Firdaus Sani

Firdaus Sani is a fourth-generation Orang Laut/Pulau descendant whose ancestry can be traced to the islanders of Singapore’s Southern islands and the Riau Islands. He started Orang Laut SG, a page dedicated to retelling stories of Pulau Semakau through photographs and personal anecdotes from his family who experienced life on the island.

His maternal grandparents used to live on Pulau Semakau, until 1977 before they had to leave their home for the mainland. While growing up, Firdaus visited Pulau Semakau on many occasions with his grandparents, where he learnt the traditions and the ways of life of the people who had a deep connection with the sea. Today, with the help of his mother Mdm Noorani Bte Rani, Firdaus also shares a tangible aspect of his family’s heritage – its cuisine that reflects life on the island that is no longer accessible today.

With his platform, Firdaus advocates for indigenous voices and believes that indigenous knowledge and history should be included in Singapore’s mainstream education. He has spoken at TedxYouth@Singapore, showcased his poetry on the Esplanade stage and the Singapore’s Writers Festival 2021and 2022. Firdaus and his family’s narratives have also been featured in various media channels such as BBC, CNA, The Straits Times, Our Grandfather Story, Prestige Singapore, Homeground Asia, Mothership and more.

Today, he runs @theblacksampan, a social enterprise and marketing agency that supports local non-profit organisations and group-up initiatives in Singapore.