Places

Bussorah Street

 

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Bussorah Street was previously known as Kampong Tembaga; ‘tembaga’ in Malay means ‘copper’ and hence, Kampong Tembaga was derived from the numerous Javanese coppersmiths that once congregated the area. They crafted and repaired implements and utensils. The trade however declined in the post-war years due to factors such as the availability of cheaper utensils.

Bussorah Street was once known for its distinctive way of life which was shaped by the aforementioned large Javanese community here. The street was rather diverse as well, with residents from Sumatra, Banjar and the Riau, apart from the Javanese. While the side to the left of Masjid Sultan was occupied by mainly Malays, the opposite side had more Indians and Arabs living there. The Chinese also owned businesses here.

The community here was noted for its decorum. It was reported that up till the mid-1900s, outsiders could not enter Bussorah Street unless they covered their heads. The residents also tended towards a more formal manner of speech, influenced by Javanese pronunciation and lingo. The community here was generally more cultured, and there were a number of educators and white-collar professionals. The ladies were also known for their skills in sewing fine embroidery. Gotong-royong (mutual assistance) was very much a way of life here. During events such as weddings, kenduri (feasts) and funerals, everyone would help out. The bonding was so strong that the neighbours preferred to marry within their community here.

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This stretch of Bussorah Street near Masjid Sultan was once known as Kampong Kaji (Pilgrim Village), ​kaji ​being the Javanese pronunciation of ​haji ​(pilgrim) as there were many Javanese living here. In the past, they were lined with trees; over the years, trees were cut down to pave way for the Middle Eastern eateries to attract tourists and youths seeking an interesting meal.

Up till the mid-1970s, Singapore was the pilgrim hub in Southeast Asia. Muslims making the ​haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca would come to Singapore from present-day Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and, in particular, Indo- nesia due to Dutch restrictions on the pilgrimage. They would board the ​kapal haj (​ Pilgrim ship) on an arduous journey to Jeddah, which could take a few weeks. In the late 1800s, it was recorded that as many as 10,000 pilgrims arrived in Singapore annually.

Islam lies at the heart of the community. The residents looked after Masjid Sultan collectively. At one point, the Chief Kadi (a person versed in Islamic law and acts as a judge in civil and criminal matters) lived at No. 59. He would declare the start of fasting and Hari Raya. Muslim villages in other parts of Singapore would send a representative here to await the news as well.

Overall, Bussorah Street, like many other parts of Kampong Glam changed its focus more towards tourism with the conception that they could profit more. That is why many shophouses were not demolished but preserved and maintained so as to retain its authenticity for tourists. However, minor adjustments were made here and there (such as removing old ladders, upgrading of wiring systems) as safety measures. 

Aidid Trading Co.

Mr. Syed Alwi Aidid still runs the trading company that his late father founded 

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One very known Arab-owned shop in Bussorah Street is Aidid Trading Co. Aidid Trading Co. engages in the import-export of agarwood and its products, honey and dates. Started in 1967 at Telok Ayer by Mr Syed M. A. Aidid, a Hadhrami Arab from Penang and now run by his son Mr Syed Alwi Aidid, the company moved here in the early 1990s when it started importing dates for sale. Agarwood, used to make incense and perfume, is sourced from Southeast Asia and mainly exported to customers in the Middle East. Dates, are popular with the local Muslim population, are imported from Medina in Saudi Arabia. The company also deals in a product which the Aidid family’s ancestral homeland Hadhramaut is famous for the prized Hadhrami honey, which is among the most expensive in the world. Besides being consumed in food and drink, the honey is also used for medical purposes.

Jamal Kazura Aromatics

Jamal Kazura is a long-standing shop which started off with its first branch at 728 North Bridge Road. It was founded in 1933 — over 80 years in business — by the grandfather of the current boss Jama. It is thus far a 3rd generation business. The first and main shop is located at North Bridge Road. The second shop at Bussorah Street (opposite Kampong Glam Cafe) has been there for 20 years. To date they have four branches, all within the Kampong Glam area. Their main product is a perfume that can be used for prayers; instead of having it with an alcohol base like the commercial perfumes, it is substituted with oil. The oil is made from natural ingredients and has a lower rate of evaporation as compared to alcohol, and thus lasts longer albeit with a scent not as strong as with alcohol. The owners started their business selling not only perfumes but also the songkok (an Islamic headgear) and prayer mats and beads and other religious items, as well as natural medicine like ​kayu putih,​ or better known as eucalyptus. However, as oil-based perfumes packaged in exotic handmade perfume bottles imported from Egypt became a selling point for tourists, they eventually adapted and specialised in producing them until this day. 

Arab Street

Arab Street is one of the few streets in Kampong Glam that has retained its original name from the early 1800s. It was probably named as such as the area was designated for the Arab community in the 1822 town plan of Singapore. To locals, this road was more commonly referred to as Kampong Java by the Malays or ​Jawa koi (Java Street) by the Chinese. For a long time, Arab Street was largely populated by the Javanese. They were engaged in various occupations such as running eating houses and food stalls, and selling goods such as fruit and Javanese leaf cigarettes. Over time, however, the Javanese presence gradually diminished in this area due to factors such as the redevelopment of Kampong Glam, leading to resettlement of the original residents. 

Arab Street is now well known for selling carpets and textiles. The whole of the Arab street stretch as we know of is a tourist attraction. Being heavily branded as such, one would expect sales to be booming for the patrons here however the opposite is true.  However, talking to one of the shop owners i found out that tourists do not come into the shops much and even if they do, it is too look around and snap photos without making any purchases. Even if they visited for shopping, it would only be before 9AM which is before they are even open. I discovered that tourist agents expect a commission of $10 per person before they will entice their clients to purchase the products. The vendors along Arab Street do not accede to this and hence, they experience a lack of business from these tourist groups. This is unlike other places such as Chinatown where shop owners agree to pay the fee. They also compared how business was like then and now, where they said that it is very difficult to get buyers now as compared to then when they used to be so busy they hardly had time for lunch. From here i could not help but ponder about the future of these shops - what if business continues dwindling over the years? Will we see the end of this iconic stretch of shops that has long coloured our Singaporean landscape? The future may not be as we remember it now 

The Aljunied Brothers at No. 91 & 95

Along the street are two shops under the same name, 'Aljunied Brothers'. Both are registered businesses, and are 3rd generation shops. Back then, they were originally ran by two brothers from the Aljunied family which means the current owners are their grandchildren who are 2nd cousins with each other. The shop at 91 specialises in textile lace, and the one at 95 in attar and batik. One may wonder the need for separate shops under the same name and hence i went to enquire:

(1) The first shop used to sell Batik in the past as it had a workshop in Indonesia, but now it specializes in Peranakan Kebaya and has been doing so for about 20 years. Almost 99% of their customers are local, and 80% of which are Peranakans. The strong appeal to the Peranakans is due to the production of handmade and exclusive batik - which is how the shop differentiates itself from the rest of the businesses here producing the same goods.

(2) The second shop is Aljunied Brothers at No. 95, which carries agarwood (an aromatic, resinous wood) and its related products, frankincense and myrrh from Oman and Greece and a wide variety of perfume oils from the Middle East and France. Here, one can also find Black Seed (​Nigella Sativa​) products, traditionally used in the east to strengthen the immune system, and the prized Arabian honey from Wadi Do’an in Hadhramaut. It has been selling the same product for all the years that it has been around. The shop is popular with locals and has a fair share of customers from the Middle East. Aljunied Brothers was established in 1966 by Mr Syed Haroon Bin Hassan Aljunied and his sons, Mr Abdullah bin Haroon Aljunied and Mr Junied Bin Haroon Aljunied. Syed Haroon started his business by selling perfumes and had earlier set up Toko Aljunied in 1938, then located at 737 North Bridge Road. Aljunied Brothers is now managed by his grandsons, Mr Hasan and Mr Ahmad Abdullah Aljunied.

I have heard of the 'Aljunied' fued online where allegedly, the brothers quarrelled and had a huge argument, leading to their separation and producing two different shops with similar names. But upon talking to the owners, I found out the 'feud' had been blown out of proportion. The brothers had simply wanted to diversify and focus on selling different things and hence the separation was for practical reasons. Nevertheless, the longevity of the two stores are a testament to the legacy of the Arabs in trading in Singapore.