Who has heard of the Temenggong? Let's explore this important Malay figure in Singapore history.
- Karien van Ditzhuijzen
- May 16, 2025
- 13 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
We have a running joke in my family. Whenever I say the word Temenggong, my kids will yell bingo, and laugh. It has been proposed that I need to pay a fine every time I utter the word. They would become very rich if we’d implement that rule, as I have to admit, I have a mild Temenggong obsession. Unfortunately outside my family, or those with an interest in Singapore history, it seems few people have heard of the Temenggongs. Have you?
If you are on this website, you have heard at least one reference to them: the pinapple plantations that once covered Mount Faber, and that we named our company after, were owned by none other than the Temenggong of Singapore!
Initially my knowledge of the Temenggong was limited, I knew he was a high ranking Malay royal under the Sultan, and the de facto ruler of the Malay in Singapore. During my training as a Kampong Gelam docent for FOM (Friends of the Museums) and MHC (Malay Heritage Centre), the focus was on Sultan Hussain and his descendants, who lived in the Kampong Gelam Istana. It wasn’t until I started to research my new neighbourhood of Telok Blangah that I started to appreciate this influential family, and how instrumental the Temenggongs were in the development of Singapore. What I find interesting about them is that they were men with agency, men with plans. They tried to make the most of the complicated colonial world, even after these colonials kept thwarting their plans. As anyone who knows me can testify, once I get started on the subject of the Temenggong you better get comfortable.
Let’s start at the beginning: what does the word mean? Temenggong is a Malay noble title from the old Malay kingdoms, where the Temenggong ruled under the Sultan, who was the head of state. Being in charge of public security and defence, the Temenggongs had a powerful position, the third highest in the country after the Sultan and the Bendahara, who was in charge of domestic affairs.
The Malay Maritime Kingdom existed for over a millennium under different names, from Srivijaya to Melaka to Johor Lama, and being ruled from different capitals. It shifted shape as well, but basically straddled the Straits of Melaka. At it largest it encompassed part of Western Sumatra, the Malay peninsula and all the Islands in between, including the Riau Islands and Singapore. Around the time the British came along in the early 19th century, the region around the Melaka Straits was a state usually referred to as the Sultanate of Johor-Riau-Lingga. Power was divided between the Sultan, who lived in Lingga island and a Bugis viceroy who lived in Bintan (Riau) and was the most powerful, running a port at Tanjong Pinang which had been the most influential in the region until it got destroyed by the Dutch in 1784. The Bugis were traders and seafarers originally from Sulawesi (East Indonesia), many of which had moved to the region after the Dutch took over Makassar. After the last Sultan of the Melaka line was murdered in 1699, the new Sultan lacked general support. In particular the orang laut, the indigenous people of the coasts and islands in the Straits, did not support the new ruler. For centuries they had played an important role in the region, supporting the Sultans not only as navigators and chandlers but also in important positions in the navy. The new Sultan enlisted the help of five Bugis princes, known to be fierce warriors, and married two of his daughters to them. They were given the position of Yamtuan Muda, or viceroy, and took over control of the important trading routes along the Melaka Strait.
The other territories under the Sultan were Pahang, which was ruled by the Bendahara, and Johor itself (including the islands of Singapore and Karimun) which fell under the Temenggong. Somewhere between 1808 and 1818 (accounts differ), Temenggong Abdul Raman moved to Singapore. He was unhappy with the power struggles in the Johor Sultanate, and wanted to develop Singapore as the capital of his fief. When he moved to Singapore he brought with him a group of Chinese to start plantations, Bugis traders who settled on the shore near the Kallang river, and a following of orang laut. Abdul Rahman had been installed as Temenggong in 1806, following the death of his uncle. He was of an impressive lineage, as a direct descendant from the first Sultan after 1699, and linked to the Bugis viceroy's through his grandmother. His family and other high ranking Malay nobles had been vying for power with the Bugis viceroys for some time, causing Temenggong Abdul Rahman to move his attention to Singapore.
In 1818 the British asked the court in Riau permission to start a trading port in the area, ideally on Bintan which was already an established port at the time, frequented by British country traders. But, as there was already an alliance in place with the Dutch, the European rivals of the British in the region, the Bintan court said no. Not taking no for an answer, the British looked at other islands along the Straits, like the Karimuns, and eventually arrived in Singapore in early 1819. There they met Temenggong Abdul Raman, who was willing to negotiate. The Tuhfat al Nafis, a Bugis royal court history, quotes him as disagreeing a few years earlier with the court's decision to ally with the Dutch, and favouring the British as partners. One can imagine that in the eyes of Temenggong Abdul Rahman, a British entrepot would bring more business to his trading post at the Kallang river in Singapore (and thwart his rivals in Riau).
As a Temenggong, Abdul Rahman was not the head of state, that was the Sultan. Because of this, they brought in Tengku Hussain (Tengku Long), the eldest son of the late Sultan, to install him as the brand new Sultan of Singapore. A few years earlier he Bugis viceroys had put his younger half brother on the throne, to the dismay of many Malay royals including the Temenggong. Tengku Long had approached the British for help at the time, but they declined, not wanting to interfere in local matters.
A treaty was signed between the British, Temenggong and Sultan, allowing them a small settlement on the Singapore river to start a trading post. The Temenggong's own port was located at the Kallang Basin, arguable a better position for trade and accessibility. Neither the court in Bintan, the Dutch nor the British government (who didn't want to oppose the Dutch) was happy with this development, and for several years the rightfulness of the British settlement in Singapore remained disputed.
The Temenggong lived in a compound on the Singapore river, at the foothills of Bukit Larangan (now Fort Canning Hill), but in 1823 the British asked him to move to Telok Blangah, the bay at the mouth of the old Singapore Strait. He built his Istana near where Harbourfront MRT station is now, and soon kampongs with the Temenggong's followers sprung up around Telok Blangah.
As mentioned earlier, Temenggong Abdul Rahman had brought with him several Bugis traders when he moved to Singapore, that started a trading hub in the Kallang basin. Many Bugis traders in Riau continued to quarrel with the Dutch, and from the 1820s more moved to Singapore. Their trading business was an important and often forgotten part of the development of early Singapore. Up until the 1870s, local trade surpassed that of the Europeans.
Another important group amongst the Temenggong's followers were the orang laut. They too played an important role in the development of the Singapore port, even though the Europeans mostly regarded them as 'barbarians' or 'pirates'. They lived in different locations in Singapore, including the Kallang Basin and Telok Blangah bay.
The British were pleased to see Singapore thrive, but after a few years became worried the local port was doing too well, and was competing with their own. They wanted a bigger piece of the trade pie for themselves. In 1824 another treaty was signed on the other side of the world: the Treaty of London. The Dutch and British had diplomatically solved their differences and divided their territories in South East Asia between them. Everything South of the Singapore Strait became Dutch, everything to the North, British. This colonial meddling ripped the Malay world in two pieces. Until this day, its Southern part lies in Indonesia, and its Northern part in Malaysia. With the small island of Singapore wedged in between...
This treaty gave legitimacy to the British settlement in Singapore, at least in European eyes, and it allowed the British to take their meddling to the next level: 1824 a second treaty was made, confoundingly called the ‘Treaty of Friendship and Alliance’. It stripped Sultan Hussain and the Temenggong of sovereignty of Singapore Island. It took away their rights to run their own port. They also lost their claim on the wood grown on the island, an important resource for a growing city. Both the Sultan and the Temenggong refused to sign, but after strong pressure from the British, and some coercion, they signed.
Abdul Rahman wasn't a young man, and the events of 1824 must have been devastating for him. In 1825, he passed away. Without a strong leader, and without the Malay being able to carry out trade as they had done before, piracy spiralled out of control in the Singapore Straits, and in particular in Telok Blangah. Some of it can be seen as a continuation of local trade as it had been carried out for centuries, disobeying British imposed rules. There were also groups of raiders from the Sulu and Ilanun islands (in the South Philippines) who were engaged in brutal and violent raids on both European and local ships. Sometimes the Malay would engage these pirates to fight against the Europeans, but often they were their victims themselves. Piracy was a a complicated phenomenon, and a problem for everyone.
Initially Temenggong Abdul Rahman was succeeded by his eldest son, who wasn't a strong personality and likely had mental health issues. His younger son, Ibrahim, was only fifteen when his father died. But soon it became clear he was a much stronger leader than his brother. Initially Daeng Ibrahim was associated with piracy himself, but once the British realised they could not solve the pirate issue without a strong Malay leader, they installed Daeng Ibrahim as Temenggong and asked for his help. Daeng Ibrahim cleared Telok Blangah bay of mangroves and managed to solved many of the issues with the pirates. One way to steer people away from criminal careers is to find them other means of employment. Daeng Ibrahim did just that, by creating other ways for the Malay to make money. He led many economic activities on land as well as on sea. He had inherited his father's investments in gambier and pepper plantations run by the Chinese, which had grown with the new settlement. He also had other plantations, growing crops like pineapples and coconuts.
Daeng Ibrahim was a successful businessman, and when he realised the British were there to stay in Singapore he moved his attention to mainland Johor, traditionally the Temenggong's domain, where he extended his business with the Chinese in gambier and pepper plantations. He enforced a monopoly in gutta percha, a latex found in the jungles of Singapore and Johor that was used for medical equipment and to insulate underseas telegraph lines. In 1846 he was given a ceremonial sword by the British as a reward for his help with the pirate issue.
In 1854, the son of Sultan Hussain, Tengku Ali, tried to claim sovereignty of Johor, going against Daeng Ibrahim but it was in vain. in 1855 Daeng Ibrahim was formally granted sovereignty of Johor by the British, with support of many Malay nobles and royals. As a consolation Tengku Ali was given a small stretch of land near Melaka, and the title 'Sultan of Muar', so he at least outranked Daeng Ibrahim who still remained a mere Temenggong, albeit of a much larger territory.
After Daeng Ibrahim’s death in 1862 his son Abu Bakar took over as Temenggong. Having grown up in the British era, Abu Bakar was well educated in both Malay and English, a charming and friendly man who knew how to navigate amongst the different nationalities in Singapore, from the British and Malay to the Chinese and Arabs. He liked to socialise and travel, to learn new things that could benefit his fledgling state of Johor and make sure people all over the world learned about its existence. Amongst his European friends he used the name Albert Baker, and he visited London several times where he became close with Queen Victoria and befriended the Prince of Wales. From 1868 onwards he called himself Maharaja of Johor – even in those days, few people had heard of a Temenggong. In 1885 a new Anglo- Johor treaty was signed with the British, and Queen Victoria granted Abu Bakar’s wish to carry the title Sultan of Johor. It was a dream come true for the family, that still carries this title as rulers of Johor, but unfortunately it made Abu Bakar the last of the Temenggongs of Singapore.
Abu Bakar was a very rich man. He is a figure from a fairy tale, about whom many stories can be told. He was born in his father’s palace in Telok Blangah, the Istana Lama, but that was soon too small for him. As a Muslim, he had four wives, and as many palaces, two of which exist to this day. His choices of wives clearly reflect his diplomacy and wish to get along with many nationalities. His first marriage in 1858 was to Encik Wan Chik, a Malay princes and the daughter of the ruler of Pahang. The second marriage was in 1870 to Encik Zubaidah, born Cecelia Catherine Lange, the daughter of a Danish merchant from Bali and a Chinese mother. His third wife was Wong Ah Gew, a Chinese women that was part of the Wong clan. It is not sure whether they were related, but businessman Wong Ah Fook was an important business relation of Abu Bakar. When Abu Bakar became Sultan it was she that was bestowed the title of Sultana Fatimah. His last wife shows him trying to get international recognition in the Muslim world, as he married Sultana Khadijah who was of Circassian birth during a state visit to the Ottoman Empire. He married her after the death of Sultana Fatimah, and Khadijah too was given the title Sultana.
The Istana Besar is, like the Malay name suggests, quite large and is located in Johor. It was built in 1866 after the official administrative centre moved there. I plan to visit it next month, and will definitely tell you more about it then.
Even though Johor Bahru was now his formal residence, Abu Bakar was born and bred in Singapore, he still considered this his home and he had multiple residences there. After his father death in 1862 Abu Bakar had bought the Tyersall estate from William Napier, his father's former legal associate. He lived in Tyersall House for several decades until he deemed the large country house too small and he tore it down to built an even grander palace. Istana Tyersall was built for and designed by his third wife, the Sultana Fatimah, together with Wong Ah Fook, who was also responsible for much of the developments in Johor Bahru. Unfortunately Sultana Fatimah never lived to see its completion in 1892. The Istana Tyersall burned down in 1905 and its remnants were demolished in the late 20th century. The estate is overgrown with jungle and borders the Singapore Botanic gardens, unknown and unseen by many that pass by it on a daily basis. The Tyersall Estate was the inspiration for the Crazy Rich Asians books where the rich Straits Chinese Young family owns a suspiciously similar estate in the same location.
The Tyersall jungle still houses a surprise: hidden inside is the dilapidated Istana Woodneuk. Temenggong/ Sultan Abu Bakar bought Woodneuk House from a Sottish captain called John Dill Ross, so he could live on the neighbouring estate whilst Istana Tyersall was being built. When died he left the house to his 4th wife Khadijah. She was Abu Bakar's fourth and last wife, of Circassian heritage, that he married in 1893 during a state visit to the Ottoman Empire. The current house was built by his son Sultan Ibrahim between 1932 and 1935 for his Scottish wife Helen. Like his father, Sultan Ibrahim was a good networker and socialiser, and the house saw many social events and celebrations. You can read more about Istana Woodneuk here.
The last of Abu Bakar’s palaces was Istana Bidadari in Serangoon, which he built for his second wife Encik Zubaidah. She was the only wife that bore him a son, who succeeded his father as Sultan Ibrahim after his death as the Sultan's three other wife had only born him daughters.
On the mainland Abu Bakar is revered and remembered as the founder and father of modern Johor, yet in his birthplace of Telok Blangah little reminds of him. His grandfather’s palace, Istana Lama, was demolished in the 1950s, the condominium Harbourlights now stands in its place. What remains is the old balai, or meeting hall, which has been turned into Daeng Ibrahim Mosque and the adjoining royal cemetery. The mausoleum holds the graves of Temenggong Abdul Raman, Daeng Ibrahim and many other royal relatives. Abu Bakar contracted pneumonia in London in 1895 and died there. His body was brought back to Johor and is buried there in the Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum in Johor Bahru
Some people still feel the Temenggong family are usurpers, and that the throne of Johor should rightfully belong to descendants of Sultan Hussain. One could argue what it is that makes a king, royal blood or hard work, success and loyalty to the country? Either way, the Temenggong family had both.
Did I get you excited to about the Temenggongs of Telok Blangah? To understand the Malay history of Singapore, one cannot surpass them. So if you want to learn more, join one of my Temenggong walking tours where I will tell you much more, as we look for remnants of the royal family around the neighbourhood!
Sources:
I have been exploring Singapore history and studying the Temenggong family for years, and it would not be possible for me to highlight all my sources, but I do want to mention some important ones that are also the source of the older images in this article. Modern images are my own.
RO Winstedt, The history of Johor 1365 - 1895
Carl Trocki, Prince of Pirates
Tuhfat al-Nafis by Raja Ali Haji
Comments