Pulau Tekong
📷: Former residential wells which still exists on Pulau Tekong
Mention Pulau Tekong, and most likely you will hear stories that revolve around Basic Military Training (BMT). After all, the island is dedicated exclusively to military use today. However, #DidYouKnow that Pulau Tekong was once filled with kampongs, and a trading station for Pulau Ubin and the state of Johor?
Located off the northeastern coast of Singapore, Pulau Tekong originally was made up of two islands, Pulau Tekong Besar and Pulau Tekong Kechil. The islands were merged in the mid-1990s.
At its peak in the 1980s, Pulau Tekong had a population of 8,000 comprising mainly Malays with a few Teochews and Hakkas. All the islanders had since been resettled on the mainland. While the kampongs no longer exist, the memories live on in the names of training areas such as Selabin, Permatang and San Yong Kong.
The mangrove forest of Pulau Tekong is one of the largest remaining patches of mangroves in Singapore undisturbed by human activities. This has enabled the discovery of critically endangered mangrove species, such as the Bruguiera hainesii, and the Kandelia candel.
Pulau Tekong is also a stronghold for the elusive leopard cats, which are critically endangered in Singapore, with fewer than 50 believed to remain. Just recently, these leopard cats were sighted in Changi, and researchers said that these wildcats likely swam across from the nearby Pulau Tekong.
Currently, Singapore’s first tropical polder is being built to protect Pulau Tekong against rising sea levels. It was envisaged that the project will allow Singapore to gain experience in developing polders, which could be an option for coastal protection and resilience against sea-level rise. This is an important task, given that approximately one-third of Singapore is less than 16 feet above sea level – low enough for flooding due to climate change.
From civilian to military needs, and reclamation to preservation, Pulau Tekong exemplifies Singapore’s ability to balance diverse land-use demands, through traits like innovativeness, boldness and a can-do attitude.