Ubin Town

Ubin Town is the heart of Ubin.

As you leave Ubin Jetty and turn left (westwards), the first eating establishment you come across is Pak Ali's Malay Stall which serves the best lontong in Singapore (only on Sundays though, and it sells out very quickly).

Along the 'main road' is the soon-to-be-opened Ubin Green House by the Green Volunteers Network. More about Ubin Green House on the focus ubin forum.

Further down the road, more bicycle rental shops and more eating establishments. The restaurants serve home-cooked seafood and other local dishes. They can be quite crowded during weekends at peak mealtimes.

In the centre of town is the wayang stage which has a colourful history.

Nearby are provision shops that stock almost everything you could possibly need on your daytrip and offer fresh coconuts and other delicacies of the island.

There is a temple tucked away in a corner.

Moving further along in this direction, you will pass the Ubin Volunteer Hub (previously the Community Centre). The Basketball Court facing it is a conveniently place to start off large groups visiting Ubin. Cycling groups, student outings and even the Chek Jawa public walks start here.

History of Ubin

Settlement of Ubin
The Malay village of Kampung Surau was founded by Encik Endut Senin who originally came from Kampung Kallang near the Kallang River. He sought the permission of the Sultan (then at Kampung Glam Palace) to live on the island, which at that time, had no name. 50 other Malay families later joined him to form a thriving Malay community at Kampung Melayu, Kampung Sungei Durian and Kampung Surau.

Attracted by the good fishing and farming on the island, the Chinese also came to Ubin and settled at Ubin Town and Kampung Jelutong. 25 families were the first to settle, followed by others as industries such as granite quarrying took off.

Ubin was once a bustling settlement, with a school and other amenities. Among its interesting historical sites is House No. 1 near Chek Jawa. There are also temples and shrines rich in history. Ubin Town itself is full of history.

Ubin in World War II
Pulau Ubin was the first point of landing by the Japanese on 7 Feb 1942. Opening fire on mainland's north-east coast, they gave the impression of an impending attack from that direction. Thinking that the Japanese intended to invade Singapore from the northeast, the British moved precious stocks of defence supplies like petrol and explosives from the northwest to the northeast. However, the Japanese main assault was on the north-west coast instead, encountering only minimal resistance.

According to an account, the Headman Lim Chye Joo recalls that intially there were clashes between the Teochews and Hokkiens. However, during the Japanese occupation, the two groups stopped bickering and banded together as Chinese. The Malays and Chinese have also gotten on well and there were no major incidents between the groups even during the racial riots of 1964.

Quarries in Ubin

Granite quarrying was once a major industry on Ubin. The first quarry was started in the 1800's. Ubin's granite was used to build the Horsburgh Lighthouse and Raffles Lighthouse, the two extreme points of Singapore. And, by some accounts, the Causeway linking Singapore to Malaysia as well.

In the 1990s, Aik Hwa Granite Quarry supplied about 30-40% of Singapore's requirements. Granite from Ubin was used to make concrete and for reclamation.

The granite industry supported a large population on Ubin (at one time, Aik Hwa Granite Quarry employed about 100 workers, most of whom stayed on Ubin) and a wide range of supporting cottage industries on Ubin.

Quarrying, however, ceased once the granite was mined to below sea level. The Resource Development Corporation (RDC) Quarry closed down, shortly followed by Aik Hwa Quarry, which was the last quarry to close in 1999.

With the closure of granite quarrying, the number of people living on Ubin dwindled, to about 1,200 in 1980 to 400 by 1995. Most residents now farm or fish or provide services to the quiet tourist trade on the island.

The abandoned quarries at Ubin are now filling up with rainwater and the natural vegetation is recovering around their edges. Fish have somehow appeared in some of them, attracting birds such as herons. Although the quarries are now quite scenic, they remain dangerous places. Swimming and other activities near them should be avoided.

Agriculture at Ubin

Vast areas in the eastern portion of Ubin was cleared for rubber plantations. Rubber tapping ended in the 1980's when Singapore lost out to cheaper rubber sources elsewhere. The trees remain, obscured by the natural forest that has regrown in the abadoned plantations.

In the 1970's there were efforts to cultivate orchids on a large scale but these were not successful.

Ubin residents started fruit orchards of durian, rambutans, jackfruit among others. Coconut plantations were also popular. Some of these are still gathered and sold at Ubin Town during the fruiting season.

Fishing and seafood farming was another lucrative endeavour. Kelongs once flourished on the shores of Ubin. Fish farms are still found off the shores, where fingerling foodfishes are raised in pens to marketable size. Traditional prawn farming using tidal changes was also popular. Freshwater foodfishes were also cultivated in ponds. Tropical aquarium fish were also once farmed on Ubin.

There are plans to establish large-scale fish farming off Ubin. However, these have some potential costs and impact on the environment. more on the focus ubin forum.

Geography of Ubin

Pulau Ubin is the second largest of Singapore's offshore islands. (The largest is Pulau Tekong, just next to Pulau Ubin).

Lying in the Straits of Johor opposite Changi, Pulau Ubin has been described as being boomerang shaped. About 1,020 ha or 10.2 sq km in area, it is about 8km at the longest length, and its breadth varies from 1.3-1.7km. The highest point of Ubin is Puaka Hill (74m).

There are two major offshore islets near Ubin: Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island (opposite Chek Jawa), and Pulau Ketam (opposite Ubin Lagoon Resort)

Pulau Ubin has several rivers meandering through it; the main ones being Sungei Besar and Sungei Mamam.

Pulau Ubin is made up mostly of granite. This fact has shaped much of the island's activities. Even its name arises from it. One account says that this kind of granite was used to make floor tiles, called "jubin" in Malay. Another says "Ubin" was the Javanese term for square stone.

Legends of Ubin

The traditional story of Ubin's formation tells of a Frog, a Pig and an Elephant that challenged each other to a race from Singapore to Johor across the Straits. Anyone that failed would be turned into a rock. The frog failed and turned into Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island. The Pig and Elephant also failed and turned into Pulau Ubin.

The story seems curious as Ubin appears to us as one island today. So why the Pig and the Elephant?

According to one account, Ubin was originally two islands divided by the Jelutong River. When prawn farming took off on the island, mud banks (called bunds) were used to dam the river and thus eventually joined the two halves.