Haunted Singapore: A Personal Exploration. Part 1
A Recounting of My Past Paranormal Research
There are many sites1 online that showcases the top 10 (or more) of most haunted places in Singapore. I personally cannot verify that these places are in fact haunted. However, I will recount the past investigations that my team and I have conducted.
Now, before we proceed, it is crucial that we have a quick understanding of the history of Singapore; a village of fishing folk transformed through the years into the financial behemoth of South East Asia it is today.
Brief History of Singapore
In the Sejarah Melayu (SM; Malay Annals), Sang (Nila) Utama is a reference to a 13th-century Palembang prince from the Srivijaya ruling house. His link to the pre-1819 history of Singapore is his founding of a settlement called Singapura on the island Temasek sometime in 1299 (r. 1299–1347). 2
Sir Stamford Raffles, (born July 6, 1781, at sea, off Port Morant, Jam. —died July 5, 1826, London, Eng.), British East Indian administrator and founder of the port city of Singapore (1819), who was largely responsible for the creation of Britain's Far Eastern empire. He was knighted in 1816.3
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which created communal tensions that resulted in racial riots in July and September 1964.4 Source
Island Mysticism
There is popular belief, specifically amongst the Malays — the natives of Singapore — that the islands are especially haunted because the past inhabitants delved into the supernatural and mysticism. They conjure spirits that are tasked to either protect them from harm, guard a place or harm their adversaries, although the former is usually the case. These spirits are linked to charms or artefacts — a vassalage — which are either buried, burnt or disposed of into bodies of water like lakes, rivers and/or the sea when their masters no longer have any use for them. Therefore, the ties that bind them to the conjurers are severed, and they are returned to their shadow realm, albeit with the proper ritual performed.
However, other variables considered, sometimes these spirits linger and refused to return and would haunt these spaces. They are either malevolent or benign.
Sometime during Singapore’s secession from Malaysia, a handful of the residents in Singapore left the country to live in Malaysia instead; in other instance, some islanders that reside amongst the many islands and isles around Singapore, due to government decree, are forced to move to the mainland. Why do some of these folks did not conduct any proper rituals to send them off to the shadow realm is a mystery, however, these beings are trapped in these locales due to this fact.
My Paranormal Research Begins
My first forays into the paranormal activity commonly known as ‘ghost hunting’ began one night when my wife’s uncle, Chik Ahmad, invited us to join him to look for these spirits. I have traveled with him with my wife to three locations before I established the group known as The Singapore Ghost Hunting Club5 in 2007. (Name changed to Singapore Ghost Club as of 2014)
The memorable location that that will always stay with me is the one that Chik Ahmad brought us to: the old View Road Hospital.
View Road Hospital
Brief pointers of its history:
During its construction in 1941, it was used as a command center for the British Army.
In the 70s, Woodbridge Mental Hospital expanded its premises to overcome overcrowding, which is View Road Hospital.
The hospital was shut in 2001.
The building has seen use as the View Road Lodge – a foreign workers’ dormitory on two occasions – until 2017.6
We parked our cars as close as possible to the horizontal swing barriers. In this way, we are able to hide our vehicles from passersby. From there onwards, we walked up a winding, elevated two-way road to reach the top. Chik Ahmad — in the lead, beckons us to follow.
Finally, we reached the 2 meters tall wrought iron gates, which is painted in green. My wife, Ida, who is the niece of Chik Ahmad, trailed after me after he swung it slightly ajar as we squeezed through.
The first sights that greeted us was that of two rusty old swings, and the tenebrous facade of the hospital’s main building. Crickets stridulation fills the black night. The surroundings are swarmed by huge tress that paints the night sky with ghastly shapes and silhouette. The air is still and warm. As I stood there, I swung my Sony A100 DSLR, and began snapping photos like a crime scene investigator.
To the left of the gate, there are a couple of swings – four benches linked via nylon ropes to the horizontal bars. I imagined a scene of the patients solemnly being swung by the nurses.
We trailed Cik Ahmad through the main building. With our flashlights beaming across the dark, we treaded carefully. Chik Ahmad told us to wait, and so we stood and waited for his next command at the rear archway. A single storey row of buildings stood quietly. Lifeless disused buildings that have seen better days. Chik Ahmad enters through one of the open doors and scours the room as I pressed the camera shutter. Pic.3
We did not explore the top floors, however. Then, it was time to head back out to the yard where the swings and main building are at. All eight of us, which does includes Chik Ahmad’s disciples, was told by him to gather there and wait for him.
Suddenly, one of us whispered loudly — hands stretched and pointing in the direction of the swings and claimed: it moved! I quickly walked as close as I dared to and snapped a photo. Pic. 4 Although I did not see the swing actually moved, I do not doubt the veracity made by witness.
But, the weirdest event was about to unfold: an overwhelming sweet scent of frangipani fills the air. It is so strong that I thought a parfum factory had released this chemical nearby, perhaps due to a mishap? Everyone looked at each other and some of them hushed those that dare mention about it. This is what the Malays call ‘pantang’. The superstition is, if you heard a shrill or laughter echoing through the night; a strong smell of some sort, do not mention it to anyone around you for you might see it making itself known.
As soon as Chik Ahmad returned, the scent was gone. We told him what happened, and he gave a hearty laugh. He said that the reason he left us on that particular spot was because he knew that ‘she’ was there; she didn’t make her presence known due to the fact that she knows Chik Ahmad, who is a medium, can ‘see’ her.
Chik Ahmad died in the month of June, a month after Ida’s dad, whom we call Baba, passed in May 2021. The last conversation with him was after we left Baba’s funeral that night as I was sending him home to his flat in Ghim Moh in my car. I will always cherish and remember fondly all of our conversations; his baritone voice, and hearty laugh echoes in my mind every time I drove in the area at night.
Old Jurong Lake Park
Brief history of Jurong Lake Park:
Jurong Lake was formed when the upper section of Jurong River was dammed in 1971. Jurong River appeared in early maps dating back to 1828 and was a landmark for many early settlers and villagers. After the river was dammed, three-man-made islands were formed, housing the Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden.
The Chinese Garden was built between 1971 and 1975 and its design principles were based on classical northern Chinese imperial architecture from the Song Dynasty period. Its primary features include ornate bridges, pavilions and a seven-storey pagoda, some of which were inspired by the Summer Palace in Beijing.7
As of 2023, the whole park has been revamped into a modern, accommodation for visitors with various facilities. However, I did an investigation with my fellow team in 2010. This was considered the second episode for Singapore Ghost Hunting Club’s (former) The Paranormal Show.
It was close to midnight. A quartet of teenaged boys decided to chill at one of the three rustic jetty that sits on the banks of Jurong Lake. Most of the park facilities are decaying due to disuse. Heavy, round marble tables with black and white checkered marks etched on it and wooden benches littered along the path in non-uniformed fashion; infested with mold and mildew: not many people visits this place any longer. There is a hut that housed a beer garden – alone and abandoned it sits at one of the many entrances into the park.
On this particular night, my elder cousin and his buddies were feeling hot and sticky, and thus they are seeking for some relieve by heading out to the jetty. This particular spot was located at the Southeastern part of this park. Right next to it, the defunct Tang Dynasty City looms.8
The metal surface of the jetty is cold. They were glad that they made the right choice to relocate there for the night. However, things were about to take a ghastly turn.
While they were chatting, sprawled across the iron surface — some were leaning against the cold railings, cross-legged; others lying on their side, resting on an elbow, a cool breeze can be felt brushing against their skin. As the conversation picks up in volume, something could be heard hitting onto the metal surface. One of them turns around, while the one leading with the conversation, oblivious to it, continues. Ignoring it, he turns to look at the rest and leans in to focus on the tale that is being told by his friend, as he shifted closer to the circle.
And then, the clinking and clanking resounded, again. A little too close this time. The conversation stops; dead silence. The rustling of the leaves of the Katong tree can be heard as the wind picks up in speed. Perhaps, a seed from this tree had dislodged itself from the stem, and tumbles onto the ground, caused by the blowing wind? Or, perhaps, it is not a seed at all but of something much more solid and heavy.
One of them whispers to the rest: “Did you guys hear that?”
And then, this time, the sound is heard again, surely the sound of a rock being thrown across the jetty surface, very clearly now. Picking themselves up, without saying a word, they walked off the jetty. Hairs are standing on ends. And this night, they will remember for the rest of their lives.
To understand more on the haunting in Jurong Lake, watch the documentary we did back in 2010.
To be continued…
Part 2 continues soon. Please subscribe and learn about what I experienced next as we investigated the haunting of the old railway tunnel in Teban Gardens Estate.
The most haunted places in Singapore
https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/the-most-creepiest-and-haunted-places-in-singapore
Sang Nila Utama
https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=7dc04ff9-f9fb-44ba-867e-8b714f87b324
Sir Stamford Raffles
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stamford-Raffles
Singapore separates from Malaysia and becomes independent
https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=dc1efe7a-8159-40b2-9244-cdb078755013
The Singapore Ghost Hunting Club (Defunct website)
https://sghc.wordpress.com/about/
View Road Hospital: Singapore’s Other Abandoned Hospital You Might Not Even Know Exists
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/view-road-hospital/
Around the Jurong River
https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/landmarks/jurong-heritage-trail/around-the-jurong-river
Tang Dynasty City
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Tang_Dynasty_City