Palace of Ghosts: Singapore's Untold History

Despite the passing centuries traversed by the pendulum of time, some things in Southeast Asia never seem to change: piracy is one of them. Once in a while, it grabs a 21st-century newspaper headline; two hundred years ago, however, it was the persistent, recurring and ongoing issue of the times. The larger-than-life character of Captain John Dill Ross appears in the fourth chapter of Palace of Ghosts . He achieved near celebrity status among the residents of Singapore when news broke about his almost calamitous encounter fighting off an against-the-odds pirate attack off the coast of northwest Borneo in the middle of the 19th-century. Piracy had long been the scourge of shipping in the region and was an ever-present topic of conversation over dinner. When Captain Ross’s skirmish hit the newspaper headlines, it was the talk of the town for months! Captain Ross is important to the story because he was the first person to build a grand residence on the plot of land that was eventually to...

The island of Labuan in todays West Malaysia was, along with Singapore, once part of the Straits Settlements. Although, in itself, it is not a part of the story of Palace of Ghost s, events connected to it were to play a role in some of the important outcomes in the story. As told in an earlier posting, William Napier is one of the key characters appearing early in the story of Palace of Ghosts . He made two sojourns in Singapore and the catalyst for his second visit was when the tiny island of Labuan became a Crown Colony of Britain in 1846. Today, few people outside of Malaysia, and many of those within it, know much about the place, if anything. It is safe to say that William Napier probably wished he had also never heard of it either, or even better, wished he had never even set foot on it. Napier’s Labuan misadventure is not a vital element of the central narrative of Palace of Ghosts and is therefore largely omitted from the book. However, there are several threads that link the...

  The abandoned Istana Woodneuk in 2021, the inspiration for Palace of Ghosts The English newspaper The Guardian recently ran an article titled “ Decay and discovery: the allure of abandoned sites in Malaysia ”. It was written by Dax Ward, a Bangkok-based photographer who specialises in urban exploration, abandoned structures and street portraiture. The newspaper article documents a recent 2,676-kilometre road trip he took in August 2023 through the northern Malay states of Kedah, Perlis, and Penang. His amazing website can be found here . He introduces his subject matter as follows, “Every derelict has its own individual history, but each one is connected in the sense that they are reminders of what once was, what might have been, and what happens when we forget... The allure for urban explorers and photographers lies in identifying and capturing the remaining beauty in these forgotten locations.” Mr. Ward has documented hundreds of abandoned buildings in places such as Thailand,...

  One of the themes of Palace of Ghosts is historical perspective and memory. I argue that this is a good thing because a shared sense of place and history is a key ingredient to the collective consciousness and collective self-confidence, both of which are vital qualities that help us face uncertainties that the future might hold. The overall result may be peace of mind and happiness. I reason that the more history communities can connect to in a positive way, the greater the sense of well-being. I also quote Winston Churchill when he famously once said, “The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward”. While this might sound obvious, the challenge can be that we are often unable to see clearly into history because we have a habit of compartmentalising it. We erect figurative screens, either consciously or unconsciously, that can block out episodes from the past. Worse still, sometimes such episodes are erased from history, creating a strange gap in the record. On...

Within Singapore's District 10, there is an upmarket neighbourhood named Tanglin. Much of the story of Palace of Ghosts takes place here. While the meaning of Tanglin is believed to be derived from the Teochew Chinese language, meaning “great east hill peaks”, the neighbourhood took its name from a house that was called Tang Leng, built by William Napier in 1854. The location of Tanglin, indicated in red, can be seen on the map of Singapore below.  Historically, this was the first suburb outside the original settlement located around the Singapore River to its southeast. It was considered a desirable location because it was away from the noise, dust and smells of the crowded settlement. It was green and the climate was thought to be better than in the coastal areas. It was reached by Orchard Road which was a track first put down during the 1830s and gradually improved thereafter. As the name suggests, the area was previously used for orchards and plantations, the latter being main...