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Aljunied

English	Aljunied
Chinese	阿裕尼
(Pinyin	āyùní)
Malay	Aljunied
Tamil	அல்ஜூனிட்

Aljunied is a sub-urban area located in the eastern part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formally agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of landuses. Today, Aljunied is a bustling neighbourhood with HDB flats with amenities like shops, schools, parks and recreational facilities.

[edit] Etymology

Aljunied Road was officially named in 1926 after Syed Omar bin Ali Al Junied (died 1852).

Syed Omar was a wealthy Arab merchant from Palembang, where he had set up business after migrating from his hometown in Tarim, Hadramaut (Yemen). He was also a highly respected man, looked upon by the Malays as a prince. Syed Omar came from the well-respected Arab family who were descendants of Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was a nephew of Syed Mohammed bin Harun Al Junied, who also came from Palembang to Singapore in the early days before the founding of Singapore in 1819.

Syed Omar was a philanthropist and his charitable acts included donating a large plot of land in Victoria Street for the purposes of a Muslim burial ground and the construction of a mosque in Bencoolen Street. The land where St Andrews Church stands was also donated by him. He and his family contributed largely to the setting up of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

In 1927, one of his descendants, Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied, built the Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah on a vacant ground next to the Victoria Road cemetery in commemoration of his grandfather, Syed Omar. Madrsah Aljunied was a leading Islamic religious school which produced many religious leaders of Southeast Asian countries.

[edit] Politics

The area has a constituency, the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (Aljunied GRC). with five members of parliament (MPs) sitting in the Parliament of Singapore. Aljunied GRC was hotly contested in the 2006 general election.

[edit] References

• Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1
• http://www.ajtc.org.sg (Aljunied Town Council)

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