Leluhur: Singapore's Kampong Gelam

by Hidayah Amin

This is the story of Kampong Gelam, Singapore’s heritage district. Kampong Gelam, a cosmopolitan village named after the Gelam (Kayu putih or Melaleuca cajuputi) tree which once grew in abundance in the area. Once the centre of trade and commerce connecting Singapore to the rest of the Malay Archipelago, Kampong Gelam served as a religious, intellectual and social hub for the Malays in Singapore. It also functioned as a Pilgrim Hub for would-be pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia.

In 1989, the Singapore government gazetted Kampong Gelam and accorded it the status of a conservation area. A popular tourist attraction as it may be, Kampong Gelam’s rich history and heritage nevertheless extend well beyond the descriptions found in glossy tourism publicity blitz. More importantly, at the heart of it all, Kampong Gelam was home to modern Singapore’s pioneers, entrepreneurs, craftsmen and residents including the author, Hidayah, who was born in Gedung Kuning (Yellow Mansion).

384 pages, Hardcover

Published July 20, 2019

About the author

"Little by little, one travels far." - J.R.R.Tolkien.
I travel adventurously, from the hamlets of Morocco to the Everest region. Sometimes, you learn more by just talking to the people whom you meet while trekking through the Portse Tenga of Life.

*Porste Tenga: a route in the Everest region which I found the most gruelling to trek