By MLDCS
The Malay Literary Drama Cultural Society, better known as MLDCS, is a tight community of Malays. United by the kampong spirit, we provide a safe and supportive space for all Malays to fortify their Malay identity in an increasingly homogenous world.
Although we do not hold regular, weekly meetings unlike other CCAs, we organise a wide array of activities to actualise the literary, drama and cultural aspects of our CCA. These activities are mostly centered around camps, cultural workshops and VIA projects.
Our calendar of events begins with the Orientation Camp, aimed at fostering camaraderie between Y5s and Y6s. The overnight camp is filled with fun games and cultural activities. In the day, groups comprising of a diverse bunch of Y5s and Y6s battle each other in a series of mini games. At night, members huddle around one another as we watch Malay films together.
Following that, we hold the annual Malay Youth Seminar where we invite distinguished professionals to discuss hot-button issues in front of a large audience consisting of scholars, school teachers and students. In the past, we have confronted issues such as the stereotypes of being a Malay and the challenges of living in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. As these issues become increasingly complex and multifaceted, one can only expect our seminar to become even more interesting.
In the month of Ramadan, we hold an Iftar session where members break fast over a hearty meal and bond with their peers through games, sing-along sessions and periods of, you guessed it, lepak.
Unfortunately, things start to quiet down in the second semester as members prepare themselves for Common Tests and Promotional Examinations.
Our events start to gain traction come the year-end holidays. This year, we organised a dikir barat workshop for Y1s to Y5s. Dikir barat is a musical form that involves singing and occasionally, shouting, in groups of ten to fifteen members. By organising cultural workshops, we hope that our members are able to express themselves through various art forms while introducing to them certain aspects of the Malay culture that they may not be familiar with.
Lastly, in a conscious effort to cultivate compassionate members, we also organise Values in Action projects targeted at helping those in need, regardless of race and religion. Last year, members visited a nursing home and engaged the elderly there. Although our projects are one-off projects, members are encouraged to continue to engage the community in their spare time – and most do!
While our meetings are relatively sparse, the warmth that radiates from one member to another is nonetheless genuine. Even though our activities are centered around the Malay culture, everyone is welcome to join this CCA. While admission into MLDCS is automatic or by default, and each Malay-Muslim student will be part of the CCA, in recent years, we have extended our membership to students from other ethnic groups. Regardless of whether you are a Malay, Chinese or Indian, MLDCS aims to provide a safe space for all.
To the incoming batch of Y5s: whether you are a JAE or RP student, you will find a place or corner in this place we call home or kampong, whichever you prefer.
