Gedung Kuning: Memories of a Malay Childhood

by Hidayah Amin

Gedung Kuning or the Yellow Mansion was home to the family of Haji Yusoff 'Tali Pinggang' from 1912 to 1999. It was acquired by the Singapore government in August 1999 under the Land Acquisition Act. What used to house six families is now preserved as a historic building under the Malay Heritage Centre. Hidayah Amin, one of Haji Yusoff's great-granddaughters, revisits her childhood home and takes readers beyond the gate guarded by stone eagles, through rooms with big mirrors and marble floors, and shares interesting anecdotes growing up in Gedung Kuning. Through 28 short stories, readers get a historical narrative detailing the lives of people living in Gedung Kuning and the Malays of Singapore from 1850s to 1999.

227 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

"Little by little, one travels far." - J.R.R.Tolkien.
I travel adventurously, from the hamlets of Morocco to the Everest region. Sometimes, you learn more by just talking to the people whom you meet while trekking through the Portse Tenga of Life.

*Porste Tenga: a route in the Everest region which I found the most gruelling to trek

Reviews

[Sunflowerray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about the history and the people who lived here when I would often just walk past it.

[fievel_w · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backstory of the house that was filled with such history, architecture, childhood memories and culture.
Natrah's story captivated me to pick this to read.

[Vidhya Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidayah writes an emotionally rich book about her family's ancestral home & her heritage which combines Malay, Javanese & other indigenous Archipelago cultures. She explores the way her ancestors lived in the past century & the environment of Kampong Glam. The book chronicles the way of life of the Malay community & you marvel at their easy & adaptable ways. You also appreciate the palpable loss she endures with the acquisition of this property by the state. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Singapore communities & in particular people of Malay descent.

[Desilu Anne Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it overnight - managed to find the book after reading a review of it in the local papers. I never knew that the Malay Heritage Centre was once the Gedang Kuning (Yellow Mansion), and that architecturally it followed the Palladian-style kind of architecture (after the Italian architect Andrea Palladio 1508-1580). A good read for anyone interested in some rich Malay history.