SINGAPORE - To liven up Kampong Glam and attract more visitors to the historic precinct, plans are under way to host more cultural activities, add green spaces and feature more artwork along the walkable district over the next five years. 

The open space at Sultan Gate, for instance, could soon host community events such as weddings, fairs and performances.

In September, art installations that capture the stories and heritage of the area and its people will be put up to wow visitors. A three-storey-high mural depicting the Kampong Glam of yesteryear will also be ready that month.

Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong will start work on the mural at 92 Arab Street later in July. The painting will be a detailed map of the old Kampong Glam, where traditional arts, trades and shophouses shaped its streetscapes.

These initiatives are part of a five-year blueprint the Kampong Gelam Alliance – a group of residents, cultural institutions and businesses in the area – unveiled on Sunday following a two-month public consultation on the future of the historic precinct.

In November 2022, the alliance – in collaboration with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) – released its draft plan for the district. It then received feedback from more than 1,600 members of the public and stakeholders in Kampong Glam.

The proposed initiatives unveiled on Sunday focus on five areas – maintaining the heritage district’s cultural identity through art, sustaining businesses, creating more public spaces, improving the area’s accessibility, and introducing new activities and events.

Outlining the blueprint at the 45 Sultan Gate shophouse on Sunday, Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said the aim is to sustain the distinctive character of Kampong Glam for years to come by continuing to celebrate its rich Malay and Muslim heritage while embracing the wider community.

A key aspiration for the district is to ensure that both traditional trades and new businesses remain viable. The shophouses and business units have seen rental hikes due to market forces, said Mr Zaki Ma’arof, a member of the alliance.

The Covid-19 pandemic also caused some businesses to close down.

The alliance is exploring an apprenticeship scheme where younger entrepreneurs will be paired with older businesses in the area to learn traditional trades. Those businesses could include textiles, handmade perfumes, Persian crafts and traditional food.

It is also looking into how it can get existing businesses to open up space in their stores to help new entrepreneurs sell their products.

Third-generation perfumery Sifr Aromatics’ founder Johari Kazura has been working with smaller businesses in the lifestyle sector. He has worked with local shoe, furniture and jewellery brands to create complementary products. He is now talking to leather goods makers to create pouches for his perfumes. 

“Prices are rising, and the cost of entrance into this neighbourhood is high. These pop-ups help to mitigate that and help (entrepreneurs),” he added.

Kampong Gelam Alliance member and founder of Wardah Books Ibrahim Tahir has sublet a room in his store for Malay-language bookshop Nurul Anwar Bookstore.

The alliance has also been trying to engage landlords on the issue of rising rent, to help them understand the cultural significance of the place so that heritage businesses can continue in Kampong Glam.

Associate Professor Faishal, who is adviser to the alliance, said the district needs to strengthen and refresh its offerings while staying anchored to its history and roots.

There are plans to add more greenery to the area, like community gardens. To make Kampong Glam more accessible for visitors, there are plans to improve signages, and possibly add cycling lanes and bicycle parking.

The alliance is also looking into sharing information about available carpark lots in the area as it had received feedback that parking is a concern for visitors.

On Sunday, the alliance launched a virtual cultural map to showcase the area’s past cultural activities and relics, as well as current heritage businesses, institutions and key landmarks. The public can also contribute to the map here.

The alliance, which is currently a volunteer group, will soon become a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee to facilitate more extensive tie-ups with other organisations and agencies.

Prof Faishal said: “This will facilitate more in-depth and extensive partnerships with other businesses, organisations and public agencies, and equip (the alliance) with more resources as it progressively implements the ideas in the place plan.”

The Kampong Glam blueprint is available at www.listeningtokg.org. From now till July 16, the public can visit the conserved shophouses at 45 and 47 Sultan Gate during office hours to read about plans for the district.