Pulau Bukom

Pulau Bukom, also spelt Bukum, island located 6.5 km southwest of Singapore, is significant for housing Singapore's first petroleum tank depot and oil refinery. It was the target of terrorists in 1974 who thereafter gained the nickname Bukom Bombers.

Since they were forbidden to store bulk oil in town, Syme and Co., in 1892, opened a petroleum tank depot with a tank capacity of 4,500 tons, the first of its kind in the East. It was a storage and distribution centre for kerosene. By 1902, Bukom was the oil supply centre for the Far East. The installation was later taken over by Shell company which built Singapore's first oil refinery in 1961. Today, the oil giant Shell, has its largest refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day, at Bukom. The island also houses work-staff and is self-contained with complete amenities and recreational facilities, but is off limits to the public.

On 31 January 1974 at approximately 11:00 am, 2 Japanese and 2 Arab terrorists, representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Japanese Red Army, bombed an oil refinery at Pulau Bukom. They gained the nickname "Bukom Bombers" for their act of terrorism which ended only after their requests were granted and top Singapore officers flew with them to Kuwait on 7 February 1974.

Bukom has a residential neighbourhood, much like a traditional Dutch town. Informally arranged, these groups of brick buildings have prominent roofs of irregular profile, and, all the buildings face the sea. Other facilities include a Community Centre clubhouse, multi-purpose hall, tennis courts, swimming pool, bowling alley, restaurant, coffee house, library and theatre.

Variant Names
Origins of name: Pulau Bukom is said to be named after a species of seashell, the rankek bukom.
Malay name: Bukom or Bukum in Malay is said to be derived from hukum, or "judgement". There is tradition that a Raja used to try cases on the island, and probably through the intermediate form berhukum hence the names.



Author
Vernon Cornelius-Takahama, 2000



References 
Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2, p. 97). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: SING 959.57 ONE)

Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A history of Singapore, 1819-1988 (pp. 90, 185). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: SING q959.57 TUR)

Singapore chronicles (p. 185). (1995). Hong Kong: Illustrated Magazine Pub.
(Call no.: SING q959.57 SIN)

Haughton, H. T. (1941). Names of places. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 20, 78. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
(Call no.: RSEA 959.5 JMBRAS)


Subject
Geography>>Geographical Areas and Countries>> Singapore Offshore Islands
Islands--Singapore
Petroleum refineries--singapore
Science and technology>>Chemical engineering>>Industrial oils, waxes and gases technology



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