Telok Blangah is more than a pot !

Many articles and sources today mentioned that the name Telok Blangah is derived from the shape of the bay which looks like a pot. This information is accepted by many because the bay indeed looks like a giant cooking pot!

However, an old article from Berita Harian initiated an argument indicating the name Blangah was a Bugis word for Anchorage which proves the area is much older than we have always thought. It was like a ‘matured estate’ of ancient Singapura!

Blangah in Malay means labuh or pelabuhan. I posted a question in social media ‘Facebook’ with hopes I could get clarifications from the Bugis Makassar community in Bugis Temasek.

When Sang Nila Utama arrived Singapore in 1299, he has chosen Telok Blangah for his ship to drop anchor because its geography consisted of a sheltered bay (Telok) and optimal depth for an ideal anchorage (Blango, Blangah). I assume that Telok Blangah was already an entrepot during that time. The maritime activity was managed by a port master, nakhoda, shahbandar, temenggong, tamagi among others.

Hence it can be concluded that the name Blangah was given by early Bugis settlers that have already established their settlements in Telok Blangah due to its excellent maritime geography as mentioned by Arabs, Chinese and European navigators. Another convincing fact was, there was also a village called Kampung Nakhoda dominating the beachfront of Telok Blangah too.

Could this area in today's Vivo City Harbourfront once was an early Bugis Town of Singapore as well but not documented? documented? 

Sarafian Salleh