Aljunied Road, a road in the northern boundary of the Geylang area, is located within the Central Region, and stretches from Macpherson Road to Geylang Road. It was named after an Arab Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al-Junid, by Muslim Community leader, Dr Munshi, in 1926.
In 1819, Syed Sharif Omar Aljunied, a young prince and descendant of Prophet Mohammed, uprooted his family from Palembang to Temasek (Singapore) when he heard that the island was to be a centre for free trade. In 1857, his son Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al-Junid presented 5 acres of land, and the rent collected went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. This area known as "Syed Ali's land" was situated in Victoria, Queen and Arab Streets. On 28 May 1926 it was officially named Aljunied Road. The Aljunied family house was in Balestier Road for more than a hundred years.A now prominent landmark in Aljunied Road is the Aljunied MRT Station. Aljunied Road becomes Upper Aljunied Road and leads to Upper Serangoon junction.
Author
Vernon Cornelius
References
Samuel, D. S. (1939). Malayan street names: What they mean and whom they commemorate. Ipoh: Mercantile Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.5 RAJ)
Further Readings
Ramachandra, S. (1961). Singapore landmarks, past and present (p. 3). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 RAM)
Singapore days of old: A special commemorative history of Singapore published on the 10th anniversary of Singapore Tatler (pp. 54-55). (1992). Hong Kong: Illustrated Magazine.
(Call no.: RSING q959.57 SIN)
The spice of life that is Aljunied. (1996). Singapore: Oracle Works.
(Call no.: RSING 307.76095957 SPI)
