The evening light falls gently onto the village. Islanders, young and old, take evening walks to enjoy the fresh air with views that stretch as wide as the eyes can see. City living was as far away from the minds of these villagers. If these words can’t make you imagine, then these 1982 photographs by Geoffrey Benjamin of Pulau Seking may help.
Anthropologists Geoffrey Benjamin and Vivienne Wee discovered Pulau Seking almost by accident. Some would say serendipity.
While working on her doctoral thesis, Vivienne’s fieldwork brought her to the Riau islands. There, the people shared how they had relatives on this island no bigger than 500 by 200 metres.
They both shared how Pulau Seking, as part of the southern islands, were inhabited mainly by the Malay-speaking Orang Selat or ‘people of the Straits’, and were also collectively part of the Orang Laut (Sea People). As one of the original inhabitants of Singapore, they also proved to be the final link to pre-Raffles Singapore.
They made frequent trips to the island, for their research – sometimes up to 10 days sleeping in the community centre on the island. These images by Geoffrey are testament to their time on the island.
Some of the islanders they met and spoke to include the Penghulu of Pulau Seking Mohamed Yatim Bin Akib. On many islands, a Penghulu is known as the head of the village.
He had lived there for a long time, from the beginning, from the time his grandparents, and even his great grandparents.
Kamal Bin Mohamed Yatim, Son of Pulau Seking Penghulu
Pulau Seking Penghulu’s wife Saniah Bte Ali sits in the living room with her children Rahimah and Kamal, and his wife. They have been staying at this West Coast flat since they were resettled from the island in 1994.
On the island, I had my freedom, I could take walks anywhere on the island.
Saniah Bte Ali, Wife of Pulau Seking Penghulu
Cover photo courtesy of Geoffrey Benjamin.