Singapore Kampung Melaka
- Marc Michelmann
- Sep 28
- 7 min read
Kampung Melaka, found on both the north and south banks of the upper reaches of Singapore River. was one of two Malay settlements to have developed in Singapore as an outcome of inducements by the two early British administrators of 19th century Singapore to get Malay settlers from around the region to settle in the new trade post.
Raffles encouraged settlers from his relatively insignificant British post of Bengkulu in southwest Sumatra (archaic form Bangkahulu, later Bengkulu, rendered “Bencoolen” in English, this minor port faces the Indian Ocean), who formed Kampung Bengkulu in what is today Bencoolen Street.
Meanwhile Singapore’s first British Resident, William Farquhar, who had been the British Resident of Melaka (1813-1818) during its British interregnum (1795-1818), sought settlers from Melaka, who settled in the upper reaches of Singapore River, as mentioned.
Kampung Melaka is noted in a number of early maps of Singapore, one of which writes the name “Campong Malacca” in big, uppercase letters across land that was being laid out with streets, indicated in broken lines.
By the 1890s, the name Kampong Melaka was used by the Chinese for street names in Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese across both North Kampong Melaka and South Kampong Melaka.
Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied (b. 1792, Hadhramaut, Yemen–d. 6 November 1852, Singapore1) was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who came to Singapore shortly after Stamford Raffles set up a trading post on the island in 1819. He contributed to the development of early Singapore with his philanthropy such as the building of mosques. These include the Masjid Omar Kampong Meleka, which still stands today.
A Multiethnic Settlement
Kampong Melaka was home to a diverse, multiethnic community. Many of its residents came from Melaka and comprised Malays, Chinese and Jawi Peranakans. The latter group included the author of the Hikayat Abdullah, Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, better known as Munshi Abdullah. A resident of Kampong Melaka in the 1840s, Abdullah was hired by Raffles as his Tamil-Arab Malay language teacher and clerk.
The Jawi Peranakans, who were Muslims of Indian and Malay extraction, were particularly prominent as property owners in the area. They included Hajee Saiboo (who owned a shophouse within the grounds of Omar Mosque), Hadjee Mahamad Arip (four shophouses on Omar Road), Mona Kadei Mydin (four shophouses on Keng Cheow Street) and Sultan Meydin (a shed on Wayang Street). Arab, Bugis, Malay and Chinese families also owned properties in the vicinity of Omar Mosque, attesting to the heterogenous character of the kampong.
The Chinese in Kampong Melaka
Kampong Melaka was an important neighbourhood for the Chinese community, particularly the Teochews. The concentration of prominent Teochews in this area was largely due to Temenggong Abdul Rahman’s efforts to cultivate plantations in pre-colonial Singapore. The Teochews, Bugis and Malays had been operating gambier plantations across Singapore at the behest of the Temenggong, the island’s Malay chief and de facto ruler before British colonial rule. At least 20 plantations existed in the immediate vicinity of the town when Raffles arrived in Singapore. Several mansions owned by eminent Teochew merchants were sited along the river and nearby at Hill Street and High Street, including that of Seah Eu Chin, who along with other family members were highly influential merchants. Near the Teochew market in Kampong Melaka was Chin Hin Street, named after Seah’s business in 1870.
Places of Worship
Being a predominantly Muslim settlement, Kampong Melaka’s focal point was Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka (Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque) built in 1820, originally a simple wooden structure with an attap roof. Originally located off Mosque Square, accessed from Omar Road (both expunged) off Havelock Road, the mosque compound featured several rumah limas (hip-roof houses) and two rows of shophouses. Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka bears the name of its benefactor: Pangeran Syarif Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied, one of Singapore’s pioneers and a Hadhrami Arab who arrived here from Palembang in southeastern Sumatra. His son Syed Abdullah rebuilt the mosque in brick in 1855, which later underwent several major reconstructions.
As there was also a significant Chinese population residing in the neighbourhood, in 1826 the Teochews established their main temple, Wak Hai Cheng Bio, close to the south bank of the Singapore River opposite the former Kampong Temenggong. Five decades later in 1876, Tan Seng Haw/Po Chek Kio was built on Magazine Road as the assembly hall and temple of the Tan family from Melaka. The temple was noted for its role in mitigating disputes and providing protection for newly arrived Chinese immigrants. In 1885, the temple was rebuilt and named Tan Si Chong Su, which was gazetted as a national monument in 1974.
Source: https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/forgotten-histories, September 2025
Keng Cheow Street, March 1986
Source: https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/f624a6c2-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad
The tall building in the back looks like the HDB flats at 34 Upper Cross Street built in 1974
First built in 1820, Masjid Omar Kampong Malacca is Singapore’s oldest mosque and place of worship. It was named after its builder, Syed Sharif Omar bin Ali Aljunied, a Yemeni-Arab merchant. Masjid Omar was a gathering point for the Malay community, as well as Muslims originating from India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It was rebuilt in 1855 and remained until the 1980s, when the present building was built.
Masjid Omar Kampong Malacca, February 2021
According to the Raffles Town Plan in 1822, land was set aside for Kampong Melaka (Melaka Village) for the Muslim community. With the support of philanthropist Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied from Palembang, a surau (prayer house) was established in 1820. The original building was a simple wooden structure with an attap roof. This was replaced by a brick structure in 1855. The surau served as a meeting point not only for the local Malays and Jawi Peranakans, but also early Muslim immigrants such as Arabs and Indonesians. A new road through Kampong Melaka brought more worshippers and thus a larger building was required.
No 2. Magazine Road, February 2021
Before 1858, Havelock Road was known as Magazine Road. However, Magazine Road today is east of Pulau Saigon, named because of the proximity to Fort Canning in the day when armaments were transferred. The road probaby got it's name because it was the storehouse for armaments which were transported acress the Singapore River to Fort Canning.
The Chinese called this road tan seng ong koi or "Tan Seng Ong temple street", a reference to the Tan Si Chong Su Temple, the assembly hall and temple on the Tan Clan which was built in 1876, largely at the expense of Tam Kim Ching (1829-1892), the eldest son of Tan Tock Seng, and Tan Beng Swee (1828-1884), the son of Tan Kim Seng.
Source: Singapore Street Names, 4th Edition, by Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, pg 322
Fisher Street, February 2021
At one time there were two roads bearing the name Fisher in Singapore. 'The newer one, Fisher Road in the Jalan Besar area, had its name changed to Tyrwhitt Road. As it is near Kitchener Road and other roads commemorating World War I heroes, it is possible that it was named after Admiral Sir John Fisher who became first Sea Lord in 1904. Fisher is known for abandoning the idea of developing Singapore as a major naval dockyard. The new name Tyrwhitt Road, also follows the trend of commemorating war heroes.
The other Fisher Street which still exists today stretches from Cumming Street to Boat Quay. This street formed part of the several streets in this area that were formerly part of Kampong Malacca. There are different versions pertaining to the naming of this street. One is that it was named after the fishermen pukat or netmen who lived on this street.
The other providence for the road is supposedly named after H.K.C Fisher (1864-1918), a former manager of the Straits district of the East Extension Telegraph Company at Keppel Harbour. Fisher was based in Singapore in 1912 where he worked on establishing the local wireless communications, until his retirement and departure for Australia in 1917. Both Fisher and his wife were well-known in Singapore for their charitable acts, especially in the welfare of the stationed troops.
This street was known as kam kong ma lak kak tan seng ong au boi to the Hokkiens, which means "behind the Tan Seng Ong [temple] in kampong Malacca".
Source: Singapore Street Names, 4th Edition, by Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, pg 162
This street was named after James B. Cumming (1858-1899) who was in Singapore in the mid-19th century.
Born in Scotland, James Cumming did business in Johore in 1881, before setting up Fraser and Cumming in Singapore with his friend John Fraser (also see Fraser Street). The company had well-diversified interests in sawmills, construction materials, brickworks and even insurance. Like John Fraser, James Cumming also acted as the secretary of the Lodge Zetland (Free Masons which was first established in 1845). He died near his bungalow at Changi in 1899, leaving behind his wife and two sons.
This road, together with others in the area (Angus, Boat Quay, Kerr, Solomon) were part of Kampong Malacca. On both sides of Read Bridge (near the Teochew market, cha chun tau and the Clarke Quay area) were the living quarters of Chinese coolies.
Cumming Street was also a living area for coolies and had shophouses with its "duckling beds". Essentially, each room had rows of bunds which each coolie rented for one month. In the 1920s, these duckling beds cost $3 to $10 per month to rent.
The Hokkiens referred to this street as kam kong ma lak kah hi hng koi, meaning "kampong Malacca theatre street".
Source: Singapore Street Names, 4th Edition, by Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, pg 128
This road was named after Gilbert Angus, (1815-1887), a partner of Whampoa and Company at a time when it was under Whampoa (Junior), Hoh Ah Yip. Angus started out as a bookkeeper but later ventured into business as an auctioneer. He owned a number of nutmeg plantations around the Tanglin area in the 19th century and was also a Municipal Commissioner. His house, in the vicinity of Tanglin, was also name "Angus". White House Park (off Stevens Road) was the estate that stood on a vast 54-acre nutmeg and betel nut plantation owned by Gilbert Angus. By 1862, he sold his plantation, the White House Park area, to insurance firm Reme Leveson & Company.
The Chinese used to call this street kam kong ma lak kah or "Kampong Malacca" after the general name for the surrounding area. The Chinese also referred to the street as sai tao xiang or sai tao street which possibly refers to the opera theatre called "Lao Sai Tao" located along Angus Street.
Source: Singapore Street Names, 4th Edition, by Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, pg 28
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