What to Expect?
Unleash your senses on a thrilling after-hours journey through Geylang Serai! Open 24/7, the 365 stallholders boast a wide variety of wares to serve the Malay Muslim community; everything from traditional clothes and prayer essentials to spices, herbs, and even jamu to feed a family. Watch the butchers as they process mutton, beef, and chicken for market-goers, and vegetable stall owners as they arrange fresh herbs from Malaysia and Indonesia - then whet your appetite as you meet hawkers preparing large batches of briyani and bubur kampung (kampong porridge) on the second floor of the market!
About After Hours @ My Community
Singapore is a city which never sleeps. A plethora of activities continue deep into the night, even as most of us head to bed. Follow us on an unforgettable adventure in our neighbourhoods and meet the unsung heroes keeping the island’s essential services running after dark.
You might be fast asleep or up late on Netflix. As you rest or unwind, a whole workforce of graveyard shift workers disperses across the country to ensure the island’s essential services operate seamlessly.
Our neighbourhoods thrive because of the dedication and unwavering commitment of these hardworking individuals. Make a trip to our neighbourhoods during MCF2025 and express our gratitude to the heartland heroes!
About your Guide
May Hui is a passionate volunteer whose work bridges two very different worlds—Singapore’s museums and its prisons. Whether she’s leading a heritage tour or sitting across from an inmate nearing release, May brings with her the same quiet conviction: that stories can heal, educate, and empower.
As a trained docent at the Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre, and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, May guides visitors through the rich histories of Singapore’s diverse communities. She believes that heritage is not just something to be admired behind glass—but something that should be felt, questioned, and carried forward. Her tours are rich with personal stories, often weaving in the lives of lesser-known figures who shaped Singapore’s cultural fabric, from the kampongs of Joo Chiat to the music of Zubir Said.
Beyond the museum walls, May volunteers with the Singapore After-Care Association (SACA), mentoring inmates who are preparing to return to society. Here, her empathy and insight are deeply valued. She sees rehabilitation not just as a process of reintegration, but as an awakening—helping individuals reclaim a sense of dignity and possibility. “We can unlock the prisons of the mind,” she says, “long before physical freedom comes.”
What unites May’s roles is a deep belief in the power of human connection. She sees both museum visitors and inmates not as passive recipients of information, but as people in search of meaning, identity, and belonging. Through storytelling, listening, and encouragement, she helps others discover not just what is in the past—but what might still lie ahead.
Who should come?
- Everyone is welcome to participate in this exciting tour!
Programme Details
- Approximate Duration: 2.0 hours (Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour for registration)
- Language: English
- Meeting Point: Drop off point at the Entrance of Geylang Serai Market, facing Changi Road (1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001)
- Ending Point: The event will start and end at the same point.
- The tour will proceed rain or shine.
What to bring?
- Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably and wear covered shoes with good soles grip.
- Participants may need to walk on wet floor during the tour.
- Participants should bring along an umbrella, hand sanitisers, insect repellent, and a bottle of water.
- Participants are encouraged to bring their own earphones (with a standard 3.5mm audio jack) because we will be using radio guides for the tour!
- Please ensure that you bring along any personal medication. Asthmatic individuals are reminded to bring their inhaler.
Other important information
- Parking is available at HDB MSCP Block 2 Geylang Serai.
- The venue is not wheelchair accessible.
- Photography is allowed at event premises.
Disclaimer
- Each ticket admits only one participant.
- By agreeing to participate in the tour, every participant will be responsible for any injury, loss of damage due to careIessness of other actions on his/her part or that of children under his/her charge.
- It is compulsory for a parent/guardian to accompany any child of or under the age of 12.
- Videos and photographs may also be taken during the event. By registering for this event, you give My Community full rights to use the photos for marketing and publicity.
For updates:
- Follow us at @mycommunitysg on Instagram and @myqueenstown on Facebook.
- Visit mycommunity.org.sg to learn about our initiatives.
- Visit mycommunityfestival.sg for all our latest updates
