- Aljunied
englishname=Aljunied
chinesename=阿裕尼
pinyin=āyùní
malayname=Aljunied
tamilname=அல்ஜூனிட்Aljunied is a sub-urban area located in the eastern part of the
city-state ofSingapore . Named afterAljunied 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 withHDB flats with amenities like shops, schools, parks and recreational facilities.Etymology
"Aljunied" Road was officially named in 1926 after Syed Omar bin Ali Al Junied (died 1852).
Syed Omar was a wealthy
Arab merchant fromPalembang , 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 aprince . Syed Omar came from the well-respected Arab family who were descendants of Islamic prophetMuhammad , the founder ofIslam . He was a nephew of Syed Mohammed bin Harun Al Junied, who also came fromPalembang 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 Muslimburial ground and the construction of a mosque in Bencoolen Street. The land where St Andrews Church stands was also donated by him. He 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 Roadcemetery in commemoration of his grandfather, Syed Omar.Politics
The area has a constituency, the
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (Aljunied GRC). with five members of parliament (MPs) sitting in theParliament of Singapore . Aljunied GRC was hotly contested in the 2006 general election.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 http://www.ajtc.org.sg (Aljunied Town Council)]
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