Re-discovering Berhala Reping

Pulau Berhala Reping is a place most people would not even have heard of; much less know where it is. It was a small tiny island off the coast of Sentosa in the Sengkir Straits.

Photo of Sentosa taken in 1950 when it was still Pulau Blakang Mati.
Pulau Behala Reping is connected to Blakang Mati by a footbridge.

In its history, there were only 2 significant things that were ever associated with this island.

First was that it was part of the chain of coastal gun batteries that was built by the British colonials to protect the island fortress of Singapore.  One of the infamous “guns that pointed the wrong way”.*

The other was that it was one of the burial grounds of massacred Chinese civilians during the Japanese Occupation of World War II.

It was mainly for the second reason that I had some recent interest in visiting Berhala Reping.

In 1995, the National Heritage Board had erected a marker to commemorate this massacre that occurred during the “Sook Ching” or ethnic cleansing operation carried out by the Japanese secret police, the Kempeitai, in 1942.

I had already photographed all the other 19 heritage markers in Singapore and the Berhala Reping marker was to be the last; for the simple reason that access to it was somewhat restricted.

It is within an exclusive private property, the Sentosa Golf Club, and I had to ooze every bit of charm I could call upon to secure a visit to the site.

Luckily for me, my host Mr Sylvester Yeo, was also quite keen to know more about Berhala Reping and was game enough to explore the hidden former artillery battery site with me.

Today, Berhala Reping is actually no longer an island. 

Land was reclaimed from the sea around it and it was incorporated into the golf course that was created there in the 1980s.

Fortuitously, the old artillery structures on the island were untouched by the reclamation and is one of the very few intact remnants of the British military legacy left in Singapore.

The British forces left in 1968 and the island was returned to the Singapore government, who at that time had no plans for it and so it was left untended and became overgrown.

Berhala Reping in the late 1970s after being 'abandoned' and neglected.
Photo was taken through the military pillbox across the channel. (see picture below)

In the 1980s, land around Serapong beach was reclaimed and leased to the Sentosa Golf Club, who built their Serapong golf course in the area. 

Pulau Berhala Reping was spruced up and incorporated into the landscape of the new golf course. 

The old military structures on the former island were basically left intact and untouched. 

Only a couple of pillboxes were demolished in building the new course.

Berhala Reping now landlocked within the Serapong Golf Course.

Here are some pictures, courtesy of Sentosa Golf Club, which shows the island and the military structures as it was just after the reclamation and building of the golf course in the 1980s.

Today, it’s a bit different after almost 30 years. The ‘jungle’ has grown and reclaimed the entire island back. In a way, this is fortunate as it helped to preserved the ruins and kept it hidden from perhaps some who might think of building over it! A natural mangrove swamp had also grown around the shoreline of the former island where it is thriving in the brackish waters of the newly formed Serapong lake.

Because it contains an historical relic with a unique mangrove eco-system, save none in Singapore, I do hope that the SGC will continue to preserve the island as it is for a long time to come.

Here are some pictures I took during my visit to Berhala Reping and of the monument to the massacred victims.

The former island of Berhala Reping today beside Serapong lake

The overgrowth has completely covered the military post.

The Searchlight Post is still accesible quite easily with a bit of determination.

This was the No. 1 Director Observation Tower of the No 1 Gun Emplacement.

The concrete bridge is much shorter today due to the land reclamation.

The original concrete bridge that carried the ammunition trolley track is slowly crumbling away.

The National Heritage Board marker to the massacre victims on Sentosa Island side.
To know what's written on the plaque, please go to this link.

A new mangrove eco-system has formed around the shoreline.

My host Sylvester bashing his way through the undergrowth.

Historical facts about Berhala Reping

Sentosa Island (or Pulau Blakang Mati as it was then known), was used as a military station since the late 19th century. Four major forts were built on the island essentially to protect the city and harbour from invaders.

The four forts were Fort Siloso and Fort Imbiah on the western side, with Fort Serapong and Fort Connaught on the eastern side of Sentosa. These forts were manned with heavy artillery guns of various calibres capable of hitting ships as far as forty kilometres from Singapore.

Berhala Reping was established in the 1890s basically as a shoreline forward defence shield. It's main task was to protect the entrance to Keppel Harbour. This was the Sengkir Straits and where Pulau Brani had its main refuelling coaling station as well as a tin smelting factory.

As such, Berhala Reping was fitted with smaller guns at various times. By 1942, just before the Japanese invasion, the island base was equipped with two 6-pounder guns. These were small, quick to load and fire and was used mainly for shooting at small vessels approaching the shorelines.

A typical 6-pounder Hotchkiss gun that was used by the Royal Artillery. Location Sentosa Fort Silos.

These guns were fixed into what are called Gun Emplacements of which there were two on Berhala Reping.

Along with the two 6-pounders, the island was also equipped with four Searchlight Posts.
These searchlights were powerful arc-light lamps which would scan the waters and sky as well for enemy movements. They were mounted on the roof top of the searchlight posts.

These searchlights would have been positioned on the Searchlight Post rooftop.

During my recent visit, we managed to locate and enter two of the existing Searchlight Posts. We were unable to locate the other two due to the thick undergrowth or perhaps it is no longer there being destroyed during the war.

Searchlight Post No. 1 which is easily accesible as it is beside the golf cart track.
I wonder how many golfers actually notice it?
The searchlight would be mounted on the roof top.

The inside of the Searchlight Post with 2 slit windows for observation.

The No 2 Searchlight Post which is located about 30 metres on the left from No 1 Post.

The No. 2 Post had 3 observation slits and was slightly larger than the No. 1 post.
We found lots of graffitti but these had dates from the 70s,
The walls were blackened with soot as apparently campfires were built inside once.

Next, we tried entering the No. 1 Gun Emplacement and Tower but the emplacement was completely covered by thick undergrowth and we were not prepared for this.
However, we managed to penetrate through towards the No.2 Gun Emplacement and behold...

Gun Emplacement No 2 on the hilltop with its Tower and ancillary structures intact.

Entrance to the Gun Emplacement Tower

The Gun Emplacement corridor leading to the ammunition store and hatch.

The circular feature (centre pit) is the actual Gun Emplacement where the 6-pounder cannon would be mounted, pointing out to sea.

At the bottom of the hill, we found a sealed tunnel entrance.
From the rails leading in from the concrete bridge, presumably this is the tunnel to the underground ammunition store. 

Overall, I can say that the condition of the ruins are still in pretty good shape, although they were partially demolished on orders just before the surrender on 14th Feb 1942. The Berhala Reping relics deserve to be preserved as part of our historical heritage.



Here are two trivial items as told to me by Sylvester about the golf hole beside Berhala Reping.

This is a replica of the Dragon's Tooth of Tanjong Belayar (Longyamen).
It is at the head of a dragon which is laid out along the fairway beside Berhala Reping.

This is the Club's resident pet Heron who lives at the lake beside Berhala Reping.

Following our visit to Berhala Reping, my host Sylvester asked if I would like to see the ruins of Fort Connaught?
Would I ???  There's no way that I would miss another golden opportunity like this despite the fact that the ruins are deep within the forest at Mount Serapong!


But that will be covered in another article....soon....   (here it it)


Note:
* In that we do not dishonour the valiant soldiers who actually manned the guns, the phrase "the guns that pointed the wrong way" is a myth. The coastal artillery guns were capable of traversing 360 degrees, though not all of them, and they were used to fire onto the invading Japanese forces contrary to some popular misconceptions.

By the way, if anyone is really interested in detailed information about Berhala Reping or the military forts at Sentosa, please visit the acknowledged Master of Siloso, Peter Stubbs' website at this link here.

Related posts:
The ruins of Fort Connaught
NHB WW2 Heritage markers around Singapore