The document traces the origins and evolution of spas from ancient hot springs to modern day luxury establishments. It discusses how spas originated in prehistoric times and were developed by various ancient civilizations like the Romans and Turks. In Singapore, early spas in the 1990s catered to the emerging middle class as places for leisure and wellness. Traditional Malay massages and herbal treatments were incorporated into newer spas. Over time, spas shifted from serving functional health purposes to becoming symbols of status available mainly to the privileged. The tukang urut evolved from village healers to professionals working in modern spas.

2. Spa n. (spä)
As A Malay Middle-Class Culture

3. Origins of the Spa
as we know it
• Pre-historic hot & cold springs
• Aegean Bathing Rituals
• Aquae Spadanea of the Roman Empire
• Turkish Baths
• Asian Localization/ Exoticisation of Spas

4. Spa as part of
middle-class consumption
• Servility
• Privilege of the Leisure Class
• Exclusivity (Access & Attainment)
• Spa as socialization space of middle-class
• Need for specialized knowledge
• Concern for health & wellness

5. Greek Bath at Pompei

6. Greek Bath at Pompei

7. Greek Bath at Pompei

8. Greek Bath at Pompei

9. Roman Baths

10. Roman Baths

11. Roman Baths

12. Roman Baths

13. Turkish Baths

14. Turkish Baths

15. Turkish Baths

16. Turkish Baths

19. Early Spa Culture
in Singapore
• Aspara Spa & Renewal Day Spa (1994)
• Singapore Spa Association (1999)
• Reclassification of ‘Spa’ as different from
massage parlours (2001)
• SPAcademy by Raffles International (2001)
• Singapore as Spa Tourism Hub (2002)

20. Spa culture among Malays
• Wayan Retreat & Spa (2003)
• first Balinese Spa in Singapore
• first Malay-owned spa

22. Trend of ‘Malay’ Spas
• Back to Basics Muslimah Hair Spa
• Lymphatic Wellness
• Chantique Spa
• Kaki-Kaki
• Turned many ‘tokoh’ (eg. at Joo Chiat) into
make-shift spa places

23. Trend of ‘Malay’ Spas
• Back to Basics Muslimah Hair Spa
• Lymphatic Wellness
• Chantique Spa
• Kaki-Kaki
• Turned many ‘tokoh’ (eg. at Joo Chiat) into
make-shift spa places

24. Patrons of Culture...
• Scrubs: Lulur, Boreh, Kemiri
• Baths: Mandi Bunga, Mandi Susu, Jamu Herbal bath
• Massages: Kampung, Javanese, Balinese
• use of Malay herbal concoctions
• Gaggang, Kempis Perut, Seri Pengantin, Urut Bayi

25. ...and Globalization
• Scrubs: Lavender, Eucalyptus
• Baths:Vichy, Jacuzzi, Spa Pools
• Massages: Swedish, Shiatsu, Thai, Deep Tissue
• use of oils, creams and tea
• Ear Candling, Slim wraps, Pedicure & Manicure

26. “Ada yang housewife, husband pergi kerja isteri
pergi spa... Ada satu group cikgu-cikgu pencen...
Tapi yang biasa selalu yang bekerjalah... Penat,
stress, sengal-sengal, jadi spa relaxing for them.
Untuk perjalanan darah, hilangkan stress...
Students jaranglah buat spa.”
- Kak Wati, masseuse from Chantique Spa.

28. The New
Malay AND Muslim Spa
• differentiates non-Malay treatment
and ‘non-Muslim’ spa
• ‘Spa’ differentiated as distinctly
different from the traditional pre-
existing ‘urut’

29. The Pre-existing Malay Urut
• home-based
• facials are home-made D.I.Y; idea of petua
• massages are functional; health purposes, not
leisure
• pre & post natal
• ‘bekam’
• ‘salah urat’, aches, etc.

30. Who is the Tukang Urut?
“The tukang urut was knowledgeable in the practice of
traditional Malay medicine and was a popular
source of medicinal assistance in the kampung (village).
The tukang urut would dispense traditional Malay
medicines, treating common ailments using plant or
animal-based ingredients.
Tukang uruts were knowledgeable about various
conditions of the human body and relied heavily on
their knowledge of the human anatomy
during massages.”

31. Evolution of the ‘Tukang Urut’
• Spas offering home-based traditional urut
services
• tukang urut services incorporated into spas
(Spa Elements, Damai Spa, Chantique Spa, etc)
• Tukang Urut offering more recent treatments
• i.e Ear Candling, Swedish Massage, Using of
lavender, eucalyptus oils
• Tukang Urut setting up physical shops

32. “Going for a massage” —
Shift in meanings
• from necessity and recuperation to one of luxury
and pampering indulgence
• from a village level, accessible service to one that
is exclusive and for the privileged
• reverence to a traditional tukang urut as healer VS
masseuse today as part of the servility
• The Spa remains as a sign of prestige and status; a
lifestyle of its own

33. Experiential Learning
Anyone?

34. Acknowledgements
Chantique Spa & Bridal
Spa Elements
Aegean Spa

35. References
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Penguin.
Bourdieu, Pierre (2000). ‘Conspicuous Consumption’ in Martyn J. Lee, The Consumer Society
Reader. Masachusettes: Blackwell Publishing.
Gary Bodeker & Marc Cohen (eds.) (2008). Understanding the Global Spa Industry: spa
management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Global Information Hub on Integrated Medicine (2010). Traditional Malay Medicine [Online].
Available: http://www.globinmed.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=50:traditional-malay-
medicine&catid=45:malaysian-perspective&Itemid=137. Accessed on 13 October 2010.
Nurbaiti Hamdan (2009). Document Traditional Spa Practices [Online]. Available: http://
thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/2/10/central/3067934&sec=central. Accessed on
16 Octorber 2010.
Nurhidayati Yahya (2010). Butterflyrubrics: Weekends in Spore — Spa Jelita [Online]. Available:
http://butterflyrubrics.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/weekends-in-spore-spa-jelita/. Accessed
on 12 October 2010.
Paige, John C. & Laura Woulliere Harrison (1987). Out of the Vapors: A Social and Architectural
History of Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park. U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Malay Medicine (2009). Tukang Urut [Online]. Available: http://
malaymedicine.blogspot.com/2009/08/tukang-urut.html. Accessed on 16 October 2010.
Veblen, Thorstein (2000). ‘Conspicuous Consumption’ in Martyn J. Lee, The Consumer Society
Reader. Masachusettes: Blackwell Publishers Inc.
Yilmazkaya, Orhan & Deniz, Ogurlu (2005). Turkish Baths: A Light Onto a Tradition and
Culture. Çitlembik

36. Thank A
Q & You

37. Thank You