January 23, 2018

Malayalees are natives from Kerala in South India and the second largest sub-group in Singapore’s Indian community after the Tamils. From Kerala to Singapore: Voices from the Singapore Malayalee Community is a 2017 book by Dr Anitha Devi Pillai (alumna of the NUS Department of English Language and Literature) and Dr Puva Arumugam (PhD Deakin University). The book tells the story of a community in Singapore less widely known, explaining how they sink their roots in Singapore while staying in touch with their cultural origins. In the course of their research, the authors interviewed more than 100 Malayalees and the book chronicles many of their stories. The decision by the authors to introduce first-person accounts into their writing makes the book an absorbing read. Moreover, it is also commendable that the authors provide the interviewees’ family trees so that readers can enjoy another layer of personal touch.

Throughout the book, the authors consistently emphasize that Malayalees are distinct from Tamils, who form the majority of Singapore’s Indian population. The authors begin by tracing the historical roots of Malayalee immigrants. They highlight interesting narratives about tensions between the Tamils and Malayalees during the colonial era. Because the Malayalees were well educated and spoke good English, they filled white-collar jobs. Coupled with the Malayalees’ tendencies to bring in their own family and relatives, such issues became a source of unhappiness among the Tamils who felt their employment opportunities were being taken away.

Another focal point was the discussion of efforts by the Malayalee community to preserve their unique culture and language. Since Malayalam is not formally taught in the educational curriculum, the Malayalee community has carried out grassroots initiatives to preserve their language. Malayam classes are conducted with help from organizations such as the Singapore Malayalee Association, the Malayalam Language Education Society, and volunteers. At present, the community continues their effort to put Malayalam on the formal education curriculum.

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