Pulau Ubin

is the island where hundreds of Malay/Orang Pulau—including my mom—call home. This is our story.

The Writ of Ketupat Election was issued on 3 Mar 2025. Campaigning for KE25 has begun, leading up till Polling Day on 30 Mar 2025.

Click here to know the parties and their candidates.

Coming Soon

A house in Kampung Sungei Durian, Pulau Ubin, is about to be restored.

Here's our story of #restoring6j into Ambin Ubin.

All Posts

Those cards you send on 14th Feb

14th February is right around the corner so you know what that means! That's right, we remember our fallen hero Leftenant Adnan Bin Saidi...

Feb 13

Sharing with Raffles Girls School (Secondary)

Hi all, Before I write about the topic at hand, I'm going a little off tangent to just share about something I've observed about my...

Feb 5

My great-grandmothers, Tok Aminah and Tok Siah.

While I was scrolling through my phone's gallery, I stumbled across a photograph which I had not seen for many years, and there was even...

Dec 21, 2024

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01:30

Let's Talk Sirihs-ly Part 1

I finally got to eat the daun sirih, which my grandfather was renowned for farming on Ubin, and it's pretty life-changing. But sirihs-ly though, you should at least try the daun sirih once in your life [Originally aired on WUJ social media on 10 Feb 2025]

02:57

Crikey, Crocodiles!

Crikey🐊! With crocodiles re-emerging in our waters (and headlines), I ask my mom for her thoughts on these reptilian reports—and how this affects our practices. [Originally aired on WUJ social media on 22 Jan 2025]

How (not) to give "the" talk to your children this Hari Raya season.
#ketupat #howto #singapore

Both KBP and KPP candidates took to the stage for the KE25 Debate on Wed, 19 Mar at 12pm. Wan and Mak were asked to share their experience, the importance of choice of ketupat and in weaving ketupat in an era of instant ketupat in plastic sachets. Who will you be weaving for after this debate?

The "azan'—Muslim call to prayer—is made five times a day to inform Muslims to perform their five daily obligatory prayers: Subuh/Fajr (pre-dawn), Zuhur (noon), Asar (late afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and Isyak (night).

In the past, before the azan was called, mosques around Singapore would first beat the "beduk" (large drum) to indicate the prayer times. Today, the azan is called indoors in mosques, with the exception of Sultan Mosque which is the only mosque permitted to call the azan through loudspeakers in Singapore. Additionally, the azan is also broadcast over radio on Warna 94.2FM.

I also perform the azan at the end of my heritage hikes at the former site of the Pulau Ubin Mosque to invite participants to immerse themselves in what would have been a soundscape of the expunged Kampung Surau.

Over the weekend, I saw my mom cutting a fish I have not quite seen before. Turns out it was called Ikan Talang—Queenfish/Leatherjacket, and she spontaneously talked about how this fish was given to my grandfather by Tok Weh when he went fishing. Also, it turns out that you could get 'panau' if you didn't know that you're allergic to it!

Here's your guide to the Ketupat Election—what is it, who's contesting and why is this a thing? You can also find out more at wansubinjournal.com/ketupat-elections for updates and previous election results! So, who are you weaving your ketupats for?

Both the Ketupat Bawang Party (KBP) and Ketupat Pasar Party (KPP) revealed their campaign posters today (5 Mar), officially kicking off the race to become this year's top ketupat weaver. The campaign season will last until Polling Day on 30 Mar 2025.

The Writ of Ketupat Election was issued last Monday (3 Mar). Both KBP and KPP confirmed their candidates shortly after in a press conference.

Voters may find out more about their party's manifesto on their official websites: wansubinjournal.com/kbp and wansubinjournal.com/kpp

BREAKING: The Writ of Ketupat Election 2025 has just been issued. The race will witness a return of two contenders, Wan from the KBP and Mak from the KPP. Who do you think shall be the weaver this time? Comment down below which party you're weaving for!

Can I have my iftar with you? It's sunnah to break the fast with sweet things.

But in all seriousness, Salam Ramadan al-Mubarak to all my Muslim friends. May this month be filled with blessings, happiness and forgiveness, and may Allah SWT accept our good deeds and acts of worship and make this Ramadan better than the last.

Ubin running around in my mind lately, I feel like I should be Tekong you out on a date. Share this with someone you'd live on an island with 🫢

I finally got to eat the daun sirih, which my grandfather was renowned for farming on Ubin, and it's pretty life-changing. But sirihs-ly though, you should at least try the daun sirih once in your life

I express my sincere appreciation to the Malay Language Department of Raffles Girls' School (RGS) for having me, and Firdaus of @oranglautsg, to share about our respective Orang Pulau identities with their students as part of the school's Mother Tongue Fortnight programme last Tuesday!

I'm heartened to learn that both students and staff have learned a new thing or two about Pulau Ubin and Pulau Semakau through the sharing, and why it's important for all of us to hold onto our Malay values in an ever modernising Singapore. God Willing, I look forward to more collaboration with the school (and others) in future as we amplify the voices of our islander communities.

Thank you once again RGS!

This is my first preliminary mapping to show the spread of Malays/Orang Pulau on Pulau Ubin—which back at its peak could be found in Kampung Bahru, Kampung Sungei Bamap (now renamed Kg Mamam), Kampung Sungei Durian, Kampung Surau, Kampung Tanjong and Ketuk Batu (Pekan Ubin/Main Village).

Today, only small enclaves of inhabited Malay houses remain on the island in Kampung Sungei Durian, and one in Ketuk Batu. I wish to study this deeper in the near future, and may Allah SWT ease me in my efforts to map out the former Malay settlements on Pulau Ubin—as a reminder that Pulau Ubin has not always been a forested place, but a home to our community. Bismillah.

Crikey🐊! With crocodiles re-emerging in our waters (and headlines), I ask my mom for her thoughts on these reptilian reports—and how this affects our practices.

2024 was a year of mourning for the community, which saw the highest number of deaths in recent years. I reflect on the future of the dwindling Ubin Orang Pulau, and what it means to preserve our identity in today's Singapore.

2024 has been a year of growth for me—and that's because of you! Thank you for being a part of my 2024, and wishing all a Happy Holidays and Happy New Year 2025!

This is a photo of my great-grandmothers, sisters Aminah (left) and Siah (right) Binte Abdul Rahman—or more affectionately known as Tok Aminah and Tok Siah. Tok Aminah was my grandmother's mother, whereas Tok Siah was my grandfather's.

Tok Aminah resided in Kampung Sedili Besar, Johor, whereas Tok Siah was in Kampung Pahang in Pulau Tekong Besar, Singapore. This photograph was taken during one of their visits to Pulau Ubin in my grandparents' courtyard.

According to my mom, both Tok Aminah and Tok Siah enjoyed consuming daun sirih (betelnut leaves) together with kapur sirih (limestone paste), gambir (Uncaria gambir), and buah pinang (Areca catechu). Sometimes, the leaves and ingredients would be eaten as-is together, or they would be refined together using an apparatus known as 'gobek sirih'.

Tok Siah in particular was renowned for her 'sentil tembakau' —a traditional Malay method of consuming tobacco, where a pinch of shredded tobacco would be 'brushed' against the teeth and later tucked between the gums and cheek. Any liquid extracts, presumably a mixture of tobacco and saliva, would be spit out. My mom recalled how Tok Siah would tuck her sentil tembakau into random spots, like window panes, whenever it was time for her daily obligatory prayers, only to retrieve it and continue using it afterward. She was never without it.

Additionally, both sisters frequently wore terompah—a traditional wooden clog—while in their rumah dapur (kitchen annexes) or outside when they were collecting water from the well. My mom remembered hearing their steps making a distinct "ketak ketuk" sound on the ground.

Tok Aminah passed away in the mid-1970s in Kampung Sedili Besar, while Tok Siah passed away on 26 November 1985 in her fifth child's 3-room HDB flat in Serangoon, just briefly after their eviction from Pulau Tekong Besar to mainland Singapore.

40 years ago today, Singapore experienced one of the worst accidents in her early industrialisation era. My aunt, Maznah Binte Sulong (Awang Minyak)—whom I call Mak Cik—was aboard the 'Iron Parkgate' when a fire broke out and claimed the lives of 13 people. This is her story.

Absolutely awestruck to have received this beautiful watercolour painting from the talented Cikgu Yusoff Abdul Latiff (@yusofflatiff), who had also accompanied his masterpiece with a beautiful write-up of my family's stories. Thank you Cikgu Yusoff for your kind gift and words!

Came across these collages done up by my late uncle, Pak Teh, back in the 2000s while I was reorganising the family memorabilia.

In the first collage were my grandparents and their eleven children, arranged by birth order. Pak Teh also made another collage in 2007 to show those who were still alive, some paired with photos of their younger selves. Today, only 5 of them remain.

These collages prove testament to his love for his family, and his values of maintaining these social relationships with them, which I fondly remember him for. Pak Teh left us in February 2023, aged 68. May Allah SWT make his grave among those of the gardens of Paradise, Ameen.

Al-Fatihah
Hj. Musa Bin Sulong (Awang Minyak)
1954 - 2023

Crafted this short poem after returning from my trip to Chek Jawa recently.

A little thank you note from me to all 2,500 of you.

If it's already growing quiet in 1995, God knows how deafening the silence at the Malay kampung is today, 29 years later 🥹

This Berita Minggu newspaper article by Dewani Abbas mentioned the dwindling population in Kampong Melayu — and featured two Kampung Sungei Durian residents, Encik Kadir Ghani and Cik Zaiton Salleh, who would now both be 67 and 74, respectively. Their houses no longer stand on the island today.

In 1995, Berita Minggu reported that the Parks and Recreation Department (now NParks) announced plans to develop parts of Pulau Ubin into rugged recreational areas. I translated this archival finding from Malay to English to document this piece of Ubin history.

This post is in tribute to the late Cik Rosmala Binte Jani, who shared with me this article, once again proving testament to her selfless support and generosity which will always be remembered.

Thank you @outwardboundsg for having me as your guide as part of your training programmes yesterday (28 Oct)!

The Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) was first established on western Pulau Ubin in 1967 and since then, has been instilling a sense of self-reliance and leadership to the many students who stepped through its campus doors.

It has been a great honour for me to have shared our Ubin Orang Pulau stories together with our friends in the OBS, who were eager to learn much more about the history of the island that we share. I hope the session has been a meaningful and insightful one for the team, and for this to be a beautiful start of more collaborations in future!
—
Photos by OBS

Growing old with my ancestral island. Taken 20 years apart at the same Murai Hut on Pulau Ubin.

I was a little kid back then and my mom was just introducing me around to where she grew up, and now here I am conducting talks and walks to share this story and more with people from all walks of life. Alhamdulillah, may Allah ease my affairs in keeping our Ubin Orang Pulau identity alive and relevant in our ever-changing and rapidly modernising Singapore.

I'd like to thank the @ntu_ase for having me give a talk on "The Ubin Identity" last Thursday (24 Oct), at the request of their @ase.gsc !

I shared with the students on the history and challenges faced by the Ubin Orang Pulau in keeping their identities alive and relevant today, and I was heartened by the several questions raised by them after the talk. It shows that our youth are gaining interest in keeping our shared cultural heritage alive.

Afterwards, I was also given a tour around the ASE and I am inspired by the insightful works and studies conducted by their PhD students. Moving forward, there is merit for us to recognise and remember that our cultural and natural heritage are inseparable and we need to examine the symbiotic relationship that people have with their environment.

Thank you once again to NTU ASE GSC for organising, and the school for this opportunity!
—
Photos by NTU ASE

It was a pleasure conducting a heritage hike for the SUSS Part-Time freshmen and seniors as part of their networking session — helmed by the SUSS Anchors — last Saturday (19 October)!

Thank you for the opportunity, and best wishes to all the freshmen as you embark on this exciting new chapter in your academic journey!
—
Photos by SUSS Anchors

Over the National Day weekend last month, we engaged the Ubin Orang Pulau community to discuss our vision and design for our new social space and Muslim prayer hall in the Malay kampung. We had a robust discussion of ideas and the community was excited to share their hopes and dreams for the new House 6J!

We explored a range of exciting possibilities from outdoor classrooms to flexible gallery exhibitions; basically anything and everything that could teach visitors about the Ubin Orang Pulau culture and heritage! Our team behind #RESTORING6J have been and will continue working hard to synthesise these ideas into the final proposal of House 6J leading up to the next FUN meeting in a few weeks' time.

We hope to present our proposal then, and God Willing, to receive their endorsement and green light to proceed with its construction in the near future. May God ease us in our step closer to not only restore 6J, but the dignity of our kampung, too.

I extend my gratitude to @lepakconversations for partnering with us in this workshop, and @ourcommongroundsg for the space.

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Photos by Mae Hweei

Alhamdulillah, it is with great honour to have received the SUSS Spirit Award 2024, along with nine other amazingly passionate students earlier this evening (30 Aug 2024).

The SUSS Spirit Award recognises students who display excellence in either character strength, willingness to help others, and social change leadership. I am humbled to learn that I had met one of these criteria, and to have been nominated for this award — because of the heartwork that I have done for the Ubin Orang Pulau community, among others.

I dedicate this award to my parents, whose values have shaped me to become who I am today. Even more so for my mom, whose love for Ubin knows no bounds and crosses into the next generation; spurring me to protect and preserve the things that are precious to us such as our kampung culture and traditions. I shall continue to dream, dare, and do my best in all that I set my mind, heart and soul into.

Once again, I thank you all for your support and faith in me and my potential.

Happy 59th Birthday, Singapore! Our progress that we share today is not a miracle, but through the shared hard work and sacrifices that each and every one of us — regardless of race, language or religion — have made in bringing us to where we are today.

However, for the Orang Pulau communities of Singapore, some of us continue to brunt the consequences of uprooting ourselves from our island homes which had to be redeveloped to serve Singapore's interests that could guarantee her survival; for resettlement is not merely the relocation of a people, but also the removal of a culture, tradition, heritage and indigenous identity of the islands that homed them. We moved because we did not have a choice. We moved because we too love Singapore.

But today, as our metropolis continues to shine as an exemplary city, there has been a growing interest among her people to search for solutions in overcoming new issues such as sustainability and mental health. The Orang Pulau has always been a sustainable and resilient people; forged from their intimate relationship with the land and waters around them; and the wealth of knowledge that nature has taught us for many generations.

Today, more than ever, the Orang Pulau communities of Singapore have a choice in making our contributions known and recognised. In recent years, our community and their descendants have worked tirelessly in reclaiming the narratives of their island homes — ranging from educational talks to guided heritage walks; and we shall continue to do so, for we too are chapters worth reading in our Singapore Story.

For ultimately, Singapore is more than just an island nation — we are a nation of islands. Majulah Singapura!

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@wansubinjournal

Heritage Hikes

Get your hiking shoes on as you travel around eastern Pulau Ubin with me and learn more about the rich history behind the Orang Pulau community here.

Project Gotong Royong

Show off your gotong-royong spirit as you assist our community in upkeeping their beautiful kampung houses and courtyards!

In Memoriam

We remember the Ubin Orang Pulau who have left us.

As featured in

11:38

Mencari anak Singapura keturunan orang pulau

44:50

Hilang S2 EP7 | What was kampung life like in Singapore?

02:19

Project Gotong Royong News Feature

03:20

Finding A Lost Home On Pulau Ubin

Awards & Certificates

Aug 2024

SUSS Spirit Award 2024

(Singapore University of Social Sciences)

The SUSS Spirit Award 2024 is awarded to Nor Syazwan Bin Abdul Majid for excellence in social change leadership for his advocacy of his Ubin Orang Pulau culture and heritage, and community empowerment.

Jul 2024

Singapore HeritageFest 2024

(National Heritage Board)

Certificate of Appreciation awarded to WUJ in appreciation of invaluable support for making the Singapore HeritageFest 2024 a success.

Jul 2022

"Hilang" Hero

(Element Pictures, Mediacorp Suria)

Certificate of Appreciation awarded to WUJ for efforts and commitment in conserving culture, heritage and traditions in Singapore.

Oct 2020

Municipal Services Awards 2020

(Ministry of National Development)

Awarded to WUJ under "Kawan Ubin" under the Community Category for the "Pesta Raya@Ubin" in 2019.

Contact

wansubinjournal@gmail.com