Pulau Sudong | |
|---|---|
Subzone ofWestern Islands Planning Area | |
| Name transcription(s) | |
| • Chinese | 苏东岛 |
| • Pinyin | sūdōng dǎo |
| • Malay | Pulau Sudong |
| • Tamil | சுடோங் தீவு |
.svg)  Pulau Sudong Location of Pulau Sudong within Singapore | |
| Coordinates:1°12′21″N103°43′10″E / 1.2059°N 103.7195°E /1.2059; 103.7195 | |
| Country | Singapore |
Pulau Sudong (Malay forSudong Island) is a 209 hectares (520 acres)coralisland off the southern coast ofSingapore. It was enlarged through aland reclamation process during the late 1970s,[1] and is home to thePulau Sudong Airport.
Since the early 1980s, Pulau Sudong, together withPulau Senang andPulau Pawai, have formed theSingapore Armed Forces southern islandsmilitary training area and live-firing zone.[2] As with all other military installations in Singapore, the entire live-firing zone is strictly off limits to all civilians at all times of the day and night.[3] The only exceptions to this are for workers who are contracted byMINDEF to perform maintenance on the island's area calibration facilities.
The island'sairport anddock are maintained by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF),[4] with most areas covered by dense vegetation - the island is a wildlife haven for migratory birds and plants alike. The airstrip is only utilised for emergencies that involve military aircraft.
Sudong comes from the same root word astudong inMalay, acone-shaped food cover made frommatting, which is also used as head covering bypadi planters.
Thegovernmentmalaria research station was formerly located on the island for a period in the 1940s.[5]
Prior to the airstrip being built, it was home to around 400 permanent inhabitants that lived inkampongs.[6]In 2015, the former island inhabitants petitioned to be allowed back to the island for a day to fulfill their dying wish. However, their request was denied.[7]
