[Singapore Islands] Pulau Blakang Mati: Mt. Imbiah Battery

Mr Peter Stubbs Sharing About the Gun Placement

Give me a storyteller and I'd be totally engaged. So when Mr Peter Stubbs came forward to lead the tour, I can sense his strong passion of military matters at Sentosa formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati. He had dedicated large amount of time to explore the area and is also the author of the Fort Siloso website. http://www.fortsiloso.com/guns/bl/bl.htm

Mounting of Mt. Imbiah's 9.2-inch guns

Peter walked with us to the top of Mt. Imbiah (Or previously spelt as Mt Imbeah). From there, he brought to life what life was like for the British gunners. Peter also dispelled the mistruth that the guns were pointed the wrong way and how the 6-inch guns were used against the Japanese forces, though Mount Imbiah saw no bombings by the Japanese while the sister sites at Fort Siloso and Mount Serapong were battered by Japanese fighter bombers.

The holding area where the ammunition were stored

We saw the gun placement as well as the magazine tunnels under the gun placement where the explosive shells were kept. The cylindrical-shaped marks have now been etched into the ground.

Walking Through the Dark and Narrow Tunnel

3 Interesting Facts about Mt. Imbiah

1. Mt. Imbiah was spelt as Mt. Imbeah till the late 1970s. 1
2. The gun at Mt. Imbiah was regularly fired as part of the British Forces practice run since the 1920s. 2
3.  Mt. Imbiah was known as Point 202, Blakang Mati Island 3


References 

1. Siloso's Big Bang. August 12, 1979. The Straits Times. P14.
2. Untitled. February 15, 1913. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P6.
3. Untitled. June 4, 1924. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P12.

[Singapore Islands] Pedra Branca

Pedra Branca: The Book (Amazon)

In the past, Pedra Branca was every sailor's nightmare. But in 1979, Malaysia and Singapore clambered over this rocky outcrop, together with two other outcrop called Middle Rocks and South Ledge. The deliberations and discussions as to who owns Pedra Branca and the other outcrop spanned more than a decade. The two governments then agreed to allow the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine who has the sovereignty over these outcrop. (Jeyakumar and Koh, 2009)

The book - Pedra Branca - published in 2009 had also prove to be a very good read.

As of February 3, 2017, Malaysia has lodged an appeal to the ICJ to revise the previous ruling made. The Malaysian government has said that they have discovered three new documents from the United Kingdom National Archive. (Naidu, Feb 2017)

The three documents are:-

1. An internal correspondence of the Singapore colonial authorities in 1958
2. an incident report filed in 1958 by a British naval officer and
3. an annotated map of naval operations from the 1960s

[Update: 12 Aug 2017]: Malaysia has even built a base on the Middle Rocks to stake their sovereignty over the rock outcrop.

 

So why is this situation so important to both countries? Well, the first reason is about sovereignty. In a very basic playground talk, "If it's mine, it's mine". Also, though Pedra Branca may be just a small outcrop, occupying it will mean having control of the maritime movement in and out of the Straits of Singapore.


3 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PEDRA BRANCA

1.  Most Easterly Island of Singapore

Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh as it is known in Malaysia or the former Coney Island) is the eastern most point of Singapore. It's situated at approximately 24 nautical miles to the east of Singapore. The island is actually closer to Indonesia's Bintan Island than to Singapore. (ibid)

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2. It's all about rocks and stones

The British erected a lighthouse on Pedra Branca in 1850 and named it after the late Captain James Horsburgh, a navigator and hydrographer. (Koh and Chew) Pedra Branca itself is an uninhabited "reef of white stone-rocks of granite". (Cornelius-Takahama)  The granite stones used to build the lighthouse came from the granite quarry of Pulau Ubin. (Koh and Chew)

Aerial View of Pedra Branca. Source: China Post

3. Invited and Uninvited Dignitaries

When the foundation stone was laid on May 24, 1850 to commemorate the Queen's birthday. British dignitaries including government officials, naval personnel, foreign consuls and merchants graced the launch. (The Straits Times)

Fast forward to 1998. Relation between Malaysia and Singapore were going through a rough patch as both countries were fighting over who had the sovereign rights over Pedra Branca. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir tried to get close to the outcrop but was then warned by the Singapore Navy to stay away, in which he did to prevent any potential skirmishes. (Hussein, 2009)

A litograph by J. T. Turnbull and T. Picken produced in 1850. (Horsburgh Lighthouse)

References

Amazon.com. Accessed on January 30, 2016. Retrieved from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MmRK6EOTL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Cornelius-Takahama, V. Pedra Branca. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_722_2005-01-20.html

Foo, Y. C. May 24, 2008. World Court rules Singapore owns strategic isle. China Post.
 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/photos/default.asp?ID=157824&GRP=C

Horsburgh Lighthouse. University of Otago. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://s3.amazonaws.com/ourheritagemedia%2Foriginal%2F2fbf089ced8216bf4b953abebf366cd7.jpg

Hussein, Z. December 20, 2008. Pedra Branca: Behind the scenes. The Straits Times. P26.

Jayakumar, S. & Koh, T. (2009). Pedra Branca. The road to the world court. NUS Press: Singapore. P 161.

ibid. P162

Koh, Q. R. V and Chew, V. Horsburgh Lighthouse. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_107_2005-01-20.html

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed on January 30, 2016. http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/dam/mfa/images/media_center/special_events/pedra_branca/RevisedmapshowinglocationofPedraBranca%28SingaporeMemorial%29.jpg

Naidu, S. (February 4, 2017). 3 UK documents cited for Malaysia's application to revise Pedra Branca decision. Channel News Asia. Accssed on February 4, 2017.  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/3-uk-documents-cited-for-malaysia-s-application-to-revise-pedra/3492172.html

The Horsburgh Lighthouse. May 28, 1850. The Straits Times. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes18500528-1.2.10.aspx

[Singapore Islands] History of Singapore's Coney Island

Welcome to Coney Island

1930s

The island was bought over by the Haw Par brothers - Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, who built a beach villa on the island.  (22) "The 600 sq m building is the only known villa remaining from the Aw family. It has a central hall and an open verandah that surrounds the house. A separate single-storey 100 sq m house was a service block. Its architect was likely to be Ho Kwong Yew, a leading architect of the Modern Movement in Singapore during the 1930s."(23)

1937
A tender was published in the newspaper seeking for companies to bid for the erection of a bangalow on Haw Par Island (Pulo Serangoon). (29) 

1947
The villa fell into disrepair during the Japanese Occupation and a auction notice was placed in the newspaper for the sale of the island and its building. (22) (25) (30)

1950
Previously named Haw Par Island, Indian businessman Ghulam Mahmood bought over the island from Mr Aw Boon Haw and called it "Singapore's Coney Island". He had planned to spend $100,000 to turn it into a resort. The resort would include a dance hall, bar and restaurant. (24) (25)

1951

Advertisement in the newspaper (27)

The owner did try to get the resort off the ground. There was a launch every 1/2 hour and arriving on the island, visitors would be entertained by singers and also, the Coney Island Band. (26) (27)


1955
"Pleasure isle for sale" - headlined a 1955 The Straits Times article. It was said that the owner, Mr Tarlok Singh, had intended to sell this 32-acre island (12.8 hectares) located off Punggol. At that point of sale, there was "a building with a dance floor and several seaside cabins." The island also had its own electric power plant. (1) By then, the island was already deserted. (28) Though Singaporeans would head to the island for picnics, the idea of having a Coney Island similar to what was in New York failed to take off.


1971
In 1971, it was said that a Thai owner of Coney island was looking to sell off the freehold island for S$1 million. By then, the island was already a hot spot for swimming and water-skiing. Visitors could visit the island by taking a 30-minute boat ride via the Punggol Jetty. The article had also mentioned that there were remains of old army barracks. Hmm, so who built those army barracks? (2)

In the same year, there were talks about damming the sea to build a mega reservoir so as to meet Singapore's growing water needs. (3) The damming of the sea did not happen, but a more palatable damming of the river - Sungei Serangoon was completed in 2011 - 40 years after the idea of such a reservoir was first discussed. (4) Sungei Serangoon has an entire history on its own which I plan to cover in another post.

1972
Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) then purchased the island in 1972 and laid out its plan of wanting to develop the island into a recreational resort. The statutory board had also hoped to expand the island through a S$14.5 million reclamation work that started in March 1974. (5) With this reclamation, the plan was to increase the size of the island to 154 acres (54 hectares). (6) (7) It is said that the island would be linked by a bridge to the mainland. (8)

1976
Alas, it was not all about white sandy beaches. In 1976, the island had faced with issues such as pollution from the pig farms in Punggol that had afflicted the island till the late 80s. (9) (10) Oil-slick waters was also a perennial issue. (9) 

1982
In 1982, the complaint was about a pack of mongrels that were left on the island by owners to fend for themselves. (11)

1987
In 1987, PSA released the rights of the island to Singapore Housing Development Board. The plan was to reclaim the Punggol foreshore and with that, the island will be joined to the mainland. (12)

1994
In 1994, boatman Lu Song Fa opined that Coney Island has remained pretty much the same as it was decades ago. He was the only boatman operating the service to Coney Island. At one time, there were as many as 14 boats that took visitors to the island. These were beach goers and anglers. (14) The water off the island was also good for water-skiing.

1995
More concrete plans for the island came about in 1995 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) talked about land reclamation of the island. The plan was similar to the previous suggestion of land reclamation. However, there would be a river that separates Punggol and Coney Island. There were further plans of building either private or public housing on both banks. (13)

2008
Work on the island started in earnest in 2008. The decision was to build a coastal promenade and also a rustic park. (15)

2012
The final decision, lauded as a victory for nature lovers, was made by NParks to turn into Singapore's ninth nature park. (16) Nature lovers have been calling for the island to be preserved in its natural state as migratory birds such as the blue-throated bee-eater and jerdon's baza would usually make this little island their temporary home. (18) However, this is only the immediate plans as suggested by NParks. In the future, it is said that there will also be other developments, other than it just being a nature park. This will include a housing estate on the island itself. (17) (19)

2015
The 50ha island was officially opened by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Khaw Boon Wan on October 10, 2015. There are five beaches and two bridges that are linked to the eastern and western ends of Punggol Promenade and Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 6. The park is opened from 7am to 7pm. (20)

The park cost S$3million and took a total of 15 months to complete. There's a 2km stretch of shoreline and 2.4km path that stretches from the eastern to western bridge. Interestingly, there is no electricity or piped water on the island. So in comes solar power and harvested rain water. (22)


References:

1. Pleasure isle for sale. September 8, 1955. The Straits Times. P5.
2. It's yours if you have a million to spare. August 31, 1971. New Nation. P1.
3. Water. August 31, 1971. New Nation. P1.
4. PUB. Local Catchment Water. Accessed on November 11, 2015.  http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/Pages/LocalCatchment.aspx
5. Reclamation of foreshore. March 9, 1974. The Straits Times. P22.
6. Pulau Coney di-beli oleh pehak PSA. November 21, 1972. Berita Harian. P10.
7. Big Coney Isle Plan. January 4, 1974. New Nation. P3.
8. Beach of the future. September 11, 1974. New Nation. P3.
9. PSA plan for resort islands hit by pollution. December 25, 1976. The Straits Times. P6.
10. De Silva, G. July 29, 1989. Keep Pulau Seletar as it is - a 'hideaway' island. The Straits Times.
11. Unwanted dogs left to starve on the island. November 10, 1982. The Straits Times. P12.
12. Coney Island to be swallowed up. April 16, 1987. The Straits Times. P13.
13. Low, M. November 8, 1995. URA to sell Changi land for resort use, reclaim 110ha off Punggol. The Straits Times.
14. Tan, W. June 23, 1998. A last look at Coney Island. The Straits Times.
15. Development plan takes shape in Punggol. May 17, 2008. Channel News Asia.
16.Toh, K. February 19, 2012. Coney island set to become nature park. The Straits Times.
17. Nature park amid various projects. February 26, 2012. The Straits Times. 
18. Rustic nature park for Coney Island. November 20, 2012. The Straits Times.
19. Wild greenery makes S'pore a global eco-city. May 1, 2013. The Straits Times.
20. Coney Island Park, Singapore's new nature destination, now open. October 10, 2015. The Straits Times.
21. New nature park opens on Coney Island. October 10, 2015. Channel News Asia.
22. Coney Island Park opens to the public. October 11, 2015. The Straits Times.   
23. Coney Island: A walk on the wild side. October 17, 2015. The Straits Times.
24. 'Coney Island' ready by the end of this year. August 11, 1950. The Singapore Free Press. P5.
25. Coney Island for S'pore. April 4, 1950. The Straits Times. P7.
26. Advertisement. April 26, 1951. The Singapore Free Press. P11.
27. Advertisement. March 21, 1951. The Singapore Free Press. P7.
28. She saved marooned monkey. February 20, 1955. The Straits Times. P5.
29. Advertisement. February 1, 1937. The Straits Times. P2.
30. Advertisements. July 9, 1947. The Straits Times. P2.

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Ubin: Tranquil Island

Pulau Ubin - An island that is a stone-throw away from Singapore's mainland but it is so different in every way. Stepping onto the island seems to zap you into history. Nature, houses on stilts, tall coconut trees. All of which are not commonly seen on the island of Singapore.

I'd wanted to bring my family to Pulau Ubin over the weekend but the rain scuppered our plans. Also, I'd wanted to see how we can spend the least amount of money while gaining maximum enjoyment.

We started off from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. In the past, we just waited at the pier the boatman would just call out to you to board his bumboat. Unlike now, there was no police checks or scanners. We just climb across adjoining bumboats to get to the one that was departing for Pulau Ubin.

The cost of the bumboat ride was S$2.50 per pax. It does not matter if my son was just 2 years old, as long as he can crawl, they will charge. Fair dinkum I'd say. The kids enjoyed the bumboat ride to Pulau Ubin.

It took us merely 30 minutes to get to Pulau Ubin and off we went for our walk. We took in the sights of the the Sensory Trail where different plants are grown along the trail. We even saw a well. Something that we in Singapore do not get to see anymore.

Before we head back to our beloved little red dot, we chose to fill our stomachs with some island food. So off to Pulau Ubin Seafood Restaurant we went.

Nothing fancy, we had fried rice, hor fun, a plate of vegetable and kampong chicken. All in all, we spent less than $60 for the entire trip. Good family bonding; Good value!

First published on November 30, 2011. 

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Semakau: An Island in the Sun?

Marine Transfer Station

The Singapore government recently launched the Phase II development of Pulau Semakau on July 11, 2015. This increases Singapore's capacity to "meet waste disposal needs" for the next 20 years. (1) Refuse was previously dumped at Lorong Halus just off Old Tampines Road till 1999. (2)

Visiting Pulau Semakau

I visited Pulau Semakau in 2013 as part of an organised trip. By then, the island was already a landfill. The guide shared much about the biodiversity in and around the island, but nothing about the island's history. It was a talk by Anthropologists Dr Vivienne Wee, Dr Geoffrey Benjamin, and Ms Normala Manap that opened my eyes to the value of these southern islands.

Pre-Raffles? 

The island was believed to be rich in history. In 1991, a group of explorers found pottery that were probably more than 200 years old. Dr John Maksic opined that part of a clay jar found could have even been from the 12th century.  (3) 

Resettlement

In 1977, more than 600 villagers were ordered to move to mainland Singapore. From thereon, the island laid uninhabited, though not totally. When Dr John Maksic visited Pulau Semakau in 1991, a Malay couple - Mr Rani bin Omar and Mdm Minah bte Gap was seen living on the deserted island. (4)

They shared that:-

a. The villagers of Pulau Semakau and Pulau Seking were closely related. They attended each others' weddings
b. They collect fresh water from the larger island of Pulau Bukom

In a more recent article, Mdm Minah shared about how both she and her husband fought off Indonesian interlopers when they were staying on the island alone. Mdm Minah's son shared his pain of losing the island. He thought that the new government led by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew would continue to allow them to live peacefully on the island. The late Mr Lee had also visited the Pulau Semakau and had promised the islanders modern facilities such as "police post, community clinic and Malay school". Instead by the 1970s, the islanders lost their entire island when they were asked to move. (5)

Interestingly, Former Senior Minister of State Mr Sidek Saniff had previously taught in the Island's school in 1958. (6) There was only one school - the Pulau Semakau Malay School and it was said that the school had been in existence since before World War 2. (26) 

Here're some highlights of Pulau Semakau over the years.

1923
Police were alerted to a fight between Malays and the Chinese. The Chinese coolies were working in the lime kiln there (7) 

1948
The British government issued identity cards to the islanders (8)

1950
The islanders, consisting of Malay fishermen and Chinese traders, built themselves a school for 30 Malay students. But no teachers were available to teach these students (9)

1951
The Pulau Semakau school was finally opened. The Pulau Semakau Malay school started with five Chinese and 25 Malay students, all learning the Malay language. The Chinese residents of Pasir Panjang contributed $700 to buy timber, attap and cement to build the school while the Malays helped in the building. (11) (12) (16)

With the school up and running, other islanders from Pulau Sudong, Pulau Sebarok and Pulau Senang had asked if the school could also take in their children (10)

1952
The population of the island was at about 350 islands. It was also listed that in 1940, The Singapore Rural Board thought that the island was uninhabited (13) As the island was inhabited, the Board had thus agreed to buy a water boat and build water storage tanks for the islanders. (14)

1954
A floating medical dispensary coupled with a nurse would provide medical service for the people every Wednesday (15)

1955
The Mobile Film Unit would show their films on the islands to provide the islanders with some entertainment (16)

1957
The government had decided to build Quarters for teachers, Postman and Postal Agency and Sundry shops.

1958
Costing $10,000, the islanders welcomed their first postal agency. (18) 

1959
The Ministry planned to build a water tank to arrest the acute water shortage issue during the dry season. (19)

1960
The Yang di-Pertuan Negara Inche Yusoff Ishak visited the island, and planted a coconut tree to commemorate this event. The Penghulu of the island, Inche Abdul Jalil bin Kerip pledged the island's loyalty to Singapore's government. (20) (21)

1963
A new Community Centre was built. (22)

1965
The Penghulu receives a Public Service Star medal. (23)

1969
The Singapore Armed Forces started to use the island for its live firing exercises. (24)

1972
Indonesians were still allowed to move freely amongst Singapore islands. (25)

1973
The population of Pulau Semakau was said to be 1,826 residents. (26)

1975
It was reported that the island was to be developed to house a petrol chemical complex. Swamp, foreshore and seabed would be reclaimed. (27)

1976
More talks about developing the island. Now the reports state that it would be used for shipbuilding and other marine-oriented industries. (28)

Old graves were exhumed and moved to Mount Vernon Crematorium. (29)

1977
Villagers were required to move away from their island. (4)

1978
The island was deemed by the newspaper as a 'relatively undisturbed' island with coconut tree and fishing villages. (30)

1980
By now, the villagers of Pulau Semakau have been moved to the mainland and the island has become a dumping ground of waste materials dredged up from the sea. (31)

1982
A decision was made to join both Pulau Semakau and Pulau Seking. At this point, the newspaper report had still mentioned that it was done to house a international petroleum centre. (32)

1988
First mention of Pulau Semakau being a offshore refuse dump. (33) 

At this point, community centres are still bringing their residents to the southern islands (Including Pulau Semakau) for tours. (34)

1989
The newspapers mentioned that the island is now uninhabited "with only one watchman living there". It was also reported by a NUS professor that corals lying around the island have already been damaged since the early 1960s due to reclamation work done on the island. Soil dug up from the building of the Central Expressway, and earth spoils from Pulau Seraya Power Station were also dumped into the sea off Pulau Semakau. (35)

If things did not seemed bad enough with the island being used for waste disposal, the government shared about their plans to build a toxic waste plant on the island itself. (36)

Still on its environment, it was reported that marine life was thriving in and around the water of Pulau Semakau and that the artificial reef that was built using old tyres and cement was a success. (37)

1991
Adventurers claimed that they have found artefacts of more than 200 years old along the beach and also other parts of the island. (3)

1993
Then Environment Minister Mah Bow Tan said that the offshore landfill will see Singapore through to 2045. (38)

1994
Parliament agrees to the reclamation project of the island. (39)

2006
Former Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim announced that Pulau Semakau would be ready for anglers and nature lovers to visit. (40)

2015
Pulau Semakau has been further expanded to meet the demands of Singapore's waste disposal. (41)










References

1. Chan, L. E. July 11, 2015. Singapore's waste disposal needs get a boost. Channel News Asia.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-waste/1976976.html (Accessed on July 11, 2015)
2. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. The DNA of Singapore. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/places/details/19 (Accessed on November 24, 2014)
3. The Straits Times. October 4, 1991. Adventurers find ancient artifacts on Semakau. P26.
4. The Straits Times. October 6, 1991. Deserted Island is Home to Rani and his Wife. P12.
5. Marsh, J. May 24, 2015. Forgotten Singapore: evicted islanders grieve for lost paradise. http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/post-magazine-may-24 Accessed on July 11, 2015.
6. The Straits Times. March 31, 1993. Just when you thought it's safe to step into the water.
7. The Straits Times. March 26, 1923. Affray at Pulau Semakau. P8.
8. The Straits Times. November 14, 1948. Mobile teams help register. P1.
9. The Straits Times. July 24, 1950. They Built a School. P7.
10. The Straits Times. March 6, 1951. They have to go by boat to School. P10.
11. The Straits Times. January 9, 1951. 5 Chinese boys to learn Malay. P15.
12. The Straits Times. January 3, 1951. 5 Islanders get own school and unity. P7.
13. The Straits Times. August 22, 1952. Island that's not in the book. P9.
14. The Straits Times. June 20, 1952. Now they can have water.  P9.
15. The Straits Times. March 1, 1954. A Battle Begins in Singapore Today.  P8.
16. The Straits Times. March 7, 1955. Advertisement. P9.
17. The Straits Times. February 2, 1955. Advertisement. P5.
18. The Straits Times. September 7, 1957. Advertisement. P10.
19. The Straits Times. August, 1959. Better Condition for 3,000 Islanders. P11.
20. The Straits Times. February 1, 1960. Tree to mark visit. P1.
21. The Straits Times. February 1, 1960. Inche Ishak to islanders: We have plans to help you. P4.
22. The Straits Times. September 10, 1963. New Community Centre. P4.
23. The Straits Times. May 1, 1965. List of main Singapore awards. P9.
24. The Straits Times. February 29, 1969. Artillery firing. P8.
25. The Straits Times. August 21, 1972. Indonesian islanders join in joy of sea carnival. P27.
26. Sidhu, K. S. June 3, 1973. The island folks and men who guard them. The Straits Times. P10.
27. The Straits Times. July 30, 1975. Go-ahead for reclaimed land in Changi. P9.
28. The Straits Times. April 27, 1976. Semakau to be turned into big marine base. P5.
29. The Straits Times. April 26, 1976. Advertisement. P24.

30. Byramji, N. October 1, 1978. The unspoilt islands for walks in the wild. The Straits Times. P1.

31. Chee, L. September 9, 1980. Marco Polo removing 'high spots' in Singapore. P13.

32. Lim, J. September 21, 1982. $600m reclamation to join two islands. The Straits Times. P1.
33. The Business Times. March 23, 1988. Plan to use Semakau for offshore refuse dumping. P2.
34. The New Paper. August 1, 1988. Southern islands picnic. P38.
35. Liu, M. February 26, 1989. Govt will prevent dump site from polluting sea. The Straits Times. P14.
36. de Silva, G. October 7, 1989. Singapore looks at setting up of an offshore toxic waste plant. P44.
37. Goh, J. October 17, 1989. Man-made reef lures marine life. The Straits Times. P22.

38. Nathan, D. September 23, 1993. Another $1b landfill if rubbish keeps piling up, says Mah. The Straits Times. P3.

39. The Straits Times. July 27, 1994. 350 ha reclamation off Pulau Semakau gets nod. P.20.

40. Hooi, A. March 9, 2005. Fancy a nature trek at Pulau landfill? The Straits Times. P5.
41. Wee, C. F. July 12, 2015. Biggest rubbish dump grows bigger. The Straits Times. 

Singapura: 700 Years

The National Museum has recently taken some flak for typo errors seen on their exhibition boards. (1) The new exhibition - Singapura: 700 Years brings together archeological finds from as early as the 1920s till recent. 

A large number of historical findings in Singapore can be found in this definitive book - Early Singapore 1300s - 1819. Published in 2004, the book brings together papers written by Singapore history scholars. It goes out to prove that Singapore was not a sleepy village before pre-Raffles.

Through various excavations, gold ornaments, glass sheds and vessels, and Chinese bowls have been found. All these are shown in this book and the current exhibition is based largely on the findings.

As early as 1320, it was said that a prominent place in Singapore was mentioned in the Yuan Dynasty's record, the "Yuan-Shih". The unique stone feature that  was then known as "Long ya-men" Or Dragon's tooth gate.

In 1349, a Chinese businessman named Wang Da Yuan was said to have visited Singapore. So with all these factors coming into play, Singapore was not just an island.

There were also maps to show that Singapore was a known island before Sir Stamford Raffles. The map above was taken from a section of Captain J. Lindsey's 1798 "The South part of the Straits of Malacca". (2)

Interestingly, the map also shows other nearby island such as Salat Booro (Pulau Ubin?), Tooly (Pulau Blakang Mati), and Pedra Branca.

Reference:

1. Zaccheus, M. December 1, 2014. Showcase of S'pore marred by typo, errors. The Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/showcase-spore-history-marred-typos-errors-20141201

2. Miksic, J. & Low, C. M. G. 2004. Early Singapore 1300s - 1819. Singapore History Museum: Singapore. P96.

[Singapore Islands] Kusu Island: The Land of Tortoises

 

An island where prayers are held - both at the Tua Pek Kong Temple and the Malay Keramat. How did the holy places of two different religions ended up on the same island? Well, I'd say that lends to the mystic of this interesting island.

Through my readings, I've found a newspaper article stating that Kusu Island (Or formerly known as Pulo Kusu, or Peak Island or Pulau Tembakul or Tortoise Island for the many tortoises found on the island. Phew that's a whole lot of names for a tiny island) was a "favourite resort of the Straits-born Chinese". (1) The mystery grows. Was there a resort on Pulo Kusu? Why did the Straits-born Chinese choose Pulo Kusu to hang out?

  

Pulo Kusu is located slightly more than five kilometres South of Singapore; close enough to Singapore for the early pioneers to make a visit to the island via sampans. (2) The island was inhabited by a very small group of fishermen. (3)

Kusu Island's temple being enveloped by the sea during high tide. (4)

In the past, the temple stood on an atoll while the kramat was on top of the hill. Both the places of worship were linked by a strip of sand. During high tide, the strip of sand disappears. (5) In order to move from the temple to the kramat, one has to either take a ride on the sampan, or to just swim across.

In modern times, you can either pay for a special chartered boat ride that would take you 15 minutes; or simply follow the crowd and pay for the normal ferry shuttle which costs markedly less (Check website for rates). The boat ride from Singapore to Pulo Kusu take about 45 minutes as the ferry will stop over at St. John's Island first before crossing over to Pulo Kusu. (6)

The Kramat

In an October 1926 newspaper article, the writer visited Kramat Kusu. In that article, the writer mentioned that one has to trod the "winding pathway" to reach to the summit. Now, the path is well-paved and the 152 steps will lead you to the kramat.

Along the upward path, one would see both yellow strings and red plastic bags with two stones. So what do these signify? Well, visitors of the kramat tie the strings with four numbers - lucky numbers that punters write down in hope of striking it rich. What about the red plastic bags with stones and notes? Some parents do that in the hope of getting a child.   

The first mention of Kusu Island was on the March 1616 when Dom Jose de Silva, Spanish Governor of the Philippines was believed to have run aground at Kusu Reef. (7) The early newspapers also alluded to the fact that it was already a place of worship long before the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles. (8)

Back to current times, I arrive at the peak of the hill. There stood a kramat all painted in yellow. A kramat signifies a holy person with supernatural powers, seemingly even after the person's death. So on top of this hill, there are three shrines and they are maintained by Mr Hussein and his wife, Jamaliah. Mr Hussein claimed that he has taken over his father's duty as the caretaker. He also said that he has lived at the kramat for about 50 years.

I'd observe that the ritual both Mr Hussein and his wife have performed was not of a full Muslim ritual but instead, a prayer to Datok Nenek that was done in a mixture of Malay, Hokkien and English. The entire ritual ended with a "Huat ah" (or may you prosper).


Tua Pek Kong Temple

The distinctive Chinese green roof with red pillars stood out from a distance. What was once a prayer hut is now a full fledged temple. (9)

I entered through the gates that was closer to the foothill of the kramat. The bright red paint of the entrance exudes this warmness - an invitation to visit the temple.

Every year from September, thousands of pilgrims flocked to this island temple to "pray for good luck and prosperity". (10)

There's even a wishing well for you to toss your 'lucky' coins. If your coin hits the bell, it means that luck with be with you.

All in, it was an eye opener for me to see two different religion living in harmony on a small little island.


References

1. Untitled. The Straits Times. October 26, 1908. P6.
2. A Visit to Kramat Kusu. The Straits Times. October 29, 1926. P10.
3. Matter Chinese. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). October 21, 1927. P5.
4. Untitled. The Straits Times. October 30, 1950. P7.
5. Heathcott, K. (October 21, 1940). Chinese Go To Pray And Picnic On Kusu Island. P7.
6. Singapore Island Cruise. http://www.islandcruise.com.sg/ferry_schedule.html#t3. Accessed on October 27, 2014.
7. Cornelius-Takahama, V. (2000). Singapore Infopedia. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_233_2005-01-20.html. Accessed on October 28, 2014.
8. Before the days of Raffles. October 9, 1932. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P7.
9. Grand Old Lady (100) of Kusu Island dies. November 1, 1954. The Singapore Free Press. P5.
10. The Birthday of Two Gods. February 10, 1956. The Singapore Free Press. P4.

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Punggol Barat and Pulau Punggol Timor

In a magical instance, two islands rose from the sea. Well in the case of Pulau Punggol, it was not quite so magical. It was through an announcement in 1995 that the public came to know of the two reclaimed islands off Seletar - Pulau Punggol Barat and Pulau Punggol Timor, or West Punggol Island and East Punggol Island. 1

Pulau Punggol Timor was initially used as a military exercise ground from 1998-99. 2

 

In 2007, it was announced that these islands were to be used as a landing and stockpile site for granite and sand. 3  I've read much about this place and so with my trusty bicycle, I took the road less travelled. I was a bit more careful and had chosen to cycle along the path rather than on the road. It seemed like there was an endless stream of tipper trucks.

They were moving sand and granite to the various locations around Singapore, all in the name of urbanisation and the building of government flats and other other developments.

Pulau Punggol Timor  

   

My cycling trail started at Punggol Way. I'd crossed the bridge that cuts through Sungei Punggol. The first building that you will get to see is this weathered building that house the dam gates for this river. The bridge led me to Pulau Punggol Timor where you can find the landing and stockpile sites. These sites could be seen all over this island.

In a short 15 minutes, I was able to get to the bridge that led me from Pulau Punggol Timor to Pulau Punggol Barat.

Pulau Punggol Barat

It was more cycling from here. However, this island now sees more vegetation that Pulau Punggol Timor. This island also see a 3.7 Kilometre long fence to deter illegal immigrants from landing on this island. It has happened before. 3

Moving along, there were also lovely flowers that laid spread out on the pavement. The excitement was growing and I'd really want to see what's at the end of Pulau Punggol Barat. A bridge linking to the outskirt of the Seletar Airport was all that I had wanted to see.


  

Paddling the gradual slope was most satisfying when I caught sight of the surroundings. On my left, was the edge of the island. On the right was Seletar Airport, and behind me was a true bonanza.

That is the elevated view of Pulau Seletar. Paradise.




1. Tan, H. Y. (November 22, 1995). Singapore islands get new names with reclamation. The Straits Times. P.3.

2. Military Exercise. (February 14, 1999). The Straits Times. P21.

3. How police deter smugglers at hotspots. October 2, 2010.

[Singapore Islands] Sultan Shoal Lighthouse

Frontage of Sultan Shoal

Sultan Shoal is one of the smaller islands of Singapore. (1) Standing on the island is a lighthouse that was built in 1895, a chalet for Maritime Port of Authority staff, and a swimming lagoon. One of the first mention of Sultan Shoal was in the newspaper in 1863. It was about a steamer Behar that was captained by Captain Dundas. The steamer was suppose to be anchored off Sultan Shoal but the captain chose to proceed to the harbour so that there were more time to "transact business". (2) There was a by-mention of the Shoal in the newspapers in 1852. (22)

The Sultan Shoal was a dangerous area for ship as they were still running aground. One example was seen in 1869 where a British government steam launch Mata Mata sustained damage as it ran aground. (3) This was even after the government had erected a stone beacon in 1865 prior to the  building of the lighthouse. (4) (5)

Source: Google Maps

With the ongoing reclamation, the Sultan Shoal is now pretty much enclosed in an area between Tuas and Jurong Island.


Here're ten interesting facts about the Sultan Shoal

Singapore stamp of 1982. Source: Lighthouse stamp society. (17)

1. The granite stones used to build the lighthouse actually came from the quarries of Pulau Ubin. (6) 

2. In 1928, Sultan Shoal was used as a drop-zone for opium smugglers. Two buoys were thrown overboard with each attached with a bundle of opium (Chandu). Three Chinese men were arrested and charged with the "importation of non-government chandu"(Yes, opium was legally grown in Singapore) (7)

3. The light keeper used to keep "two loaded rifles, with fixed bayonets, and three swords" for keeping away pirates. (8)

4. By 1939, the British government had started to place mines in the waters around Singapore. A warning was post in the newspapers warning mariners of "dangerous obstructions" being laid from Tanjong Piai to the Sultan Shoal. (9)  During the early days of the Japanese Occupation in 1942, everything movable on Sultan Shoal were taken away. But prior to this loot, the lighthouse keeper was alert enough to hide all the vital lighthouse equipment away in hard-to-find places such as water tanks and secret storages. (10) Interestingly, most of the lighthouse keepers during this time were Eurasian and during the Japanese Occupation, the Sultan Shoal Lighthouse was taken cared of by Matthew Cunico. (11)  Mr Cunico received the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct "in services rendered towards effecting the escape of Brig. A.E. Cumming V.C. (Brigadier Arthur Edward Cumming) and eleven other officers in February 1942". (21)

5. Workers at the lighthouse generally do not have contact with the outside world. Not until the installation of the first talkie sets. (12)  It was only in 1963 that the lighthouse keepers were provided with television sets. (14)

6. The British Troopship - "Empress of Asia" sunk after she was bombed by the Japanese in January 1942. It was located 1/2 a mile East from Sultan Shoal. (13) She was finally salvaged in 1960. (16)

7. Indonesian gunboats had been attacking sampans and other boats just off the waters of Sultan Shoal. Some of these attacks left a number of mariners injured. (15)

8. Drama around the Sultan Shoal prior to the fall of Singapore in 1942. The 30,000 ton troopship HMS Empress of Asia, bringing 2,000 troops from India, was sunk by Japanese dive-bombers off Sultan Shoal. Eyewitnesses said that "thousands of people were seen bobbing in the water making desperate attempts to swim away from the blazing ship". (16) A former lighthouse watchman, Mr Felix Paul Monteiro, said that he saw the attack while being based on Raffles Lighthouse. The surviving soldiers then swam to Sultan Shoal. Artifacts from the wreck were brought to the surface in 1998 by a commercial diving company and these items were donated to the Singapore History Museum. (18) 

9. The lighthouse was converted to an unmanned fully automated lighthouse at a cost of S$500,000 in 1984. Previously, the lighthouse was manned by four lighthouse keepers. (19)

10. Sultan Shoal has more than 2,800 hard coral colonies. To save these coral from destruction due to passing ships, part of it have been relocated to nearby Sisters' Island and St. Johns Island. (20)


References

1. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/places/details/58
2. Untitled. July 4, 1863. The Straits Times. P2.
3. News of the week. December 18, 1869. The Straits Times. P2.
4. Untitled. May 29, 1875. The Straits Times. P3.
5. The Sultan Shoal Lighthouse. February 24, 1876. The Straits times. P2.
6. Untitled. July 18, 1894. The Straits Times. P2.
7. Revenue Officers Catch Chinese Smugglers. July 28, 1926. The Straits Times. P9.
8. Lonely keepers of Sultan Shoal. March 6, 1938. The Straits Times. P17.
9. Obstructions in Singapore Waters. September 4, 1939. The Straits Times. P11.
10. Local Lighthouse Shines Again. March 31, 1946. The Straits Times. P2.
11. Modder, M. June 27, 1948. Singapore Watchmen of the Sea. The Straits Times. P6.
12. Radio link for colony 'lights'. July 31, 1951. The Straits Times. P7.
13. Ship sunk in war to be raised. February 23, 1952. The Straits Times. P7.
14. Lonely lighthouse men: TV helps pass time. March 28, 1963. The Straits Times. P11.
15. RI Gunboat fires at bumboat: One hurt. December 14, 1966. The Straits Times. P24.
16. Daniel, J. December 1, 1974. How eleven ships met their doom off Singapore. The Straits Times. P11.
17. Lighthouse Stamp Society. Accessed on March 20, 2016. http://lighthousestampsociety.org/wp/images-2/stamps/stamps-countries-s-t/stamps-singapore/

18. Cheng, A. L. July 23, 1998. Ship's "Treasures" found off Tuas. The Straits Times.
19. PSA lighthouse goes to go automatic. December 30, 1983. The Straits Times. P11.
20. Relocating corals at Sultan Shoal. April 26, 2014. The Straits Times.
21. Awards and Citations. June 11, 1948. Morning Tribune. P14.
22. Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. April 23, 1852. P2.

Updated on November 18, 2018.
Additional information about Brigadier Cumming shared by Mr Richard from Marine Heritage Interest Group (SMHIG).


Further reading

Read about how the Sultan Shoal Lighthouse was first built in 1895.

A good story about Sultan Shoal's light keeper of 1937 - Mr. Adolph Monterio and his staff of five. 

An interview with a former sailor of Empress of Asia troop carrier that sank off the waters of Sultan Shoal.

Website dedicated to the British Ship - Empress of Asia.