July 2016
Right out of Singapore's sometimes weird history, I literally stumbled across this old mansion while walking along the Southern Ridges [see: Southern Ridges Walk]. Not that I thought I knew all the corners of Singapore, I was still surprised that this late colonial gem of a place was not on my nor any of my local friends' radars during all my years in and around the Lion City.
Alkaff Mansion is an early 20th-century colonial bungalow located within the Telok Blangah Hill Park in Singapore. The hill was originally called Mt Washington, and was part of a sprawling land estate owned by a wealthy Arab Syed Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff. Around 1918, Syed Shaikh Alkaff built the bungalow as his primary residence which he abandoned after World War II. The property was later acquired by the government.
(Wikipedia)
In the days when Arabs were still a real part of the social fabric of Singapore, apparently the Alkaff Mansion served as a meeting point for all the non-white races of Singapore while still under the ownership of the Alkaff Family. The Arabs and local Malays smoothed over differences there. The different Chinese communities met there. It seems everyone except the British availed themselves of the space and Singaporeans showed their white overlords that, in fact, they could all get along in case the British ever left. Apparently, the Brits had let it be known that as soon as they left Singapore, their expectation was that social cohesion of the city-state would disintegrate. Granted, Singapore had some rough times dealing with race in its history, but the country held together and the dire prediction of the Anglo-Saxons never came to pass.
After the state acquired the mansion, it became a Buddhist temple for a couple of decades (and a well-visited one at that). When the city leaders came to look at the area for development, the temple was given its eviction notice (even though it was popular). It was agreed that the mansion's facade would be protected in perpetuity, but the rest of the place could be renovated as necessary. As my friend DV said of buildings in DC, the Alkaff Mansion had a "facadectomy", and now the interior unfortunately bears little resemblance to the original construction.
Site of three restaurants on top of the Telok Blangah Hill, the mansion holds on as part of Singapore's history even if only through food. For anyone who has lived in Singapore, an enduring memory is no doubt going to be the food, so the last incarnation of the Alkaff Mansion does seem to be a fitting end to its interesting history. It remains a place for people of all races of Singapore to gather, eat, and celebrate life.
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