why was sentosa called pulau blakang mati

Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, pp. In an 1828 sketch of Singapore Island, the island is referred to as Po. . The Straits Times. Winston Wong, a heritage tour guide at The Barracks Hotel Sentosa, walks us down memory lane. In fact, the Japanese perceived the fortifications as a threat which explains the air raid of 18 January 1942 when 100 bombs were dropped on Blakang Mati.8, Shortly after the invasion, the Japanese rounded up Chinese men and had them executed in remote locations around Singapore. The fortifications, along with Fort Pasir . The first two days of its opening were marked with free entry into Sentosa for visitors who walk, and subsequently, an SGD 1 admission fee into Sentosa is charged. (n.d.). The surprising history of Sentosa, Singapore's staycation island Manila: International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, p. 44. That had little impact. (2009, October 10). An essay on coral reefs as the cause of Blakan Mati fever, and of the fevers in various parts of the East. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.20. Sentosa visitors top million mark. Yaw, Y. C. (1990, January 2). Earth just set a heat record. The Straits Times, p. 38. Retrieved from Factiva; Boo, C. (2006, December 9). (2012, June 3). (1981, February 14). Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Sentosas Mega attraction. Image from the National Museum of Singapore), Located off the southern coast of Singapore, the 500-hectare island we know as Sentosa today, used to be called Pulau Blakang Mati from as far back as the 1600s.1 Its name translates to the island behind which lies death, possibly a result of brutal pirate battles of yesteryear.2, Ferry service on Pulau Blakang Mati as photographed in 1915. However, the then-chief of the Urban Renewal Unit (the forerunner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority), Alan Choe, wanted to somehow preserve the greenery of the island. Rajan, T. (2006, December 5). The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from Sentosa website: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/nature/mount-imbiah/7. [7] In March 1971, the government announced plans to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists, and a S$124-million plan for developing Sentosa was unveiled in March 1972. Before it's now-popular name, Sentosa was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati, which means "Island of Death Behind", in Malay. The Straits Times, p. 26. 302303. A few suggested it take on new life as a tourist resort.14. Singapore street names: A study of toponymics. The 1st Singapore Regiment of the Royal Artillery (SRRA), the Gurka infantry units as well as local enlistees were briefly stationed on the island. The Straits Times, p. 7. Singapore. Seven lives were lost in the accident. There too would be the option for scuba-diving and horse-riding. Government Gazette. Soon, a world first for Spore. Sentosa Island, a luxurious tourist destination just off Singapore, almost never happened. Last Updated 20 June 2022, In its early years, visitors could only access Sentosa by ferry or, Lagoons and chalets line the beach of Sentosa. 2873). Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Sentosa. [7] Since then, some S$420 million of private capital and another S$500 million of government funds have been invested to develop the island. (1983, November 12). Sentosa Cove - Yachtcruisesg Retrieved from NewspaperSG.35. The civilian population also grew in numbers, as did economic activity on the island in the form of shops and services. Blakang Mati, he added, was "one vast pinery, supplying the island of Singapore with this delightful and refreshing fruit". (Call no. In 1983, a drillship crashed into the Sentosa cableway, knocking off two cars which plunged 55 metres into the sea. It was once a British military base and a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, and many Chinese were found killed on its beach during the Japanese occupation. The Straits Times, p. 16. Fort Siloso is a decommissioned coastal artillery battery in Sentosa, Singapore.It consists of 12 such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II, and saw action during the Battle of Singapore.The fort is now a military museum open to the public. ], p. 575. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Shankari, U., & Ramachandani, N. (2009). Sports and Recreation It has a Universal Studios Theme Park (known as Universal Studios Singapore) which occupies nearly half of the resort space. Visitorship hit a million during the financial year of 1979/1980. His ideas was quickly shot down by the ministers who believed that Singapore was not ready to accept such radical ideas. Up to 1830, it was called Pulau Panjang ("long island"). As of 2022 Sentosas 50th anniversary plans are afoot to update and expand the paradise island yet again.22, The man-made island paradise is refreshed regularly to cater to ever-evolving visitor appetites. Sentosa was known for savage pirates and a brutal prisoner of war camp before the Singapore government converted it into an upmarket vacation destination in the 1970s. : RSING 915.9570014 SAV). On 30 July 2017, SBS Transit Bus Service 123 was extended to enhance connectivity to Resorts World Sentosa, Merlion Tower (now closed), and Beach Station Bus Terminal. History of Sentosa : RSING 959.57 SGG); Island of surprises. [23][24] Sentosa Boardwalk, designed by Aedas, was named Best Leisure Architecture in Asia Pacific and 5* Best Leisure Architecture in Singapore, at the 2014 Asia Pacific Property Awards. 302303. (Once a state secret, these Albanian bunkers are now museums.). , p. 5. Aquarium, the Maritime Experiential Museum, The Royal Albatross and the Trick Eye Museum Singapore. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, pp. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.37. Retrieved from Sentosa website: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/about-us/sentosa-island/2. Aquarium the worlds largest oceanarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark, an aquatic adventure park.64 Not resting on its laurels, the SDC has not let up on its efforts to stay relevant in the highly competitive tourism market. Early records suggested that the Bugis pirates sea nomads originating from Indonesia have been responsible for the plundering of well-stocked English and Dutch ships leaving the Keppel Harbour. It was only in the 1880s that three artillery forts Forts Serapong, Connaught and Siloso and the Mount Imbiah Battery were constructed on the island. (1978, February 7). (2013). Singapore: National Library Board, p. 74; Savage, V., & Yeoh, B. Tan, K. C. (Interviewer). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, pp. A month later, in March 1974, Sentosa Golf Club opened to popular reception despite having the most expensive entrance and membership fees in Southeast Asia at the time. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lee, G. (1967, September 9). Efforts are made to raise awareness among both visitors and staff of the island regarding environmental issues and sustainable tourism. Signing drama. Oral history interview with (Dr) Albert Winsemius. 1 Its name translates to "the island behind which lies death", possibly a result of brutal pirate battles of yesteryear. (1975, November 17). London: Athlone Press, pp. In Singapore. 70% of the island was covered by secondary rainforest, the habitat of monitor lizards, monkeys, peacocks, parrots as well as other native fauna and flora, also, when the construction of Resorts World Sentosa commenced; environmental impact was kept at a minimum when over two hundred trees in the designated area were replanted elsewhere on the island. At the time leading to the handover of the island, a number of government ministries and agencies sought the island for a variety of proposed uses, including as a port and industrial complex, a tourist resort with a casino as well as for military installations. p. 18. Instead its government recently declared the 19th-century Fort Siloso a national monument and is creating fresh tourism programs that embrace its bleak history. Albert Winsemius, an economic advisor, and Alan Choe, then head of the Urban Renewal Unit (now known as Urban Redevelopment Authority, URA) persuaded then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to develop the island into a tourist destination. This is followed by a reflexology session. [13] Ruins are reachable via Fort Serapong Road, then walking on a forested ridge which has several "Danger: keep out" type of signs.[14]. Wong, R. (1989, September 26). However, early maps did not separate Blakang Mati from the adjacent island of Pulau Brani, so it is uncertain to which island the sixteenth century place names referred. In 2010, Resorts World Sentosa comprising the Universal Studios theme park, as well as the Republics first casino, opened its doors. Van Miriah, C. (2009, March 28). Unauthorized use is prohibited. Sentosa: The Small Island With a Big History When youve an opportunity to improve your life, grab it. Visitors can inspect the forts anti-aircraft structures, command towers, machine gun posts, and sprawling network of bunkers, tunnels, and barracks. Get Directions For centuries, the straits around Singapore have been a key passage within global trade routes. Hotel Michael designs its rooms in the style of a gallery, with mural-adorned walls and artistic furnishing. The Straits Times. By Lilit Marcus, CNN It used to be known as Pulau Blakang Mati. $11.5m to develop Sentosa. I sincerely hope tourism will not be left out.12 In 1966, a SingaporeCanadian team of experts were engaged in a S$1.2-million study of the potential uses of Pulau Blakang Mati. Visitors to Sentosa down by a quarter. Cable cars must stay (1983, August 6). Photograph by KC Hunter, Alamy Stock Photo. In the 1930s, the British added guns with the ability to pierce through armoured ships. : RSING 959.57003 SIN-[HIS]); Savage, V., & Yeoh, B. In the first half of the 1800s, a mysterious epidemic killed a large percentage of the islands population, which then included bands of buccaneers. Pulau Blakang Mati, as Sentosa used to be known as, is the one of the oldest place names in Singapore. The world-famous Madame Tussauds wax museum opened in 2014 and incorporated the revamped Images of Singapore. Pulau Blakang Mati was officially renamed to Sentosa which means peace and tranquility in Malay. The British set up large-calibre gun fortifications at various points along the island that were aligned to the south, facing the sea in expectation of a seaward Japanese assault. Plan to develop Blakang Mati scrapped. . (1998, June 7). Retrieved from http://www.sentosa.gov.sg/sentosaAR10_11/pdf/Sentosa_2011_AR-Annual_Report.pdf; Sentosa Development Corporation. Underwater World Singapore (UWS) was an oceanarium located at 80 Siloso Road on the island of Sentosa. (These pirates stole the biggest booty ever.). Security tightens near two hotels", "2017 LPGA Tour Schedule - ProVisualizer.com", "ZoukOut draws record 18,000 party-goers from Singapore and region", "Sentosa Won TripZilla Excellence Award 2019", "Sentosa Recognised as One of the World's Leading Sustainable Tourism Destinations", "Singapore Luxury Resort - W Singapore - Sentosa Cove", "Homepage - Singapore Eco Living Resort in Sentosa, Siloso Beach Resort welcomes you", "NTU and Sentosa launch Singapore's first tidal turbine system at Sentosa Boardwalk", 360 X 360 interactive virtual tour of Sentosa's attractions, Pulau Sakijang Bendera (St. John's Island), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sentosa&oldid=1157433792, Japanese prisoner of war and internment camps, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox settlement with bad settlement type, Wikipedia infobox amusement park articles without coordinates, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2018, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Asia's Favourite Playground / Singapore's Island Resort / The State of Fun, One account attributed the ominous name to murder and, A second claimed that the island is the material paradise for the, A third account claims that an outbreak of, A fourth interpretation is that "dead back island" was so-called because of the lack of fertile, An immersive 4-D movie - "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", based on the film starring, A virtual 4-D roller coaster - "Extreme Log Ride", An interactive 4-D Shoot-Out game - "Desperados", A new 4-D experience ride - "Haunted Mine". Retrieved from NewspaperSG.69. Its incredible how camouflaged they can be. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.42. From 21 February to 4 March, the Japanese initiated Operation Sook Ching to purge anti-Japanese individuals in the Chinese community. The Straits Times, p. 10. The Straits Times, p. 10. The RWS features Southeast Asias first Universal Studios theme park and Singapores first casino.62RWS helped boost Sentosas annual visitorship to 19.1 million in 2011, more than double the 7.83-million visitors the previous year.63In November 2012, the RWS unveiled its Marine Life Park, which features the S.E.A. By 1972, $124 million worth of state money and private sector investment had been set aside for the resorts development. , p. 110. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Sentosas Palawan Beach smiles after a $20m facelift. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Boo, K. (2001, November 23). Retrieved from SDC website: http://www.sentosa.gov.sg/sentosaAR13_14/pdf/Sentosa_AR_1314.pdf. Sentosa Fire Station, which is located at 37 Artillery Avenue, has a fleet of five emergency vehicles: two fire engines, a fire bike, an ambulance and an aerial firefighting and rescue support vehicle. [MP3 recording no. 3485). Sentosa Development Corporation. The island has gone through several name changes. Boardwalk link to Sentosa opens. The fort was designed to counter seaborne attacks from the south. The Straits Times, p. 7. (1975, October 18). Underwater World scores with range of marine life. Special camping site at Sentosa. 3485). In 2015, Sentosa opened an intra-island Cable Car to facilitate travelling within the island. (Mid-1980s. (1982, June 10) The Straits Times, p. 7. The name Sentosa translates to "peace and tranquility" in Malay, which was in turn derived from the Sanskrit term Santosha, meaning "contentment, satisfaction". (1970, September 14). Retrieved from NewspaperSG.17. Image from the National Museum of Singapore). However, Albert Winsemius, an economic advisor to the government, as well as Alan Choe who was at the helm of Singapores Urban Renewal Unit (now the Urban Redevelopment Authority), convinced Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew that it was better to turn the island into a resort for recreation and tourism. (2009, July 9). It is strategically placed to provide emergency services within the island and the immediate vicinity such as the HarbourFront and Telok Blangah areas.[42]. (1991, March 9)The Straits Times, p. 1. Goh, C. L. (2014, April 12). Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Boo, K. (2001, November 23). The village was also severely affected: By 1848, only two Bugis households out of an earlier population of around 60 people were left on the island.5 The island, considered a strategic location for the protection of shipping passages into Keppel Harbour, was included in defence plans as early as 1827. These bus routes were withdrawn on 7 April 2020 due to low demand. Other attractions launched during the 1990s were criticised for being expensive, dated and lacking appeal, and were eventually shut down due to poor visitorship. There are several hotels and resorts in Sentosa (excluding Resorts World Sentosa accommodations): In addition, there are six hotels in Resorts World Sentosa: This is a family-oriented Integrated Resort with a casino at its core. Its shape and location made it a perfect place for traders traveling to and from Malaysia - and a regular hideout for the pirates raiding these ships. The surprising history of Sentosa, Singapore's staycation island Most of the attractions on Sentosa are located in either Resorts World Sentosa, Imbiah Lookout, or the Sentosa Beachfront. Campbell, W. (1967, August 1). (Eds.). (1969, July 21). Village Hotel Sentosa is a 606-room hotel and is the flagship property of the Village hotel brand. The rare maps collection of the National Library. Infrastructural improvements, facelifts to existing destinations, as well as the addition of new hotels and attractions such as Underwater World Singapore, and an $8 million, 12-storey high sculpture of the Merlion marked the 1990s. Sentosa can be reached from the Singapore mainland via a short causeway or Cable Car, which originates from Mount Faber and passes through HarbourFront en route to its final destination at Imbiah Lookout. Periasamy, M. (2015). The Sentosa Express has three stations on Sentosa and one on mainland Singapore. Sentosa is currently a resort island of some 500 ha off the south coast of Singapore. Found: Old war links. To guard the eastern and western entrances of the harbour, Forts Serapong, Connaught and Siloso, as well as the Mount Imbiah Battery were installed in the 1870s and 1880s. (Call no. Over the years, the Sentosa Development Corporation has had to refresh its offerings to satiate changing appetites and generate ongoing interest. Trade and industry To cope with demand, more cars were added. Finally, in 1975, the Republic of Singapore Navy had moved out from the Sentosa to Pulau Brani Island. (Call no. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Island milestones. Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has developed a sustainability plan to safeguard the environment and to conserve Sentosa's heritage assets. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.12. Investors from Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and the United States were said to be interested in the venture.16 Conception of Sentosa Plans for development In January 1969, then STPB chairman P. H. Meadows revealed plans for a resort to attract millions of tourists to Pulau Blakang Mati with attractions such as chalet-style hotels situated atop hills, floating hotels, kelong (stilt fishing structures) restaurants, golf courses, and leisure activities such as horse-riding, fishing, water-skiing and scuba diving, as well as the islands natural beaches, forests and scenery. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The 1st SRRA was disbanded a decade later and Gurkha infantry units were housed on the island. Retrieved from Factiva.65. Yet, few are aware of the dark history behind the holiday island. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.19. HERITAGE BUILDINGS IN SENTOSA & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM, https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/urban-systems-studies/plan-for-tourism.pdf, Plan to develop Blakang Mati scrapped, The Straits Times, 10 March 1969, Page 5, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_247_2005-01-20.html, Channel News Asia, IN FOCUS: From military base to leisure island - tracing 50 years of Sentosa and beyond, A 'Paradise Island',The Straits Times, 23 January 1969, Page 4, A contest to rename the island was launched in November 1969, Sentosa Heritage Trail Companion Guide by NHB. This rendered a port and industrial complex on Pulau Blakang Mati a less attractive prospect; at the same time, the withdrawal of British military forces from Singapore by 1971 would also free up a dockyard at Sembawang and other former military areas for industrial use.13 Albert Winsemius, an economic advisor to the government, later revealed that an agreement had been reached between energy company Esso and the government for the construction of an oil refinery on Pulau Blakang Mati, with a planned expansion into a petro-chemical complex. It is suggested that the island was once plagued by piracy, leading to frequent bloodshed. It won't be its last. Since 1998, passenger cars have been allowed to enter the island. The Business Times. Schools and religious institutions sprung up as well.11, In 1967, Blakang Mati was officially parked under the jurisdiction of the newly independent government of Singapore13 which was understandably excited about its potential. The Business Times, p. 8. Fort Siloso and Mount Imbiah became a religious retreat and a Protestant church house respectively. In Singapore. The Straits Times, p. 10. Pulau Blakang Mati's Colourful Past Retrieved from NewspaperSG.26. (1994, February 16). After a dark and brutal past involving pirates, malaria, a prisoner of war camp, and mass executions, the island formerly called Pulau Blakang Mati," or "the island behind which lies death" almost became an Esso oil refinery. The Battle for the Island In 1967, Blakan Mati was officially placed under the jurisdiction of Singapore's newly independent government. [19] An environmental assessment conducted by the government of Singapore concluded that the construction of an integrated resort on Sentosa would result in a high likelihood of high scale biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, soil erosion and climate change, as well as several other destructive ecological impacts. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.38. (2009, July 31). More attractions were added over the years including iFly Singapore, Trick Eye Museum, Skyline Luge and more recently, Resorts World Sentosa. After a dark and brutal past involving pirates, malaria, a prisoner of war camp, and mass executions, the island formerly called Pulau Blakang Mati," or "the island behind which lies. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lee, G. (1967, September 9). 8889. In October 2005, the cable car station was renamed Jewel Box after a S$4-million revamp. New look for Fort Siloso. Amid the islands golf courses and thrill rides, the trail charts Sentosas unlikely evolution from pirate port to combat complex to, finally, holiday haven. Image from the National Museum of Singapore). The Straits Times, p. 30. (Call no. The Dark History Of Sentosa - Pulau Belakang Mati A contest to re-name Pulau Blakang Mati. (2009, October 10). Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Surrender Chambers now open to public.
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