25 Oct 2010 – A Malay Wedding

Living in HDB/public housing can be colourful and interesting. Yesterday there was a Malay wedding in the public multi-purpose hall (common area) by my block which does not have a void deck as the ground floor is the PAP Community Foundation and Marine Parade Education Centres (Kindergarten). A void deck is typically found under HDB flats and occupies the ground level, while flats are usually on the second floor onwards. This space can be rented inexpensively for private weddings, social or religious functions including funeral wakes. Anyone can stand outside the functions to watch or to take pictures.

There are many advantages living in public housing and one of them is that after 2200hrs, noise is not acceptable. If the police has to issue a warning more than twice, the noisy owners or tenants can be asked to vacate their flat. Bought my flat 10yrs ago and had made only one complain to the police regarding loud music at 0100hrs. The police issued a warning and that was the end of the matter.

Was glad that I was lunching with Les & Ivy yesterday, otherwise would have gone to the library. Weddings should be lively, merry and noisy occasions. Took some pictures before the guests and took more pictures towards the end of the party when I got back.  The wedding day is the Bersanding, literally means the ‘sitting together of the bride and bridegroom on the bridal couch’. Known as the Pelamin, the couch (not sure why there are chairs in this case) is the centrepiece of the whole ceremony. The most exciting part for me is when the groom is escorted in a procession with a hadrah or kompang band (male music group) to his bride’s house. Not sure if this happened at this wedding as I left before the ceremony. Was disappointed that the bride and groom did not wear their beautiful Malay traditional attire in this wedding.

26Dec 2015 -edited

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O young people! Whoever among you can support a wife should marry, for that is more modest for the gaze and safer for your private parts – Prophet Muhammad