Sisters' Islands

By Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon written on 1999-03-10
National Library Board Singapore

Comments on article: InfopediaTalk

Legend
The story goes that there was a poor widow who had two pretty daughters, Minah and Linah. The sisters were so close to each other that they vowed to marry two brothers so they could live together always. When the news spread, many suitors came but none were brothers. A year later, the widow died and the sisters left the village to live with a distant uncle. One day, Linah met a group of pirates while fetching water from a well near the sea. The pirate chief was surprised to see such a beautiful girl and approached her immediately. Frightened, she ran home. He followed and at the uncle's home, brandished a dagger as he made known his wish to marry Linah. That night, the two sisters wept bitterly in each other's arms. When dawn broke, the pirate chief and 16 of his men came to take Linah away. The sisters clung to each other but were forced apart by the pirates. Minah was pushed to the ground and Linah hoisted on the pirate chief's shoulders. A desperate Minah swam after the boat but was drowned and Linah dived into the stormy waters in grief. The next day, the villagers were shocked to see two islands at the spot where the two sisters had drowned. They named the landmark the 'Sisters' Island'.

Description
Today the islands are a well-landscaped tropical paradise, a popular location for snorkelling and diving. The islands has always been popular with picnickers. It is easily accessible from the Cruise Centre at the World Trade Centre, or by hired boats from Jardine Steps, Clifford Pier or Changi Jetty.

Variant Names
Original Names: The original names for the Sisters' Islands are Pulau Subar Darat and Pulau Subar Laut.


Author
Vernon Cornelius, 2000



References 
Goodwood Journal, 4th Qtr, 12.
(Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)

How Sisters' Island got its name (1996, October 9). The Straits Times, Life, p. 6. 



The information in this article is valid as at 2001 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.



Subject
Geography>>Geographical Areas and Countries>>Singapore Offshore Islands
Islands--Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Landscape architecture
People and communities>>Customs>>Folklore



All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.