Pulau Senang | |
|---|---|
| Name transcription(s) | |
| • Chinese | 安乐岛 |
| • Pinyin | Ānlè Dǎo |
| • Malay | Pulau Senang |
| • Tamil | புலாவ் செனாங் |
 | |
.svg)  Pulau Senang Location of Pulau Senang within Singapore | |
| Coordinates:1°10′14″N103°44′10″E / 1.17056°N 103.73611°E /1.17056; 103.73611 | |
| Country | Singapore |
| Area | |
• Total | 81.7 ha (202 acres) |
| Population | |
• Total | 0 |
Pulau Senang is an 81.7-hectare (202-acre)coralisland in theRepublic of Singapore, located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) off the southern coast ofSingapore Island. Along withPulau Pawai to the north-west andPulau Sudong, further north from Pulau Pawai, it is used as amilitary training area forlive-fire exercises carried out by theSingapore Armed Forces (SAF).
Pulau Senang is best known in thehistory of Singapore as the location of a former experimental offshorepenal settlement. It failed after only three years, followingan infamous riot against the small unit of prison authorities (no more than 10) which broke out in 1963, resulting in the death of four officers, including the prison chief.
InMalay,Pulau Senang literally translates as the "Happy Island".
In 1960, an experimental offshore penal colony was established on Pulau Senang by theSingapore government. Theprisoners, predominantly gangsters, were allowed to move freely about the island, and were engaged inmanual labour.[1] It was envisioned that the detainees could bereformed through hard work and be sent home with an ability to seek lawful employment.
The prison-settlement started on 18 May 1960, when 50 detainees, sent fromChangi Prison, arrived with Irish-born PrisonsSuperintendent Daniel Dutton, the appointed chief of the penal settlement. Over the next three years, the number of detainees from the mainland rose to 320 and together they transformed the island into an attractive settlement, albeit one for criminals only.
However, a riot broke out three years after the prison was established, resulting in the deaths of four prison officers, including Dutton. 18 men were convicted of murder and hanged. As a result, the penal settlement was shut down in 1964.[1][2]
Since 9 June 1989, the island, together withPulau Pawai andPulau Sudong, have formed theSingapore Armed Forces (SAF) Southern Islands Live-Firing Area (SILFA), a restrictedmilitary training area and live-firing zone.[3] As with all other military areas in the country, the entire live-firing zone is strictly off-limits at all times to civilians and unauthorised vessels.[4] In SILFA, theRepublic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) conducts military exercises, including aerial bombing and parachute/rappelling practices. On Pulau Sudong there is a runway and a small control-tower used by military planes flying to nearbyPulau Pawai, on which there are a series of artificial ground-targets for bombing exercises.[5] TheRepublic of Singapore Navy (RSN) occasionally uses SILFA for naval gunnery drills and exercises.
