Pulau Busing is the westernmost major island in the Bukom group of islands, with a land area of 4.4 hectares before reclamation. It has seen major land reclamation to its southern shores. Heavily industrialised, the island is home to oil and chemical storage facilities, at least one marine offshore terminal, and a fuel oil refinery. Together with Jurong Island and neighouring offshore islands, the island is part of the integrated storage and trading hub that was developed by Jurong Town Corporation. Pulau Busing is an important feeding and roosting ground for migratory shore birds. It appears as Po Busing in Franklin & Jackson's 1828 Plan of Singapore. 'Pulau' is Malay for island or an isolated piece of rising ground in a sea, and 'busing' comes perhaps from the Malay terms 'busung pasir' or 'busong pasir', which means a mound of sand or a dune, and pusing which means a turning point.
Location
The Bukom group of islands is sprawled roughly halfway down the southern islands of Singapore. Pulau Busing is the westernmost major island in the Bukom group, with the other major islands being Pulau Hantu, Pulau Ular and Pulau Bukom.
Pulau Busing is strategically located next to the shipping channel and is naturally endowed with a deep waterfront harbour of deeper than 16 metres. Before reclamation, Pulau Busing had a land area of 4.4 hectares. Up to the 1980s, it was still fringed by coral reefs on its northern and southern shores.
Landuse
Like Pulau Bukom, Pulau Busing has seen major land reclamation to its southern shores. It is heavily industrialised, being home to oil and chemical storage facilities, at least one marine offshore terminal, and a fuel oil refinery. Numerous companies operate here. An example is Tankstore, an oil storage company which is a joint venture comprising Paktank International (a Dutch company), the US Chicago Bridge & Iron, and GATX Terminals. Tankstore runs a 600,000 cubic metres facility on Pulau Busing. Another company is CBI Overseas, a manufacturer of oil and chemical storage tanks. Indian Gadgil Western Group also has a presence on the island in the form of a US$130 million (S$188 million) oil refinery that processes one million tonnes of oil annually.
In August 2003, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) announced its plans to include Pulau Busing in its development of Jurong Island and its neighbouring offshore islands into an integrated storage and trading hub. The massive chemical logistics park would help manufacturers ship out their chemical products. On Pulau Busing, 44 hectares of reclaimed land would be allocated to logistics management. The reclaimed site was also considered for a mega-desalination facility, one of six sites for such a facility.
In January 1997, a major oil spill from a tanker at the Busing Terminal brought pollution to the island's waters, necessitating a clean-up operation by the Ministry of Environment and the Nature Society (Singapore)(NSS). The NSS described Pulau Busing as a feeding and roosting ground for migratory shore birds, and called for more effort to save birdlife on this and other islands affected by the spill. In response, the Ministry emphasised its determination to proceed with the clean-up on these islands.
The sea between the Pulau Busing and Pulau Sudong (west of Pulau Bukom) is used as a graveyard of old boats. Tongkangs (barges) and other boats no longer of value are deliberately sunk there.
Historical Name
'Pulau' is Malay for island or an isolated piece of rising ground in a sea. 'Busing' could come from the Malay terms 'busung pasir' or 'busong pasir', which means a mound of sand or a dune, and to pusing which means a turning point.
Pulau Busing appears as Po Busing in Franklin & Jackson's 1828 Plan of Singapore. Other islands including Po. Ayer Chawan (Pulau Ayer Chawan) and Po. Pese (Pulau Pesek) also appear, indicating that many of the islands off Jurong had been named by the Orang Laut, the aboriginal seafaring people in the Malay archipelago, since an early time.
Author
Khor Kok Kheng
References
Biggest toast to Newater. (2005, September 9). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Builders told: Higher skills the way to go. (1994, December 2). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Chemicals logistics park opens in Jurong Island. (2003, August 23). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Chou L. M. (1988). A Guide to the Coral Reef Life of Singapore (p.12-13). Singapore: Singapore Science Centre.
(Call No. RSING 574.526367 CHO)
Dunlop, P. K. G. (2000). Street Names of Singapore (p.250). Singapore: Whos Who Publishing.
(Call No. RSING 959.57 DUN-[HIS])
Fall in demand for factory space amid uncertainty. (2003, April 25). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
First one likely to be in Tuas. (1996, September 13). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
4 firms win new award for safety excellence . (1993, November 26). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Islands to be cleaned of oil to save birds. (1997, November 11). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Man stole fuel oil worth $1.9m. (1999, September 24). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Ministry of Culture, Singapore. (1979). Singapore Facts and Pictures 1979 (p.255).
(Call No. RSING 959.57 SMCFFS year 1979 [HIS])
Oil leaks from tanker at Pulau Busing. (1997, January 23). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Oil spill: Do more to save birdlife on islands. (1997, November 1). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Oiltanking planning phase 4 of its expansion in Pulau Seraya terminal. (1993, July 6). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Retrofitting of buildings to be big business. (1993, January 9). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Savage V.R. & Yeoh S.A. (2004). Toponymics A study of Singapore street names (p.S37). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call No. RSING 915.9570014 SAV [TRA])
Software consortium fuel-oil refinery among 4 projects in the offing. (1996, January 7). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Where old boats go to die. (2004, May 15). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Location
The Bukom group of islands is sprawled roughly halfway down the southern islands of Singapore. Pulau Busing is the westernmost major island in the Bukom group, with the other major islands being Pulau Hantu, Pulau Ular and Pulau Bukom.
Pulau Busing is strategically located next to the shipping channel and is naturally endowed with a deep waterfront harbour of deeper than 16 metres. Before reclamation, Pulau Busing had a land area of 4.4 hectares. Up to the 1980s, it was still fringed by coral reefs on its northern and southern shores.
Landuse
Like Pulau Bukom, Pulau Busing has seen major land reclamation to its southern shores. It is heavily industrialised, being home to oil and chemical storage facilities, at least one marine offshore terminal, and a fuel oil refinery. Numerous companies operate here. An example is Tankstore, an oil storage company which is a joint venture comprising Paktank International (a Dutch company), the US Chicago Bridge & Iron, and GATX Terminals. Tankstore runs a 600,000 cubic metres facility on Pulau Busing. Another company is CBI Overseas, a manufacturer of oil and chemical storage tanks. Indian Gadgil Western Group also has a presence on the island in the form of a US$130 million (S$188 million) oil refinery that processes one million tonnes of oil annually.
In August 2003, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) announced its plans to include Pulau Busing in its development of Jurong Island and its neighbouring offshore islands into an integrated storage and trading hub. The massive chemical logistics park would help manufacturers ship out their chemical products. On Pulau Busing, 44 hectares of reclaimed land would be allocated to logistics management. The reclaimed site was also considered for a mega-desalination facility, one of six sites for such a facility.
In January 1997, a major oil spill from a tanker at the Busing Terminal brought pollution to the island's waters, necessitating a clean-up operation by the Ministry of Environment and the Nature Society (Singapore)(NSS). The NSS described Pulau Busing as a feeding and roosting ground for migratory shore birds, and called for more effort to save birdlife on this and other islands affected by the spill. In response, the Ministry emphasised its determination to proceed with the clean-up on these islands.
The sea between the Pulau Busing and Pulau Sudong (west of Pulau Bukom) is used as a graveyard of old boats. Tongkangs (barges) and other boats no longer of value are deliberately sunk there.
Historical Name
'Pulau' is Malay for island or an isolated piece of rising ground in a sea. 'Busing' could come from the Malay terms 'busung pasir' or 'busong pasir', which means a mound of sand or a dune, and to pusing which means a turning point.
Pulau Busing appears as Po Busing in Franklin & Jackson's 1828 Plan of Singapore. Other islands including Po. Ayer Chawan (Pulau Ayer Chawan) and Po. Pese (Pulau Pesek) also appear, indicating that many of the islands off Jurong had been named by the Orang Laut, the aboriginal seafaring people in the Malay archipelago, since an early time.
Author
Khor Kok Kheng
References
Biggest toast to Newater. (2005, September 9). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Builders told: Higher skills the way to go. (1994, December 2). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Chemicals logistics park opens in Jurong Island. (2003, August 23). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Chou L. M. (1988). A Guide to the Coral Reef Life of Singapore (p.12-13). Singapore: Singapore Science Centre.
(Call No. RSING 574.526367 CHO)
Dunlop, P. K. G. (2000). Street Names of Singapore (p.250). Singapore: Whos Who Publishing.
(Call No. RSING 959.57 DUN-[HIS])
Fall in demand for factory space amid uncertainty. (2003, April 25). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
First one likely to be in Tuas. (1996, September 13). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
4 firms win new award for safety excellence . (1993, November 26). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Islands to be cleaned of oil to save birds. (1997, November 11). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Man stole fuel oil worth $1.9m. (1999, September 24). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Ministry of Culture, Singapore. (1979). Singapore Facts and Pictures 1979 (p.255).
(Call No. RSING 959.57 SMCFFS year 1979 [HIS])
Oil leaks from tanker at Pulau Busing. (1997, January 23). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Oil spill: Do more to save birdlife on islands. (1997, November 1). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Oiltanking planning phase 4 of its expansion in Pulau Seraya terminal. (1993, July 6). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Retrofitting of buildings to be big business. (1993, January 9). The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Savage V.R. & Yeoh S.A. (2004). Toponymics A study of Singapore street names (p.S37). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call No. RSING 915.9570014 SAV [TRA])
Software consortium fuel-oil refinery among 4 projects in the offing. (1996, January 7). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Where old boats go to die. (2004, May 15). The Straits Times . Retrieved 4 March 2011 from NewspaperSG.
Wilkinson, R. J. (1952). An abridged Malay English dictionary (romanised) (p.36, 189). London: Macmillan & Co Ltd(Call No. RCLOS 499.230321 MAL-[RFL]).
The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
