Pulau Bukom, also known as Pulau Bukum ( zh, 毛广岛; ta, புளு புகோம்), is a small restricted-access island belonging to

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, bor ...

that is located about five kilometres to the south of Mainland Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The size of Pulau Bukom is about . Pulau Bukom is also known as ''Pulau Bukom Besar'', which has a small companion

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

to its south called ''Pulau Bukom Kechil''. This companion islet is currently connected to Pulau Ular and Pulau Busing by reclaimed land, making the three of them appear as one large island on satellite imagery.

Etymology

The island's name is thought to come from the Malay name for a

seashell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

called ''rangkek bukom'', which is wide at one end and tapers to a narrow point, the shape of the island prior to land reclamation. ''Bukum'' is said to be the same as ''hukum'', and there is a

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

that a

raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested ...

used to try cases on the island, hence the name, probably through the intermediate form ''berhukum''.Moey, N. (1991). The Shell endeavour: First 100 years in Singapore. Singapore: Shell Companies in Singapore, p. 28

History

The island was home to the native Malay islanders before government efforts to relocate them back to mainland Singapore for redevelopment. Pulau Bukom appears in Franklin and Jackson's 1828 map as ''Po. Bukum''. The island, originally a

mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...

, was also a source of

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does incl ...

for

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s. In 1884, an Italian trader named Giovanni Gaggino established a water company on the island to supply water to passing ships.

Access

Access to the island is restricted. Security pass is issued only to personnel working on the island. A ferry (from the

Pasir Panjang Pasir Panjang is an area located at the southern part of Queenstown in Singapore. Kent Ridge Park is a topographical feature which runs adjacent to Pasir Panjang. History Pasir Panjang Road, which once hugged the coastline, was laid down a ...

ferry terminal) serves the island. The ferry operator is Tian San Shipping. The security checks are very tight, and no unauthorized person is allowed to enter the island.

References

*Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), ''Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names'', Eastern Universities Press,

External links

Satellite image of Pulau Bukum
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Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

{{Authority control Bukom Western Islands Planning Area Industrial estates in Singapore

Etymology

History

Access

See also

References

External links