SINGAPORE – When Stamford Raffles came to Singapore in 1819, Indian Muslims from Bengkulu in Indonesia – then called Bencoolen – followed him to the island, bringing their faith, culture and community with them.
These traders, labourers and settlers lived in Bencoolen Street, Prinsep Street and Waterloo Street, with many dhobis – traditional Indian launderers – working along Rochor River.
They built an attap-roofed structure in Bencoolen Street in 1825 to serve as a mosque for their growing community, marking the establishment of Masjid Bencoolen, or Bencoolen Mosque.
Over the decades, the mosque has been redeveloped several times. Following the latest renovations, it reopened in 2024 and can now accommodate up to 1,100 congregants at a time, a far cry from the few dozen worshippers back in 1825.
Bencoolen Mosque’s bicentennial was celebrated on Oct 18 with the launch of a book tracing its journey, and the contributions of the Indian Muslim community hailed by Zaqy Mohamad, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Defence.
The mosque, which has become a key centre of Islamic learning in Singapore, is one of the oldest in the country.
Three other mosques here are around two centuries old: Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque, Sultan Mosque and Jamae Mosque.
Speaking at Orchard Hotel at an event marking Bencoolen Mosque’s 200th anniversary, Zaqy said the Indian Muslim community has played a significant role in the development of Singapore and has enriched the heritage of the country’s Muslim community.
Referring to the early Indian Muslim settlers, he said: “They built this mosque not just to be a place of worship, but as an anchor for their community to find its footing in a new land.”
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