My Grandfather River
Episode 3 of the Mynah Podcast with Syazwan Majid
Hey everyone,
Karen here. I’m excited to introduce our third episode of the Mynah Podcast, an interview with Wan of the project Wan’s Ubin Journal! I say this about every episode of the pod, but I really loved the chat Ruby and I had with Wan, a descendant of the Orang Pulau of Pulau Ubin, one of Singapore’s offshore islands. We talked about Wan’s heritage work, his family history, islander values, foraging, Chek Jawa, the upcoming OCBC Mangrove Park, and a lot more.
The seeds of this episode were planted last June when Ruby and I went on a walking tour with Wan as part of last year’s Pesta Ubin activities. Wan’s tour this rainy and muddy Ubin Day was focused on the heritage and history of the Malay inhabitants of the island. What made it so memorable was Wan’s own incisive and personal perspectives on the island: his observations about misspelled place names and mandatory firehose reel systems i.e. kampung eyesores; his sharing about his own family’s lives on Ubin and their special relationship with Sungei Durian; and the palpable pride he takes in being an Ubin Orang Pulau descendant. The puns, jokes and impressions he sprinkled in along the way were bonuses.
Wan brought that same level of insight and feeling to this episode of Mynah Podcast. I mixed and mastered the audio for this episode (my first time doing it solo so please… give chance…) and as I listened to it over and over again in the editing process, I found myself being struck anew by how thoughtful and impassioned Wan’s answers were – whether we were talking about the friction between nature conservation and cultural preservation, indigenous knowledge and ways of life, or the Singaporean identity and our pursuit of relentless progress.
This is my grandfather’s river. I want to know what it’s like to be knee-deep in the place where my mom and my grandparents were. I never had the chance to meet my grandparents. If I was able to be in the same place where my grandparents were before, I feel as though I can have that special connection with them. But I don’t have it now and I can’t have it any more. That is a certain form of grief that I have to deal with.
You can listen to the episode now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you like what you’ve been hearing, please leave us a 5-star rating on the platform! (Our Apple Podcasts rating in particular could do with some love.)
One of the things Wan pointed out on the tour, that we return to on the podcast, is how forested parts of Ubin have become. When the Ubin Orang Pulau lived on the island, they kept their kampungs neat, pruning the vegetation and maintaining their homes. Now that far fewer people live full-time on the island many of these formerly inhabited areas have become overrun by vegetation. In some cases, you wouldn’t have been able to tell that there had been people living there at all.
One of Wan’s many projects is Project Gotong Royong, which aims to help the Ubin Orang Pulau community with the upkeep of their homes with a monthly cleanup. You can find more info here on his website. This year Wan is looking for collaborators who are interested to help. If you are part of or represent a school, organisation or institution who’s keen on such a community involvement/engagement programme, please email him at wansubinjournal@gmail.com and tell him we sent you!
For more context on topics discussed in the podcast, be sure to check out the show notes we leave in the episode descriptions on Apple and Spotify. And here are a few more bits and bobs for you…
Briefly mentioned in the pod is the project Orang Laut SG, which was founded by Firdaus Sani, a fourth-generation Orang Laut/Pulau descendant from Pulau Semakau. Orang Laut SG is currently fundraising for Hari Orang Pulau – a day in June 2025 to celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Singapore’s islander heritage. Find out more here and donate here.
You may have seen a recent viral video of theirs, where anthropologist Dr. Vivienne Wee rebuts the misconception that there are no indigenous people in Singapore.
Orang Laut SG is also on Substack!
Ruby mentions in the pod that our Ubin tour included hearing from Dr. Imran bin Tajudeen about the architectural features of Malay kampung houses. We stopped by 760D Kampung Sungei Durian for this brief talk. Read his bio on the NUS site and check out his Instagram.
Be sure to follow Wan’s Ubin Journal on social media (Instagram/Facebook/TikTok), where Wan shares updates on the Ubin Orang Pulau and his various projects like talks and tours. As if it wasn’t already obvious, Ruby and I highly recommend going on an Ubin tour with Wan.
Wan has expounded on many of the topics discussed in the pod on his blog and social media – for instance the 2021 incidents of indiscriminate foraging at Changi Beach and how Chek Jawa was a source of sustenance for the Ubin Orang Pulau.
If you’re keeping tabs on the 2025 GE, don’t forget the Ketupat Elections, i.e. the ketupat-weaving competition Wan has with his mom every Hari Raya eve. Stay tuned on his Instagram.
Wan’s Favourite Things
Going for nature walks: It's always nice to be immersed in greenery or by the waters just to unwind from the hectic urban environment
Long bus rides on the upper deck: If there's an option for me to go to certain places by bus, I would definitely take it because I'd rather look at something outside than just being underground. And if I'm lucky enough to go up the upper deck, then all the more for me to enjoy the surroundings at a better vantage point.
Nasi Sambal Goreng: Whether it's my mom's cooking or outside, my comfort food would be Nasi Sambal Goreng, especially if it's accompanied with beef rendang and one thick bergedil.
Blue: Despite how many would think that my favourite colour is red from what I wear on my heritage hikes and in official meetings, dark blue is actually my favourite colour.
Cats: The more the meow-rier. I've always grown up in a feline-included household (currently a cat-dad to 3) and I will make a detour to pet any strays I see while I'm outside.
In Case You Missed It:
We are working on a new issue of Mynah Magazine, and we’re looking for contributors. We’re currently open for pitches till February 15. More info on our website, or in this Substack post below:
Hope you’re enjoying The Mynah Podcast so far – let us know what you think of the episodes by email or social media! We’ll be back with a new one the first Monday of March.