Most prominent early immigrants were mostly Chinese such as Eu Tong Sen and Tan Tock Seng. However, as we looked through the map of Singapore, there are certain Malay road names that caught our attention. One of them was Aljunied Road. Located in the east, Aljunied Road houses the CPA House and housing estates. We decided to find out more about Aljunied.
Who are the Aljunieds?
As it turns out, Aljunied is actually the name of a family which has contributed greatly to the early immigrant society of early Singapore. The patriarch of the Aljunied family was Syed Sharif Omar bin Ali Aljunied. He left Yemen with his uncle, Syed Mohammed bin Harun Aljunied, in 1816 to spread Islam in Asia. Before coming to Singapore, he was a successful trader in Palembang and Sumatra, known for his honesty and because his direct lineage with the Prophet Muhammad. Because of this lineage, he was awarded the title of ‘Pengeran Sherif’ or Prince to the Malays.
His uncle set up a trading business in Singapore about four months after the founding of Singapore in June 1819. The Aljunieds profited from the lucrative trade between Europe and the Far East and from Singapore’s status as a free port then.
What did they do?
Similar to the Chinese entrepreneur, the Aljunieds were also socially responsible businessmen who contributed to society. Syed Omar contributed land to build the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka for Muslim businessmen in Chinatown. He also supported other religions by donating land for the St. Andrew’s cathedral. Besides helping other religions, Syed Omar also contributed land for Dr. Tan Tock Seng’s Pauper’s Hospital, which later became the Tan Tock Seng Hospital
In following Syed Omar’s footsteps, his son, Syed Abu Bakar, co-founded the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce. He also assisted the development of Singapore’s port as the only non-European member on the Board of Governors of the Singapore Harbour Board, the Port of Singapore Authority then.
This sense of responsibility to the community was also propagated by descendents of the Aljunieds. In 1927, the grandson of Syed Omar, Syed Abdul Rahman Omar Aljunied built the now Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah in Victoria Street. The madrasah, or Islamic school, is still functioning today as one the six madrasahs that offer full-time Islamic and Ministry of Education-prescribed education.
The legacy of the Aljunieds has definitely preceded the lives of the first generations. Their contribution has been felt by many in their time and also now. They shared foresight, which were similar with the Chinese entrepreneur. The Aljunieds, like Tan Kim Seng and Gan Eng Seng, understood the importance of education and built schools. They also contributed to social causes and assisted the Chinese immigrants to make life better for everybody and set the foundation for Singapore’s multi-racial society.
Having walked around Singapore and seeing the Chinese businessmen’s roads and a lot of Chinese influence (especially in Chinatown), it was interesting also to see Malay influence and learn more about it. Although some Chinese businessmen’s children have continued to give back to the society, Aljunieds really impressed me with their whole family being involved in contributing and donating. Not only a one man, but his son and his descendants.
ReplyDeleteThe Aljunied family really differs from the businessmen in the western countries during those times. In Europe the key word was exploitation of people, Aljunieds are truly remarkable. They were not only honest and wise businessmen, but also open to other cultures and religions, which was not the case in the western countries. Building schools, donating land to hospitals and cathedrals and playing a part in developing Singapore is the definition of farsightedness.
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ReplyDeleteagree...they were so so so good
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ReplyDeletelol Agree
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joonas, for your kind comments. I am part of the 6th generation of the Aljunieds in Singapore. My great grandfather built Madrasah Aljunied, and I'm glad to say the money he left still runs the school to this day, and we still try to help the community in any way we can.
ReplyDeleteMashaAllah,here in Tanzania(east Africa) we had the honour of having Sayyid AbdulQadir al Junied and he was a great sayyid and scholar of his time. He also opened madrasah Al Juneid in Dar es salaam and Im honourned to be among his students.
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