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Bedok () is a planning area and matured residential town located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah along the south-eastern coast of the East Region of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Bedok is bounded by five other planning areas:
Paya Lebar Paya Lebar is a planning area located in the East Region of Singapore, bordered by Hougang to the west, Sengkang to the northwest, Tampines to the east, Bedok to the south and Pasir Ris to the north. As part of the Singapore Urban Redevelopmen ...
to the north,
Hougang Hougang is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the most populous in the region, being home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bordered by Sengkang to th ...
to the northwest,
Tampines Tampines () is the regional centre of the East Region of Singapore. With a population of 265,340 living across its five subzones, it is the second-most populous planning area in Singapore, according to the DOS Population Trends 2022. It is h ...
to the northeast and east,
Geylang Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west. Geylang is perha ...
to the west and
Marine Parade Marine Parade is a planning area and residential estate located in the Central Region of Singapore. Straddling the tip of the southeastern coast of Pulau Ujong, Marine Parade serves as a buffer between the Central and East regions of the ci ...
to the southwest. It also shares a maritime boundary with the
Singapore Strait The Singapore Strait is a , strait between the Strait of Malacca in the west and the South China Sea in the east. Singapore is on the north of the channel, and the Indonesian Riau Islands are on the south. The two countries share a maritime ...
to the south and southeast. Population wise, Bedok is the largest planning area in the country, being home to approximately 280,000 residents. This high demographic is largely explained by the affordable public housing in Bedok New Town, due to its relatively distant location from the Central Area. Besides public housing developments, private residences are also prevalent in the area, most of which are found in the neighbourhoods of Bayshore, Frankel Avenue and
Siglap Siglap is a neighbourhood located in Bedok in the East Region of Singapore. The area also encompasses the Frankel and Opera Estates and their names have sometimes been used interchangeably to refer to the approximate same area. The planning su ...
, in western and southwestern Bedok.


Etymology

The name "Bedok" was known as early as 1604 in
Manuel Godinho de Erédia Manuel Godinho de Erédia, or Emanuel Godinho de Erédia (16 July 1563 – 1623), was a Bugis-Portuguese writer and cartographer. He wrote a number of books, including an early account of the Malay Peninsula that is a source of information on th ...
's map of Singapore. The map refers to the Bedok River (present-day Sungei Bedok) as ''Sune Bodo''.


History

As part of the Tanah Merah region, Bedok's history is largely influenced by its coastal frontier. The general area known as Bedok today was first mentioned in maps dating to the pre-Raffles era. After Singapore was colonised by the British in 1819, Simpang Bedok Village became an ethnically mixed community consisting of
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and
Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...
peoples. Before the 1960s, Bedok's primary source of income was
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
, which was harvested from the plantations found in the Siglap subzone. Fishing was also another primary source of income for the villagers of Simpang Bedok at the time. The modern development of Bedok only began in 1966, when reclamation works along the coastal area began. In the following decade, Bedok was transformed by the
Housing and Development Board The Housing & Development Board (HDB) (; ms, Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan; ta, வீடமைப்பு வளர்ச்சிக் கழகம்) or often referred to as the Housing Board, is a statutory board under the M ...
(HDB) into the country's fifth self-contained new town, with the first residential flats emerging in the vicinity by 1975. Following the
Fall of Saigon The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Saigon, the capital of ...
that same year,
Bedok Jetty East Coast Park is a beach and a park encompassing Marine Parade, Bedok and Tampines, along the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, after the Singapore government had completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katong wh ...
became a focal point for
Vietnamese refugees Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...
landing in Singapore during
Operation Thunderstorm Operation Thunderstorm was the codename for the Singapore Armed Forces's operation to contain refugees fleeing South Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975. Background Following the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975, large numbers of South Vi ...
. Bedok Town had been developed since 1973, with the newer roads such as Bedok Plain, Bedok Highway, and Bedok Heights being built until 1975. The New Upper Changi Road was fully built and opened in 1979, where the massive development had been completed except Bedok Reservoir and Kaki Bukit, which was built later between 1983 and 1988.


Geography


Location

Bedok Planning Area is located within the East Region of Singapore, along Pulau Ujong's southeastern coast. It is bounded by
Paya Lebar Paya Lebar is a planning area located in the East Region of Singapore, bordered by Hougang to the west, Sengkang to the northwest, Tampines to the east, Bedok to the south and Pasir Ris to the north. As part of the Singapore Urban Redevelopmen ...
to the north,
Hougang Hougang is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the most populous in the region, being home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bordered by Sengkang to th ...
to the northwest,
Tampines Tampines () is the regional centre of the East Region of Singapore. With a population of 265,340 living across its five subzones, it is the second-most populous planning area in Singapore, according to the DOS Population Trends 2022. It is h ...
to the northeast and east,
Geylang Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west. Geylang is perha ...
to the west, and
Marine Parade Marine Parade is a planning area and residential estate located in the Central Region of Singapore. Straddling the tip of the southeastern coast of Pulau Ujong, Marine Parade serves as a buffer between the Central and East regions of the ci ...
to the southwest. Bedok New Town sits within the Bedok Planning Area.


Subzones

Bedok is divided into 8 subzones:


Infrastructure

Bedok New Town covers a land area close to with some 42% occupied for residential use. It was formerly a hilly region, and hence the focal point of orientation of the town is the special
landscaped Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
park and sports complex built on the higher ground of the town. The residential blocks, as well as the industrial area, are planned based on the neighbourhood concept. There is also a town centre situated between the present
Bedok Mall Bedok Mall is a suburban shopping mall in Bedok, Singapore and part of a mixed development compromising of retail and residential development that is integrated with a bus interchange. It was the first major shopping mall to open in Bedok and was ...
and the former
Bedok Point Bedok Point was a four-storey mall (with 2 basement stories) located in the town center of Bedok along New Upper Changi Road, and near Bedok MRT station, and it was officially opened on 26 April 2011. The mall held its soft opening on 16 December ...
site. Plans for an integrated complex, which will be as big as three football fields, have also been revealed in 2014. This complex, Heartbeat @ Bedok, houses a sports centre, library, clinic, centre for the elderly, and the Kampong Chai Chee Community Club. The complex is located in the Bedok Town centre and was completed in 2017.


Residential development

Some 58,000 units of
flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...
were built by the HDB in Bedok New Town. As one of the older towns, the majority of the flats are 3-room or 4-room. There are also some 2,700 and 583 units of executive and Housing and Urban Development Corporation flats. It provides housing for some 200,000 residents.


Transportation

There are currently six Mass Rapid Transit stations in the Bedok planning area across two lines, the East-West Line and the Downtown Line. Both lines run parallel to one another and do not have an interchange station in Bedok. However, the Tanah Merah MRT Station of EWL is an interchange station with the Changi Airport Branch Line (CG). The six stations are: * Tanah Merah *
Bedok Bedok () is a planning area and matured residential town located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah along the south-eastern coast of the East Region of Singapore. Bedok is bounded by five other planning areas: Paya Lebar to the north ...
* Kembangan *
Kaki Bukit Kaki Bukit ( Jawi: كاكي بوكيت; ) is a small town in Perlis, Malaysia. It has an estimated population of 3,000. Kaki Bukit is located 26 kilometres (16 miles) north of the state capital, Kangar and a few miles away from Padang Besar, the ...
* Bedok North *
Bedok Reservoir Bedok Reservoir ( ms, Empangan Bedok, , ta, பெடோக் நீர்த்தேக்கம்) is a reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, to the north of Bedok. The reservoir has a surface area of 880,000 m², and a capacity of 12. ...
The future stations of the Thomson-East Coast Line that are currently under construction will be operational in 2023 and 2024 under stages 4 and 5, respectively. The line will run south of the planning area and have an interchange station with the Downtown Line at Sungei Bedok station, which will also be the terminus for both lines. The five future stations are: *
Marine Terrace A raised beach, coastal terrace,Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from 2/04/2011or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin,Pira ...
*
Siglap Siglap is a neighbourhood located in Bedok in the East Region of Singapore. The area also encompasses the Frankel and Opera Estates and their names have sometimes been used interchangeably to refer to the approximate same area. The planning su ...
* Bayshore * Bedok South * Sungei Bedok The Bedok Bus Interchange opened in 1979, as part of the Bedok Town Centre, located along Bedok North Road and between Block 203 and 207, next to community amenities such as a food centre, library, and sports complex, with the allocated Block 207A. There were thirty-three end-on berths with ten services occupying it and six sawtooth berths, each occupying three bus services in the original facility. Several bus services were moved to the interchange from Chai Chee Bus Terminal when it closed in 1985.
Bedok MRT station Bedok MRT station is an above-ground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the East West Line in Bedok, Singapore. Located at the town centre of Bedok, this station is built on a traffic island in the middle of New Upper Changi Road. It is one ...
opened in 1989 at the south of the original facility, complementing the bus interchange to serve people travelling within Bedok town and also the nearby
East Coast Park East Coast Park is a beach and a park encompassing Marine Parade, Bedok and Tampines, along the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, after the Singapore government had completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katon ...
. On 19 November 2011, after operating from the original facility for 32 years, the bus interchange moved to its temporary facility west of the original facility, at the junction of Bedok North Drive and Bedok North Avenue 1, to allow the original facility to be redeveloped into
Bedok Mall Bedok Mall is a suburban shopping mall in Bedok, Singapore and part of a mixed development compromising of retail and residential development that is integrated with a bus interchange. It was the first major shopping mall to open in Bedok and was ...
. The new Bedok Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) began operations on 30 November 2014. With the completion of the ITH, Bedok residents can transfer in air-conditioned comfort between bus and MRT services at Bedok MRT station. It is the 7th air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore.


Parks

The parks in the area include Bedok Town Park, located beside the Pan Island Expressway between Bedok North Road and Bedok Avenue 3, and the Bedok Reservoir Park alongside
Bedok Reservoir Bedok Reservoir ( ms, Empangan Bedok, , ta, பெடோக் நீர்த்தேக்கம்) is a reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, to the north of Bedok. The reservoir has a surface area of 880,000 m², and a capacity of 12. ...
.


Politics

The area of Bedok falls under three constituencies and nine divisions following the 2020 elections, which were
Aljunied GRC The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of five divisions: Eunos, Bedok Reservoir-Punggol, Kaki Bukit, Sera ...
,
East Coast GRC The East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern area of Singapore. The areas of the Group Representation Constituency consists of locations such as East Coast Park, Bedok, Chang ...
, and
Marine Parade GRC The Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the central, eastern and north-eastern areas of Singapore. The constituency consists of a section of Bedok, Chai Chee, Geyla ...
. The Aljunied GRC covers northern Bedok along with the subdivisions of
Kaki Bukit Kaki Bukit ( Jawi: كاكي بوكيت; ) is a small town in Perlis, Malaysia. It has an estimated population of 3,000. Kaki Bukit is located 26 kilometres (16 miles) north of the state capital, Kangar and a few miles away from Padang Besar, the ...
and
Bedok Reservoir Bedok Reservoir ( ms, Empangan Bedok, , ta, பெடோக் நீர்த்தேக்கம்) is a reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, to the north of Bedok. The reservoir has a surface area of 880,000 m², and a capacity of 12. ...
; its MPs were the secretary-general of the Workers' Party (WP) Pritam Singh, former NCMP
Gerald Giam Gerald Giam Yean Song ( zh, s=严燕松, p=Yán Yànsōng; born 1977) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bedok Reservoir– Punggol division of ...
and
Muhamad Faisal Manap Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap ( Jawi: ; born 1975) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Vice-Chairman of the Worker's Party since 2016. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Kaki Bukit division of Aljunied GR ...
, and WP had held on to the constituency since the 2011 election where it was first led by then-secretary general
Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang (; born 5 September 1956) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) between 2001 and 2018. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang SMC between 1991 and 2011 and Aljun ...
. Before 2011, Aljunied GRC was under the ruling
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
(PAP) with MPs former
Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
George Yeo George Yeo Yong-Boon ( zh, s=杨荣文, p=Yáng Róngwén; born 13 September 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2004 and 2011. Yeo served in the Singapore Army and ...
and Zainul Abidin, while Kaki Bukit was under the Marine Parade GRC where
Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim Muhammad Faishal bin Ibrahim Khan Surattee ( Jawi: محمد فااشال إبراهيم; born 16 June 1968) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister of State for Home Affairs and Minister of State for National Developmen ...
represented the ward back then (now as MP for
Nee Soon GRC The Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north region of Singapore. The GRC includes most of Yishun town, the private residential areas along Sembawang Road and Upper Thomso ...
). The East Coast GRC covers the central Bedok area, east Siglap, and Bayshore; its MPs are
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean politician, former police officer and civil servant who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore since 2019 and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies since 2020 and als ...
(an ex-
Tampines GRC The Tampines Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the eastern region of Singapore. The GRC encompasses Tampines with five divisions: Tampines East, Tampines West, Tampines Central, Tampin ...
anchor minister), Jessica Tan Soon Neo,
Cheryl Chan Cheryl Chan Wei Ling ( zh, s=陈慧玲, p=Chén Huìlíng; born 1976) is a Singaporean politician and businesswoman. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Fengshan div ...
, minister
Maliki Osman Mohamad Maliki bin Osman ( Jawi: مالكي عثمان; born 1965) is a Singaporean politician and former assistant professor who has been serving as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Education and Second Minister ...
, and Minister of State
Tan Kiat How Tan Kiat How ( zh, s=陈杰豪, p=Chén Jiéháo; born 1977) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for National Development and Senior Minister of State for Communications and Inf ...
. East Coast GRC has been staged as closed fights against the WP since the 2011 election, but the PAP won the GRC in a narrow margin. Its previous MPs include cabinet ministers such as
Lee Yock Suan Lee Yock Suan ( zh, s=李玉全, p=Lǐ Yùquán; born 30 September 1946) is a former Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he served in the Cabinet between 1987 and 2004, and was a Member of Parliament (MP ...
, S. Jayakumar,
Raymond Lim Raymond Lim Siang Keat ( zh, s=林双吉, p=Lín Shuāngjí, born 24 June 1959) is a former Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Lim has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the East Coast Group ...
and
Lim Swee Say Lim Swee Say (; born 13 July 1954) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress between 2005 and 2015, Minister for Manpower between 2015 and 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Of ...
, as well as previous
speakers Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...
Tan Soo Khoon Tan Soo Khoon ( zh, c=陈树群, p=Chén Shùqún; born 1 September 1949) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 1989 and 2001. Education Tan attended the Anglo-Chinese School before gr ...
and
Abdullah Tarmugi Abdullah bin Tarmugi ( Jawi: عبدالله بن ترموڬي; born 25 August 1944) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2002 and 2011. Early life Born to a Javanese father and a Chines ...
. For the 2015 election, Chan's ward of Fengshan was carved as an SMC for only one term before reverting to GRC. The Marine Parade GRC covers Frankel, Kembangan, and west Siglap; its MPs are current Speaker
Tan Chuan-Jin Tan Chuan-Jin (; born 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2017. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Par ...
and Minister
Edwin Tong Edwin Tong Chun Fai ( zh, s=唐振辉, p=Táng Zhènhuī; born 1969) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law concurrently since 2020. A member of the ...
. Tong's ward of Joo Chiat was a SMC for three elections beginning in 2001 until it was absorbed into GRC in 2015.


Education

The following is the list of schools in Bedok as of 2022:


Primary schools

* Bedok Green Primary School * Damai Primary School * Fengshan Primary School * Opera Estate Primary School * Red Swastika School * St. Anthony's Canossian Primary School * St. Stephen's School * Tanjong Katong Primary School * Telok Kurau Primary School * Temasek Primary School * Yu Neng Primary School


Secondary schools

* Anglican High School * Bedok Green Secondary School * Bedok South Secondary School * Bedok View Secondary School * Damai Secondary School * Ping Yi Secondary School * St. Anthony's Canossian Secondary School * Temasek Secondary School


Junior colleges

*
Temasek Junior College Temasek Junior College (TJC) is a government-run junior college located in Bedok South, Singapore. It offers a six-year Integrated Programme alongside a two-year Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level curriculum. History Temasek Junior Coll ...


Other schools

* Katong School (APSN) * NPS International School


Hawker Centres

As of 2020, 10 major hawker centres are located in Bedok that serves local Singaporean cuisine. They are: * Fengshan Market & Food Centre * Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre * Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market * Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre * Bedok 538 Market & Food Centre * Blk 16 Bedok South Market & Food Centre * The Marketplace @ 58 * Bedok Food Centre * The Bedok Market Place * Blk 630 Bedok Reservoir Market & Food Centre


References


External links


URA Draft Masterplan 2013 Bedok
*Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), ''Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names'', Eastern Universities Press,

*Chin, Daryl. (, 2014). Bedok residents to get a new sports complex, library, and community club under one roof by 2017. The Straits Times
Bedok residents to get new sports complex, library and community club under one roof by 2017
{{Authority control East Region, Singapore Places in Singapore