Remove Raffles, colonial narrative

• Main Author: Mohd Noor Merican, Ahmad Murad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd 2020
• Subjects: B69 History and systems; D History (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/111490/1/111490_Remove%20Raffles%2C%20colonial%20narrative.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/111490/; https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2020/03/574671/remove-raffles-colonial-narrative

Alfian Saat’s Merdeka is a timely reminder for history-starved Singapore. It is about Singapore’s breaking up with the West, on why Raffles must fall. I was among the Singaporeans in October of last year. Watching the play is like digesting large chunks of texts in two hours, alerting me to the ‘emptiness’ of the island’s past identity had it not been for the peninsula and the vast archipelago in its proximity. Merdeka, meaning independence, draws from Singapore’s past. The six characters seamlessly are all for a clean break with Sir Stamford Raffles. Or so the tension prevails. The group, taking the theme “Raffles Must Fall”, was inspired by the “Rhodes Must Fall” post-apartheid movement, located at the University of Cape Town.