Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War II interpretive centre developed and managed by the National Archives of Singapore, located on

Bukit Chandu Bukit Chandu (Malay for Opium Hill) is a hill located in Kent Ridge in Singapore where the Battle of Bukit Chandu took place on 14 February 1942 during the Battle of Singapore in World War II. Notable attractions * Reflections at Bukit Chandu * ...

(Malay for "Opium Hill") off Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The centre was officially opened by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan on 15 February 2002. This date also marks the 60th anniversary of the fall of Singapore in 1942.

Building

The building in which the exhibition is housed is a colonial-era black and white bungalow located near the site of the

Battle of Pasir Panjang The Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 12 and 15 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II. The battle was initiated upon the advancement of elite Imperial Japa ...

in February 1942. It was built at the turn of the 20th century for senior British officers. The building was restored to preserve its original structure and design, retaining the original style of arches and windows but altering the roof.

Background

In Memory of the Malay regiment at Bukit Chandu

Bukit Chandu was one of the sites of the

in February 1942 before the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February. The battle took place just two days before the surrender. The battle saw soldiers from the Malay Regiment led by British and Malay officers defending western Singapore, being forced to retreat onto the hill. For 48 hours, the Malay Regiment C Company and remnants from the 1st and 2nd Battalions engaged in one of the fiercest battles fought in Singapore. They were greatly outnumbered, and when they ran out of ammunition, they resorted to hand-to-hand combat to defend this hill. Many soldiers died on the hill. Those who survived were captured and massacred by the Japanese including 7th platoon, C Company, and 1st Battalion commander Lieutenant Adnan bin Saidi.

Exhibition gallery

The museum's exhibition gallery covers the history of World War II in Malaya, detailing the late 1930s socio-political climate of the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...

, the Japanese's plans for invasion, and the British strategy for defending Malaya and Singapore. There are exhibits of photographs, maps and artefacts. The recruitment, training, principles, and values of the Malay Regiment are represented, including through documentaries commissioned by the National Archives of Singapore, World War II paraphernalia, and

witness testimony Eyewitness testimony is the account a bystander or victim gives in the courtroom, describing what that person observed that occurred during the specific incident under investigation. Ideally this recollection of events is detailed; however, this is ...

from survivors. In 2018, the gallery was closed in 2018 for redevelopment. The gallery was reopened on 8 September 2021 in a ceremony, a virtual event, where local poet Aqmal N paid tribute to the soldiers with a poem, ''Tanah Sang Perwira'' (A Hero's Land). The gallery features a multimedia show with pre-war footage of 2nd Lieutenant

Adnan Saidi Adnan bin Saidi ( Jawi: ; 1915 – 14 February 1942) was a Malayan military officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade who fought the Japanese at the Battle of Pasir Panjang in Singapore during World War II. He is lauded as a national hero in Sin ...

drilling his troops and an Edwin Thumboo poem.

Nearby attractions

The centre is connected to Kent Ridge Park via a canopy walk at tree-top level.

References

External links

Official website of Reflections at Bukit Chandu
{{Major tourist attractions in Singapore 2002 establishments in Singapore Bukit Timah Military and war museums in Singapore Museums established in 2002