Kampong Glam in Singapore

Under the British administration of the Straits Settlements, the community was separated and lived in different regions at each settlement, whether in Penang, Malacca or Singapore. While the Europeans lived in cooler areas such as hills, hillocks and foothills, the rest lived in the hot plains. 

The Muslims lived in their respective areas assigned - Arabs, Bugis, Javanese,  and Malay. The Chinese tended to farming, growing mainly vegetables and rearing pigs. The Indians lived alongside the Muslims, mostly near seaside villages where coconuts grow aplenty. 

The Malays are dependent on the coconut trees for nira (nectar) which is used for making palm sugar, gula Melaka or gulo keret in Kelantan accent. Palm sugar is a main ingredient for making a gooey Malay delicacy, dodol. Palm sugar is a rich source of vitamin B. The Indians need coconuts for coconut milk (santan) for making curry. 

The Malays and Indians use asam Jawa and asam keping to slightly sour their cuisines. Malay and Indian dominated areas are easily discernible to a passing tourist as they have mosques, tamarind trees (pokok asam Jawa) and pokok asam keping. Other trees are pokok cekur & keloh which are a rich source of iron. Keloh beans are used in curries. They are noted to stimulate forceful contractions which are advantageous  in maternal delivery.

While many Penang Muslims lived near Masjid (Melayu) Jamek  Lebuh Aceh in Kampung Melayu, and Kampung Dodol near Masjid Pawanchee along Perak Road, most of the Singapore Muslims live in Kampung Glam and around Masjid Sultan. 

"Gelam"or "Glam" after which Kampong Glam is named could refer to pokok gelam, a mangrove tree whose woods (kayu gelam) are used for firewood and for making charcoal (kayu arang or arang). Pounded charcoal has been used by the Malays for brushing teeth to make them white; this was before the invention of toothpaste.

Istana Kampong Gelam restored to its former grandeur. It now houses the Malay Heritage Centre of Singapore.

85 Sultan Gate (front entrance to Istana Kg Gelam)



The front of the palace with the fountain working. The palm trees look like pokok pinang. Pokok gelam is the one with small leaves.



Affandi at the side entrance to Istana Kampong Gelam

External links:
Kampung Gelam video from Heritage TV Season 2, Singapore
http://yesterday.sg/
http://kudaranggi.blogspot.com/2012/09/istana-kampong-gelam-kini-taman-warisan.html

Masjid Sultan in Singapore

Masjid Sultan
1 N Bridge Rd, Singapore
Tel: +65-6293 4405

The original Masjid Sultan (Sultan's Mosque) was a single-storey building with a double-tiered roof, as other mosques in Tanah Melayu have been built. It was built by Sultan Hussain Shah of Johor. Built around 1824-1826, it was located near Sultan Hussain Shah's palace. The re-construction work to include an annexed double-storey building to house a large prayer hall and its characteristic large onion-shaped dome was completed in 1928. While the rich donated money, the poor collected bottles for the dome's construction. These donated bottles were arranged to form a visible dark ring beneath the dome. Watch the video.

Masjid Sultan, at Muscat Street and North Bridge Road

within the Kampong Glam district of Rochor Planning Area, Singapore.

Masjid Sultan is located in the heart of the Muslim district in Kampung Glam area. This mosque was entrusted to the Malays, Javanese, Bugis, Arabs, Tamils and Northern Indian Muslims who lived around the Kampong Glam area in the past. Owned and managed by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) now, it became a preserved historical building in 1975 by the Preservation of Monuments Board Act, Singapore. It is now open to tourists.

Sultan Hussein did not pursue any active claim to his sovereignty rights over Johor, even after Temenggong Abdul Rahman died in 1825, and his successor, Temenggong Ibrahim was still a youth at the time of Temenggong Abdul Rahman's passing.

Sultan Hussein and Istana Kampong Gelam -> moved to Malacca -> died & buried in Masjid Tranquera

Sultan Hussein spent much of his time at his Singapore residence in Istana Kampong Glam until 1834, when he moved to Malacca. Reports cited that he was a dispirited man, apparently with the lack of power and authority that he should be accorded as the Sultan. Sultan Hussein later died in September 1835, and was buried in Masjid Tranquera at the wishes of his Sultanah and Abdul Kadir, a Tamil-Muslim Imam.

Istana Kampong Gelam

In Singapore today, only Sultan Hussain's palace and the palace gates remain of that glorious past (communicated to the author, Feb 2011). The palace now houses the Singapore Malay Heritage Society. His palace was relocated to Johor Baru and the Johor Sultanate continued (under the Temenggong Dynasty) at the new place while the British took over Singapore.

Stamford Raffles, Governor of Bencoolen in 1818

In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed as the governor of Bencoolen on western Sumatra. He was to look for a better trading post for the British.

Raffles arrived in Singapore in 1819

Raffles' expedition arrived in Singapore on 29 January 1819. He discovered a small Malay settlement at the mouth of Singapore River headed by a Temenggung (governor) of Johor. Though the island was nominally ruled by the sultanate, the political situation there was extremely murky. The incumbent Sultan, Tengku Abdul Rahman, was under the influence of the Dutch and the Bugis and would therefore never agree to a British base in Singapore.

Raffles dealt with Hussein Shah

Upon learning of the political tensions in Johor, Raffles made a deal with Hussein Shah. Their agreement stated that the British would acknowledge Hussein Shah as the legitimate ruler of Johor, and thus Tengku Hussein and the Temenggung would receive a yearly stipend from the British. In return, Tengku Hussein would allow Raffles to establish a trading post in Singapore. This treaty was ratified on 6 February 1819.

Raffles selected Sultan Hussain Shah of Johor as the Ruler of Singapore. In 1819, Singapore was ceded to the British and in return, the Sultan and his Temenggong were each paid a stipend.

Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824

With the Temenggung's help, Raffles managed to smuggle Hussein Shah, then living in exile on one of the Riau Islands, back into Singapore. The Dutch were extremely displeased with Raffles' action. Tensions between the Dutch and British over Singapore persisted until 1824, until they signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty. Under the terms of that treaty, the Dutch officially withdrew their opposition to the British presence in Singapore. The treaty has the effect of carving the Johor Empire into two spheres of influence; modern Johor under the British and the new Sultanate of Riau under the Dutch. The treaty was concluded in London, between the British and the Dutch, effectively break up of the Johor-Riau Empire into two. - Wikipedia

Sources:

http://www.sultanmosque.org.sg

http://www.holidays-in-singapore.com/sultan-mosque.html

http://www.asiaexplorers.com/singapore/sultan-mosque.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein_Shah_of_Johor

Singapore Arabs

Raffles opened Singapore in 1819 and brought in the Arabs for trade. The Singapore Arabs came mainly from Hadramut in South Yemen (Selatan Yaman) who were already traders in Yemen.

Many Singapore Arabs also came from Indonesia, mainly from Java and Sumatra. Among the famous Indonesian Arabs who migrated to become Singapore Arabs included the Aljunaid, Alsagoff and Alkaff clans. These three clans were rich and famous as they owned businesses and lands in several parts of Singapore.

Beside trading, the Singapore Arabs built mosques and helped spread the teachings of Islam. Singapore has 59 mosques.

Link to YouTube video on The Arabs of Singapore.

The Singapore Arabs were very wealthy. Some were Sheikh Haji. The Singapore Arabs could afford to rent up to four steamships (kapal wap) for the hajj pilgrimages. There was once when the Indonesian pilgrims (jemaah) could not return to Indonesia as the Dutch East India colonial government had prevented their re-entry. The pilgrims were thus retained in Singapore and boarded the homes of the rich Indonesian Singapore Arabs.

Syed Ahmad Alsagoff was the Singapore Ambassador to Turkey. His mansion was named Constantinople Estate.

Syed Ibrahim Alsagoff was the Arab Consular to Singapore. He founded Madrasah Alsagoff.

Syed Ahmad bin Muhammad (of Alsagoff clan) married to Hajjah Fatimah, a rich Bugis princess. They had a son named Muhammad who was nicknamed Nungcik. Syed Muhammad Alsagoff's eldest daughter was Sharifah Badriah who owned the entire row of houses in Arab Street.

Hajjah Fatimah founded Masjid Kampung Glam in Singapore. Kampung Glam developed into a busy trading place. There were people smoking shisha (hookah) which contained aromatic herbs and smoke.

The Alkaff clan owned hundreds of rented houses in Kampung Kwitang in central Jakarta. In Singapore, they owned lands and lavish houses which have been turned into recreational parks, restaurants and botanical gardens.

Muhammad bin Abdurrahman Alkaff was the first Alkaff to arrive in Singapore from Java but he later died. His brother, Shaikh Alkaff succeeded him and managed the Alkaff lands in Indonesia, Singapore and Hadramaut. However, the Alkaff lands in Singapore were forcibly taken away by the Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Kuan You (LKY) at very low price. Their lavish homes were taken over by ABRI at the time of the Konfrontasi between Indonesia and Malaysia. The Alkaff clan founded the Masjid Alkaff in Kampung Melayu in Singpore.

After WWII, the business and economy of the Singapore Arabs declined but their madrasah (religious schools) continued to build up and gained international recognition and fame.

Ali bin Muhammad Jamalullail, dari anak cucunya menurunkan Keturunan leluhur Al-Qadriy, Al-Assry, Al-Baharun, Al-Junaid.

As the Alsagoff and Alkaff had done, the Aljunaid built Madrasah Aljunaid near the Muslim community of Kampung Glam in Singapore.

Lulusan madrasah ini banyak dibiayai oleh Al-Azhar University di Kaherah . Madrasah ini memiliki 1,200 murid dari TK sampai SLTA. Di madrasah ini pemerintah Singapura yang sekular mengizinkan para siswinya untuk berjilbab, dan prianya berkopiah hitam.

Sources:

http://alwishahab.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/pamor-arab-singapura/

http://jamalullail-seif.blogspot.com/