It’s been almost three decades since the last time local Malay theatre company Teater Kami staged a theatrical adaptation of Malaysia’s National Laureate A. Samad Said’s seminal novel SALINA. But that’s about to change, as it receives a brand new staging as part of the Esplanade’s 2025 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts. Adapted and directed by Teater Kami artistic director Atin Amat, SALINA is set in 1950s Singapore, in the now defunct Kampung Kambing, and focuses on the titular female protagonist. In post-war conditions, Salina struggles to survive—trapped by poverty, entangled in toxic relationships, and forced by circumstance into becoming an escort. Around her, a community of Malay and Indonesian migrants, once hopeful, now grapples with despair as a nation rebuilds itself after World War II.

Starring Ariati Tyeb Papar as Salina, with a supporting cast that comprises Fir Rahman, Rafaat Hj. Hamzah, Rizal Aiman, Amirah Yahya, Suhaila M Sanif, and Rusydina Afiqah, SALINA promises to tell a gripping tale of resilience and survival. Infused with piercing realism drawn from the author’s own experiences under Japanese occupation, the novel captures the struggles of an entire generation, and makes a timely return in conjunction with SG60, reflecting on how far we’ve come. But does it evoke celebration of the journey we’ve been on as a nation, but in speaking to Cik Atin and cast member Fir Rahman, they also think about how this story has evolved from production to production.

“In 1993, we were looking for a new script to raise the profile of Teater Kami, and a friend recommended we try staging Salina,” recalls Atin. “Even though we’d never read the novel before, we decided to ask for permission to use a script that has previously been staged in Malaysia, and when we did, we had no idea the challenge we were in for. But audiences found it very confusing, because it was jumping back and forth in time so much.”

So in 1994, Teater Kami took matters into their own hands, and embarked on a more chronological approach when they received sponsorship from SPH and approval from the Ministry of Education to do a school tour of the show, as the text was being studied in Malay Literature at the time. ““After that, we decided, eh, cannot lah. We must follow the novel chapter by chapter,” Atin explains. “We toured 12 Junior Colleges, where every Saturday, students would gather in one of the lecture theatres and watch us perform the novel, maybe chapter 1-10. It was a big success for our company’s entry into theatre in education.”

SALINA then came back once more in 1997, and finally, saw Atin herself see an adaptation come through with her artistic vision. “At that time, we had just staged Lantai T. Pinkie, which Pak Samad (A. Samad Said) also wrote, and we asked him if we could do our own script for SALINA. He gave us his blessing, and said actually, maybe it’s better that Singaporeans adapt it, because the story is set in Singapore. So I adapted it, going for a very multimedia-heavy concept, and that was also very well-received,” says Atin.

Come 2024, and the Esplanade was already making plans for their 2025 edition of Pesta Raya, and approached Teater Kami to stage a show. “During discussions, we were saying, actually it’s SG60 in 2025, so why not do SALINA?” says Atin. “And I thought, yes that’s actually a good opportunity, considering it’s been so long since we last staged it. “I think those who watched Salina in the ’90s will come back—and they’ll bring their children, their students. We want to immerse people in that era, and really understand what their forefathers went through in the ’50s, and fall in love with the story like I did.”

For actor Fir Rahman, being part of SALINA and working with Atin again is a full-circle moment. “I first heard of SALINA when I was a secondary school student, when Kami staged it in the 90s. I wasn’t into the arts yet, I was actually a huge introvert,” he shares. “I eventually started acting in theatre productions with Kami, but never SALINA. But in 2024, when Dalifah Shahril asked if I was free during Ramadan 2025 for a show, I took it on without hesitation; it didn’t matter what role, I would make myself free because it’s Teater Kami. And it turns out it’s SALINA.”

“SALINA is a surprisingly difficult novel to find; it’s only recently that I finally got around to reading it. I kept asking friends, but many had misplaced their copies, and it’s out of print. I finally got my hands on it recently thanks to a teacher friend, and was amazed by how the dialogue we were performing is almost straight out of the novel. It really helped me visualise Kampung Kambing,” he says.

Fir takes on the role of Abdul Fakar, a selfish and manipulative character who exploits Salina for his own gains. “Fakar is a good-for-nothing. A lazy bum with no vision, who’s using and manipulating Salina for her money and spending it on other girls, yet nobody in the kampung dares to talk to him or slap him,” Fir explains. “Playing the bad guy isn’t new to me, I’ve been playing a few antagonistic roles on TV in Suria, but there’s a lot of challenge in how Fakar has a few scenes in a row where I have to find quite a few layers to his character in a short span of time, along with the difference in language compared to contemporary Malay. Thankfully, Cik Atin knows how to work with us, and she knows how to help me find those vulnerable moments in Fakar beyond just the typical bad guy, and where I keep the momentum and pace going.”

Kampung Kambing was actually located around French Road, in Jalan Besar—an area rich in multicultural life at the time. “There was Hindu music everywhere, because of the neighbourhood being near Little India, and we will be representing it in our staging,” Atin notes. “We want to be very true to the time that Pak Samad really lived through, and to show audiences what it was like, which comes out in the set, the costumes and the multimedia. It’s so hard to cut anything out, because everything is important and connected, and we’ve been spending so much of our rehearsals tightening our performance while staying true to the novel; I’ve gone home and pored over the pages so often now, just to make sure we do it justice.”

Working with the team has felt like a gift to both Fir and Atin, including actors Rafaat Hj. Hamzah and Ariati Tyeb Papar—who were in the 1997 staging of SALINA. “They help the younger actors understand the spirit of SALINA,” Fir says. “As a cast, we really focus on teamwork—rehearsing over and over again to clean up scenes and making sure it’ll be perfect. But like I said, working with Cik Atin again is a dream, and I have total respect for her, coming back to Cairnhill Arts Centre with her at the lead, and bringing this show to life.”

Ultimately, both artists hope Salina offers more than just a performance. “We want people to come out of the theatre having learned something about how our forefathers lived after the war—the music, the kampung life, the struggles,” says Fir. “Maybe it’s something that will inspire audiences to appreciate not just how far we’ve come, but also Malay theatre as a whole, and be inspired to support it more. It’s SG60, and it’s time we get more opportunities and people who will produce more good Malay theatre. With my beginnings in theatre, I will always be here to support the Malay theatre scene, and hope it only grows stronger and more respected in time to come.”

For Atin, it’s also about nurturing the next generation. “Kami was a company that started out doing new Malay works like Ikan Cantik and Anak Melayu that raised the profile of urgent social issues in the community. To make that happen, we need to make sure the opportunities to nurture new theatremakers and artists are there too, and I would do anything I could to encourage young Malay artists to write, act, direct, or do lighting,” says Atin. “For me, after they receive training, they are not obligated to stay with us or commit to a number of productions, they should be allowed to explore and go on their own artistic journey.”

“And I’m very happy to see how much impact Kami has had, with actors like Fir and Dalifah, or even lighting designers like Emanorwatty Saleh who started out with us, and now they’re everywhere,” concludes Atin. “There are only two very active Malay theatre companies in Singapore – Kami and Ekamatra, and if we aren’t there to support each other, then who will? I hope that more people and sponsors are willing to continue supporting what we do and see that the stories we tell are important, to tell these histories and to speak about these issues, and that the next generation of theatremakers continue to make us proud and carry on this tradition and scene we’ve established.”

Photo Credit: Teater Kami

SALINA plays from 2nd to 4th May 2025 at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. Tickets available here

Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2025 runs from 1st to 4th May 2025 at the Esplanade. Full programme and tickets available here