SINGAPORE — One is a Malay author-playwright dubbed one of the pioneers of Islamic poetry in Singapore.

The other, a Shanghai-born composer lauded for his exploration of the ‘Nanyang-style’ in Chinese orchestral music.

For their “significant contributions in preserving and furthering Singapore’s cultural identity”, Mr Djamal Tukimin, 71, and Mr Law Wai Lun, 73, received the Republic’s highest artistic accolade, the Cultural Medallion, from President Halimah Yacob at the Istana on Tuesday (Oct 24).

They join 121 other artists who had received the award since 1979. Cultural Medallion winners receive up to S$80,000 to further their artistic pursuits and efforts to advance artistic development in the country.

Four artists received the Young Artist Award, which was established in 1992 to support arts practitioners aged 35 and below with a grant of up to S$20,000 each.

They are conductor and composer Wong Kah Chun, 31, who was recently appointed chief conductor-designate of Germany’s Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra; poet Joshua Ip, 35; multi-disciplinary artist Kray Chen, 30; and Australia-born dancer-choreographer Yarra Ileto, 35.

The six recipients “represent the pinnacle of Singapore’s artistic excellence and cultural creativity”, said National Arts Council chief executive Rosa Daniel.

For Mr Djamal, the Cultural Medallion came 10 years after he attained the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang — the highest award for Malay literature in Singapore conferred by the Malay Language Council — and two years after he received the Archipelago Poet Award by Thailand’s Prince of Songkhla University.

His contributions as a poet, creative writer, critic and researcher since 1963 have made him one of South-east Asia’s most prominent Malay literary figures. His published works include a tome on Malay pantun — a traditional poetry style originating from Singapore, where verses range from two lines to twelve — as well as some 70 research papers on the development of Malay theatre and poetry in Singapore after its separation from Malaysia. Four of his plays have also been staged.

Mr Djamal is currently working on seven to eight books including a compilation of prominent Malay arts figures from around the world.

He welcomes postgraduate students and researchers to his five-room flat in Yishun, which houses more than 15,000 Malay literature and Islamic philosophy titles. His collection also spans resource materials of historic value and interest, such as magazines and documents printed in Singapore during the pre-war period.

Mr Djamal said he would use the Cultural Medallion grant to organise “a literary gathering” for the exchange of ideas and to discuss his past works, publish his future works and translate some of his novels into English.

Mr Djamal, whose real name is Jamal, was largely self-taught, however. A year after graduating from the Singapore Vocational Institute where he picked up woodworking machinery in 1962, he got his first big break at the age of 17 when his short story won first prize at the National Language Month competition organised by the then-Ministry of Culture.

Mr Law, the other Cultural Medallion winner, attended the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in Beijing. He migrated to Hong Kong in 1980 before relocating to Singapore in 1995.

Seven years after settling here, he premiered one of his major works, The Celestial Web, at the Singapore Arts Festival. The piece, featuring Western and Chinese instruments, a 200-strong choir, poetry recitations and instrumental solos has been widely performed by Chinese orchestras across Asia.

Other major works include Prince Sang Nila Utama and Singa (2003) and the 80-minute Admiral of the Seven Seas - Zheng He’ (2005), which stood out for their cinematic and romantic qualities.

In 2007, he was recognised as the composer with the most widely performed works by the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong. He was awarded Best Composition by the society last year for Ruan Lingyu’s The Goddess - A Silent Film Concert, composed in collaboration with Hong Kong’s Lincoln Lo in 2014.

His compositions, numbering more than 100, include five competition set pieces commissioned by the National Arts Council and Ministry of Education. His work was also performed at the National Day Parade.

Presenting the awards, Madam Halimah said: “The arts are about making connections. Not just human-to-human connections, but also connections to our past, present and future, as well as connections to our identities as individuals and as Singaporeans.

“Artists therefore play an important role in our society and in our journey of nationhood. Through their art, artists tell stories about people and of Singapore.”