Orang Melayu di Singapura

Orang Laut

Menurut Sopher(1977),Orang Kalang, Orang Seletar,Orang Selat dan Orang Gelam adalah peribumi yang menetap di Temasik/Sigapura. Orang Kalang (dipanggil Orang Biduanda Kalang) tinggal di sepanjang di Sungai Kallang. Mereka tinggal dalam perahu dan menyara hidup dengan menangkap ikan serta mengutip pelbagai hasil hutan. Selepas 1819, petempatan semula di utara Selat Si ga pu ra di Sungai Besar oleh Temenggong Abdul Rahman. Malangnya 1848,Orang Kalang terhapus (mati) kerana jangkit oleh cacar air.
Orang Seletar pula di paya, sungai serta pulau-pulau berhampiran di sekitar tanah besar. Mereka berkumpulan di pantai, terutama di Kuala Sungai Seletar. Mereka hidup secara berpindah-randah sehingga sekitar 1850-an, serta apabila mereka memulakan hidup di darat dan ikut cara hidup masyarakat yang menetap tinggal di Tanah Besar.
Orang Selat hidup di perairan pelabuhan "Yahudi Keppel" di Singapura. Mereka dipercayai telah merentasi air di pelabuhan Keppel sejak awal abad ke-16, menjadikan mereka merupakan peneroka awal di pulau tersebut. Mereka menjual hasil laut dan buah-buahan kepada pedagang-pedagang asing yang merentasi kawasan tersebut.
Orang Gelam berasal dari suku kaum di Pulau Batam. Mereka telah dibawa oleh Datuk Temenggung Daeng Abdul Rahman bersama kumpulan-kumpulan pengikut yang beserta untuk penetapan pemukiman pada 10 tahun pertama abad-19. Kebanyakan Orang Gelam yang tinggal sepanjang Sungai Si ga pu ra bekerja sebagai tukang pembikin perahu atau sampan untuk kapal dagang manakala pihak wanita mereka menjual buah-buahan di dalam perahu.
Orang Laut merupakan penduduk asal tanah besar pulau Si Ga Pu Ra jua berbeza dari Masyarakat Melayu kerana mereka hidup dalam keadaan tidak menentu dan berpindah  tinggal di laut dalam perahu mereka sedang manakala Masyarakat Melayu ketika itu telah tinggal di kawasan penempatan di kampung-kampung merek di tanah besar tersebut.

Orang Melayu

Semasa Yahudi Ketua Freemason Raffles tiba di Singapura ,terdapat beratus Masyarakat Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah terdiri Orang Melayu asli yang tinggal. Mereka terdiri daripada golongan balai seri paduka yang diketuai oleh Datuk Temenggung, pegawai-pegawai istana swrta para pengikut-pengikut serta Orang Laut. Selepas itu, bertambahlah bilangan Masyarakat Melayu Dagang lain daripada Semenanjung Malakkah Tanah Melayu , Pulau Sumatera, Kalimantan, Jawa, Sulawesi dan Maliki iaitu Kepulauan Melayu.
Dalam masa beberapa bulan, beribu orang Melayu dari  jajahan Yahudi British Melaka datang ke Si ga pu ra, digalakkan penjajah yang membangunkan Si ga pu ra sebagai pusat perdagangan serta penguasaan (Siebel,1961:27). Apabila Si ga pu ra bertambah berkembang maju, mempunyai peluang ekonomi yang lebih baik, banyak orang Melayu dari kepulauan Riau, tanah seberang Sumatera, tanah taklukan BritishPulau Pinang, Melaka dan Johor datang ke Si ga pu ra (Roff, 1967:33; Banci 1931:72). Ramai dikalangan orang Melayu tinggal di pusat bandar bekerja (Siebel,1961:3 5). Bancian pada tahun 1931 dinyatakan merupa lelaki Melayu bekerja di Pulau Si ga pu ra seramai 11,290 orang. Daripada jumlah 18% , bekerja sebagai nelayan dan sebanyak 12% dengan kegiatan pertanian tanah.
Pada 1930 dan 50-an, penduduk Melayu dari Semenanjung Malakkah Tanah Melayu bekerja dalam bahagian perkhidmatan seragam British (barua penjajah). Pada tahun 1957, terdapat lebih daripada 10,000 orang Melayu bekerja dalam bahagian perkhidmatan seragam kerana Yahudi penjajah British memilih orang Jawa/Melayu dari Indonesia (Betts, 1975:41; Djamour, 1959:5). Walau bagaimanapun,dalam tempoh 1957-1970, kebanyakan daripadanya telah pulang ke tanah air, Malaysia apabila perkhidmatan mereka telah berakhir.

Orang Jawa

Kumpulan yang kedua besar ialah Orang Jawa. They came from Java in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). In the 1931 Population Census, the number of Javanese in Singapore was 16,063. The 1981 Population Census, however, showed that they made up 6% of the Malay population. However, many Javanese had actually registered themselves as 'Malay'. It is likely that the actual percentage of the Javanese within the Malay population was much higher. The Javanese came to Singapore in stages. In the mid-19th century, they came and worked as ironsmiths, leather makers as well as spice merchants and religious books dealers. There were also a group of Javanese printers and publishers in the Arab Street area. There were also community of pilgrim brokers that played an important role in encouraging the migration of the Javanese to Singapore.
The political situation in the Dutch East Indies created by the Dutch government caused many Javanese go through Singapore to travel to Mecca to perform the hajj. From the mid-19th century until 1910, between 2,000 to 7,000 Javanese travelled to Mecca through Singapore until the regulations were eased (Roff 1967:39). Usually, these pilgrims would work in Singapore for several months or years before or after performing the hajj to earn money or pay their debts to their pilgrim brokers. Many of them stayed on in Singapore and became part of the Muslim community in the city (Roff, 1967:43).
A number of Javanese also came to Singapore with the help of the pilgrim brokers. They came voluntarily and a majority of them were young men who stayed in the lodgings of the pilgrim brokers until they found work. They worked as food sellers, gardeners and provided labour for the pilgrim brokers to build lodging homes for them. The pilgrim brokers also took in bonded labourers who worked for Malay or Javanese employers to clear forests to set up settlements in Johore, Malaya (Roff, 1967:37). The activities with these bonded labourers continued until the 1920s. From 1886 till 1890, as many as 21,000 Javanese became bonded labourers with the Singapore Chinese Protectorate, an organisation formed by the British in 1877 to monitor the Chinese population. They performed manual labour in the rubber plantations. After their bond ended, they continued to open up the land and stayed on in Johore.
After the Second World War, the total number of Javanese coming to Singapore continued to increase. The first wave consisted of conscript labour that were brought by the Japanese and their numbers were estimated to be about 10,000 (Turnbull, 1976:216). The second wave were those who moved to Singapore through Malaya. The 1970 Population Census showed that a total of 21,324 Malays who were born in Malaya (later Malaysia) had moved to Singapore in the years 1946-1955; and as many as 29,679 moved to Singapore from 1956-1970 (Census 1970:262-3). Interviews conducted showed that a majority of them were young men of Javanese descent from Johore who wanted to find a better life in Singapore. Most of them were not educated and not highly skilled and worked as manual labourers in the post war years.

The Baweanese (Boyanese)

The Baweanese or Boyanese came from the Bawean Island in the Dutch East Indies. They built the Kampung Boyan (Boyanese Village) by the banks of the Rochor River, between Jalan Besar and Syed Alwi Road since the time of Munshi Abdullah. Most of them came to Singapore in the late 19th century until the end of Second World War. The majority of them worked as horse cart drivers and later as motorcar drivers. They could not be considered poor as their lands in Bawean were fertile; they had come in search of cash earnings. They wanted to purchase jewellery made of gold and goods that they could bring back to their villages. Some also wanted to build a better life for themselves in Singapore.
Most of them were young men who came and supported themselves, living in communal houses. There were several such houses built in Singapore. They were found in places like Adam Communal House in Ann Siang Hill, Teluk Dalam Communal House in Dixon Road and Dedawang Communal House in Sophie Road. There was also a village within the town area that was inhabited by the Baweanese called Kampung Kapur (literally ‘Lime Village’) in the western part of Kampung Boyan (Boyan Village). A mosque called the Masjid Bawean Kampung Kapur (Bawean Mosque of Lime Village) located at Weld Road was built in 1932. There was also a communal house that became the gathering point for writers and their friends from the literary group called Jejak Kembara (literally ‘Wanderers' Steps’) in the late 1970s.
Due to the fact that they shared the same religion and were closely related racially, both the Baweanese and the Javanese were able to mix freely and even intermarried with the Malays. In time, this caused the differences between them to be less obvious and more Baweanese and Javanese began identifying themselves as Malays.

Orang Bugis

Orang Bugis datang dari Pulau Celebes di Indonesia. Sejak sekian lama mereka lebih dikenali sebagai pedagang laut. In the mid-seventeenth century, the Bugis were spreading out from Celebes to set up trading centres throughout the region. Often they had to sail to distant lands and fight indigenous tribes. They rarely lost and acquired a reputation as fierce warriors.
The Dutch control of the Dutch East Indies and their blockades cut off the Bugis from their traditional spice trade routes from Celebes to Java. This forced them to migrate to other areas to continue trading. Their migration to what is today Malaysia, Singapore and Riau began around the 18th century or even earlier. At the beginning of the 19th century, the number of Bugis traders in the region increased. Their influence in Riau was strong. Among the Bugis traders were also members of the nobility like Engku Karaeng Talibak who married the daughter of Raja Ali Haji. According to Raja Ali Haji in his work, Tuhfat al-Nafis, the presence of Karaeng Talibak brought more Bugis traders to Riau.
The establishment of a free port in Singapore allowed the Bugis to expand their network in the archipelago. Sailing from Sumatra to north Australia, the Bugis ships brought cargoes of cotton cloth, gold dust, birds-of-paradise feathers, pepper, trepang (sea slugs), sandalwood, tortoiseshell, coffee, and rice to Singapore. Most of these goods were very much in demand by the Chinese merchants in Singapore. The Bugis also traded in slaves.
James Cameron gave a description in 1865 of the various ships that would visit Singapore's harbour. According to him, each year during October and November, the Bugis ships would come from Bali and the Celebes. 
By the 1830s, the Bugis had established themselves in Singapore and formed the majority of the pioneer communities in the Kampung Gelam area. By 1881, the Census of Population reported 2,053 Bugis in Singapore. The Bugis gradually formed kampongs and settlements in places like Kampung Bugis (around the Kallang River), Kampung Soopoo, Jalan Pelatok and Jalan Pergam.

Orang Minangkabau

Orang Minangkabau datang dari Barat Sumatra. The Minangkabaus are known for their matrilineal social system and their tradition for travelling. The Minangkabaus would leave their homes and travel in search of work, knowledge and experience. They would usually return home once they had fulfilled their objective. This tradition of travelling was a rite of passage for the young Minangkabau men and was considered a way for them to be in touch with the outside world.
Orang Minangkabau telah berhijrah ke Malaysia dan Singapura sejak lama dahulu. Ini hanya terhenti apabila Malaya mencapai kemerdekaan daripada British dalam tahun 1957, apabila undang-undang imigresen diperketatkan. Majoriti orang Minangkabau yang datang ke Singapura berasal dari Pariaman dan Agam di Barat Sumatra. Kebanyakan mereka terlibat di dalam perniagaan, terutamanya menjual nasi padang (nasi berlauk daging, sayur dan tempe). Orang Minangkabau juga menjual barangan keagamaan, permainan dan pakaian. They had shops in Arab Street and Geylang. Mereka juga bekerja sebagai pemandu teksi dan pekebun selain menyertai perkhidmatan berpakaian seragam. Ramai juga orang Minangkabau yang bekerja sebagai pelayar di atas kapal yang dimiliki oleh syarikat perdagangan. The Minangkabaus even formed an association at one time but this was subsequently banned during the 1962-66 Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. 
Selepas Singapura menjadi sebuah negeri merdeka pada tahun 1965, majoriti orang Minangkabau telah berhijrah ke Malaysia atau kembali ke Sumatra. Those who stayed in Singapore assimilated into the Malay community. Tidak ramai orang Minangkabau yang membawa isteri atau wanita bersama mereka ke Singapura. As such, many married the local Malay women and did not maintain strong ties with the other Minangkabau communities. By 1973, it was estimated that there were 200 Minangkabaus family in Singapore and almost all of them were Singapore citizens.

The Banjar

The Banjar people originated from the southern and eastern coast of Kalimantan in Borneo. Most came from Banjarmasin in the area surrounding the Barito basin. These areas were used for the cultivation of paddy. The Banjarese who migrated to the Malay Peninsula were farmers who were experienced in paddy cultivation. They also migrated to spread Islam to the region, to escape poverty and the oppressive Dutch rule of their homeland. Some also wanted to escape the presence of wild animals that threatened their farms in Kalimantan.
The Banjarese generally did not like to be employees. They preferred to be self-employed, working as either farmers or businessmen. The Banjar were also well known as jewel cutters and dealers in the region. Many came to Singapore to deal in the jewellery trade and had their shops in Arab Street. They even formed a Kalimantan Association in Singapore. 
The Banjarese made up a very small percentage of the Malay population in Singapore. In 1931, they numbered 445 out of a total Malay population of 65,104 (0.7%). In 1947, they formed only 0.3 % of the population. This dropped to 0.2% in 1957 and 0.1% in 1970. By 1980 and 1990, the total numbers could not be determined, probably because the Banjarese have effectively assimilated into the Malay community.

The Batak

The Batak people are the smallest Malay group in Singapore. Up till 1978, there were less than 350 Bataks in Singapore. Unlike other Malay groups that are predominantly Muslim, there are many Christians in the Batak community (Seventh-day Adventists, Lutherans, Jehovah's Witnesses). 
The Batak had been coming to Singapore before the 20th century.  Not much is known about the Bataks that came to Singapore in the 19th century and before World War 2. Most were young men in their twenties who were from the Toba, Mandailing and Angkola.
The Bataks came to Singapore for economic, educational and social reasons. Most of those who came to Singapore before the War had received their primary education in the Batak and Malay language. Some came to Singapore to continue their education in the private and Christian schools. For example, the Seventh-day Adventist organisation had students' amenities in Singapore in 1915 and they encouraged the Bataks from Spirok, Angkola and Permatang Siantar in Sumatra to send their children to continue their studies in Singapore. An English education was prized as it was seen as a passport to getting a white-collar job in the plantations in Eastern Sumatra that were owned by the Dutch and the Americans. After receiving their education in Singapore, the Bataks would return to their homeland. Some would marry and bring their wives to Singapore. The Batak Christians were the first Bataks to bring their wives to Singapore.
Most of the Bataks who came before World War 2 worked as gardeners, peons and manual labourers. During the Japanese Occupation, the Bataks were conscripted as foot soldiers or forced labourers by the Japanese. Some were sent to Singapore for military training. After the War, many of the Bataks returned home. At the same time, many others came to Singapore from places like Medan, Palembang and the Riau Islands. Some managed to find work as clerks, storekeepers and some started businesses with non-Bataks partners. Some also joined the British army as soldiers, technicians and electricians. Others started identifying themselves as Malays so that they could join the military or get jobs given to local Malays.
In 1947, the Bataks in Singapore formed a welfare organisation called Saroha ("one heart" in the Batak language). The aim of the organisation was to help the Bataks in Singapore. The organisation lasted until 1954 and was disbanded due to leadership problems and a lack of support from its members. Attempts to revive it later in 1958 proved futile. 
There were Bataks who took Malay wives and converted to Islam. The majority of them and their descendants were assimilated into the Malay community and preferred to be known as Malays. A well-known Batak Muslim in Singapore is the radio personality, Aminah Siregar.

Agama

Majoriti masyarakat Melayu di Singapura adalah Umat Islam Ahli Sunah Waljamaah yang berpandu ikut mazhab Imam Shāfi‘ī radhiallah'u'an (شافعي).
Terdapat juga sebilangan kecil Kristian di kalangan orang Melayu. Bagaimanapun, pihak "kerajaan amat tidak menggalakkan penerbitan kitab Injil Kristian dalam bahasa Melayu" dan "amat tidak menyarankan para mubaligh daripada berusaha untuk menukarkan penduduk tempatan Melayu". This was done so as not to cause racial and religious tensions in the predominantly Muslim community.
Terdapat juga sebilangan kecil komuniti Buddha, kebanyakannya mengandungi "keturunan Cina dengan campuran Melayu."

Budaya

Kebanyakan orang Melayu di Singapura secara umumnya berkongsi budaya yang hampir sama dengan mereka yang tinggal di Semenanjung Malaysia.
Linguistically, most Malays in Singapore speak the Johore-Riau variant of Malay similar to that spoken in the west Malaysian peninsular rather than that of Indonesia. Some of the older generation who migrated here or whose parents were immigrants can speak Javanese. Bagaimana pun, kebanyakan Melayu di sini tidak bertutur bahasa nenek moyang mereka dari Indonesia. 
Bahasa Inggeris juga dituturkan secara meluas. Bahasa Arab adalah biasa di kalangan guru agama Muslim dan merupakan bahasa pilihan yang dipelajari oleh kebanyakan Melayu beragama Islam.

Status etnik Melayu di Singapura

Walaupun etnik Melayu dilihat sebagai etnik minoriti di Singapura, selain luhur keturunannya yang agak bercampur aduk dengan etnik lain. Etnik Melayu di Singapura tetap diiktiraf sebagai etnik masyarakat asli menurut Perlembagaan Singapura, Perkara  XIII, Provisi Umum, Minoriti dan kedudukan istimewa etnik Melayu, seksyen 152:
Kerajaan mesti menguatkuasakan fungsi-fungsinya yang luhur untuk mengiktiraf kedudukan istimewa etnik Melayu, dimana masyarakat asli bagi Singapura, dan berdasarkan itu adalah menjadi tanggungjawab bagi Kerajaan untuk melindungi, menjaga, membantu, memperkasa dan menggalakkan (hal ehwal) politik, pendidikan, keagamaan, ekonomi, sosial dan faedah kebudayaannya dan bahasa Melayu.