Century-old bungalow in Singapore built by Malay businessman proposed for conservation

Known as Villa Haji Kahar, the bungalow is named after businessman Kahar Abdul Ghani, who in 1882 left Palembang (in present-day Indonesia) for Singapore in search of better opportunities, according to The Straits Times.

Kahar, who was 20 at the time, initially worked as a garbage collector, according to the Malay Heritage Foundation. He later established a barter trading business and became a local dealer for His Master’s Voice gramophone records.

He then bought 12 hectares of land in Bedok and constructed Villa Haji Kahar at 1 Bedok Avenue in the 1920s. Kampong Bedok was an old village settlement in eastern Singapore.

Villa Haji Kahar in Kampong Bedok, Singapore. Photo via Instagram/thelionbricks Show More

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published a proposal last week to conserve the bungalow because of its historical and social importance, according to Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian Singapore.

The authority said the property “showcases an architectural fusion of traditional and imported styles, serving as a reminder of Singapore’s early history as a melting pot of cultures.”

The bungalow stands on a 5,963-square-meter site owned by a company that is part of Hong Leong Group, which is controlled by Singaporean billionaire Kwek Leng Beng.

In addition to the villa, the site contains several single-story structures, including a kampung-style house. The land is designated for landed homes of up to three stories.

Other prominent residents of the villa included Singapore’s first female doctor, Lee Choo Neo, and her husband, Teo Koon Lim.

The Straits Times reported in 2017 that Villa Haji Kahar was owned by Livet Company, a firm held by the couple’s descendants.

In October 2024, URA rejected an application by Livet Company director and secretary Vera Teo to demolish landed houses on the site, citing a study to gazette Villa Haji Kahar for conservation.

The conservation of the bungalow would help safeguard one of the last surviving markers of the old Kampong Bedok, URA said in a letter to Teo’s appointed architect.