their own websites.

Collections in Singapore about Asia (II)

The National University of Singapore has a wealth of information in its libraries and faculties on Singapore and Asia. The Singapore-Malaysia collection in the NUS Central Library offers unique academic resources such as the newspaper clippings and a strong theses collection on the region. It also has unique print and non-print (ranging from databases to microfilms) in its holdings. It has a range of online bibliographies on Singapore covering aspects of history(including a Chinese version), statistics, literature and related topics. The Singapore National University Press has recently posted free online publications and serials - the Singapore E-Press focused on Singapore - and its own blog! Of course updates of new titles are also made available. Within the History Department of the Arts Faculty is an informative History Society with its journal available online since 2001. Check out the seminars and talks for special invited speakers. Beyond their zingy Flash introduction, the Geography Department also has interesting lists of research areas and publications. Unfortunately, none seem accessible online.

The University ground is also the location of several institutions with rich collections on Asia. The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies has revamped its website and offers access to working papers (back issues), journals and monographs, besides its library's catalogue and bookshop. The Institute of Policy Studies "is a think-tank dedicated to fostering good governance in Singapore through strategic policy research and discussion" with research areas extending to various Asian countries. It has online working papers which is freely accessible. The Asia Research Institute offers a large number of online papers along with insightful workshops and seminars conducted all year round.

Collections in Singapore about Asia (I)

With the new National Library opening (Lee Kong Chian Reference Library), I thought it would be appropriate to begin a series on Collections about Asia in various libraries and institutions. We begin with the LKCRL Collections and its main collection highlight - the Singapore and Southeast Asia Collections. Besides books, the collection also has unique non-print materials released for the first time for public viewing. These include maps, and ephemera such as brochures and posters. The rare books have been consolidated with resources previously in the warehouse and these are easily accessible through microfilms. Unique collections such as the Gibson-Hill Collection , the Ya Yin Kwan Collection and the Asian Children's Collection profile specific subject studies such as natural history, the overseas Chinese and illustrated Asian folktales respectively.

Useful online services include our Enquiry service which offers a 1-day turn around delivery for simple reference enquiries, free-of-charge with limited listing of resources.

Sikhism in Singapore

Sikh organisations in Singapore that represent their interests include the Sikh Advisory Board and the Central Sikh Gurudwara Board. The latter provides an insightful history of how the organisation arose and the early history of Sikhism in Singapore although AllAboutSikh provides more details to this story and a list of key Sikh temples and their addresses. A list of Sikh temples with pictures and short histories can be found at Singapore Mirror

This marks the end of a survey of websites on Singapore religions. The list of religions cited here are not exhaustive. However, if new information can be found, this will be added.

Hinduism in Singapore

The Hindu Endowment Board's website offers links to Hindu temples in Singapore, the Singapore Hindu - HEB's newsletter available online, festival dates and other hindu activities. The website of the Sri Thenduyathani Temple provides similar details such as images and links to local Hindu temples, festivals and the history of Chettiars in Singapore.

There are several online papers and analysis that provide a useful overview of Hinduism and its practices in Singapore. The Murugan Bhakti website has articles on Thaipusam and on Murugan temples in Singapore. Masakazu Tanaka has an online paper on Hinduism in Singapore.

Christianity in Singapore

The Catholics in Singapore comprise a large majority. Amongst the Protestants, the Anglicans, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians and the Baptists have been established in Singapore for about 50 years to at least a century. Independent churches such as Faith Community Baptist, New Creation and City Harvest have also large followings. A non-denominational site with a searchable directory for churches can be found at Antioch. An NZ site, Across, also hosts a browsable listing of Churches, Ministries and Christian Schools. Institutions that offer degrees in theology and have good research resources include the Trinity Theological College, known to have one of the best academic Christian libraries in Asia. Associated with it is the Centre for the Study of Christianity in Asia. Roxborough's Bibliography of Christianity in Malaysia covers detailed listing of resources by Denominations, Missionary Societies, Ethnic Studies, Regions including Singapore, Periods, Themes and Theses

Buddhism in Singapore

The Singapore Directory of BuddhaNet provides useful weblinks and/or addresses of Buddhist organisations in Singapore. Different veins of Buddhism including Mahayana and Theravada and even non-sectarian forms are listed and their categories reflected accordingly. The claims to being the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in Singapore goes to the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. There are strains of Buddhism that traces its beliefs from Tibet (Nyingma Kathok Buddhist Centre - Singapore), others from Myanmar (Burmese Buddhist Temple), Sri Lanka (Buddha Vhara Society), Japan (Singapore Soka Association)and reflecting the syncretism of various Chinese dialect groups. The Singapore DharmaNet offers an A-to-Z directory of local organisations and pictures of a selected few. eSangha offers discussion forums for various aspects of Buddhism.