Pulau Ubin
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| English: | Pulau Ubin |
| Chinese: | 乌敏岛 |
| (Pinyin: | wū mǐn dǎo) |
| Malay: | Pulau Ubin |
| Tamil: | fill in |
Pulau Ubin is a small island (10 km²) situated north east of Singapore, beside Pulau Tekong. The name literally means "Granite Island" in Malay, which explains the many abandoned granite quarries there. To the Malays, the island is also known as Pulau Batu Ubin, or "Granite Stone Island"". The rocks on the island were used to make floor tiles in the past and were called "Jubin", which was then shortened to Ubin.
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Legend
Legend has it that Pulau Ubin was formed when three animals from Singapore (a frog, a pig and an elephant) challenged each other to a race to reach the shores of Johor. The animals that failed would turn to stone. All three came across many difficulties and were unable to reach the shores of Johor. Therefore, the elephant and pig together turned into Pulau Ubin whilst the frog became Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island.
History
Granite mining supported a few thousand settlers in the 1960s, but only a hundred villagers live there today. It is also one of the very few off-shore islands in Singapore that is still inhabitated.
On June 3, 2005, the Singapore government ordered that all the farmers rearing poultry on the island is to be shipped to mainland Singapore and reared in government-approved farms by June 17 2005, in the wake of the avian flu from Malaysia. In exchange, the local inhabitants were offered HDB housing packages, although they can choose to live on the island.
Current Situation
Pulau Ubin is one of the last areas of Singapore that has been preserved from urban development, concrete buildings, tarmac roads, etc.
Pulau Ubin's wooden house village and wooden jetty, relax inhabitants, rich and preserved wildlife, abandoned querries and plantations, and untouched nature in general make it the last witness of the old "kampong" Singapore that existed before modern industrial times and development plans.
The Singapore government development projects on the island in the last few years has been controversial and debate has been able to find its way through government controlled medias.
Though recent government action has been limited to widening the paths for bicycles, building shelters for trekkers and so on for growing numbers of visitors, it is already discreetly changing the face and nature of Pulau Ubin from untouched to planned, and pathing the way to further developments.
The future of the island is in the hands of Singaporean, but its status of witness of a former way of life will most probably disappear with the last "kampung" generation.
Local Tourism
Though the island attracted attention for development and planning only in recent years, Singaporeans visitors have been coming to Pulau Ubin for summer camps and outdoor activities for many years.
With attention growing and interest in nature rising, new kinds of visitors are now increasing the flow of visits.
One of the current popular tourist attraction on the island is Tanjung Chek Jawa. Previously a coral reef 5,000 years ago, it can be said to be virtually unspoilt, with a variety of marine wildlife comparable to other islands, such as sea hares, sea squirts, octopi, starfishes, sand dollars, fishes, sponges, cuttlefishes, nudibranches and more.
Visitors may travel to the island via a 10 min bumboat ride from the Changi Village jetty. Cost is 2 SDG per head.
Links
- Outward Bound Singapore has camps at Pulau Ubin and uses it as a training ground for some of its programmes (http://www.obs.pa.gov.sg/programmes/obs.htm).
- "Ecology Asia" website with description and pictures of local wildlife