In 1947, the island became the base for a regiment of the Royal Artillery – comprising local enlistees – and also hosted basic military training for other enlisted men. The regiment was disbanded a decade later before Gurkha infantry units moved to the island.
In 1963, the British War Department handed over Pulau Blakang Mati to Singapore as part of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. From 1967, with the near-complete withdrawal of the Gurkha units, the island came under the jurisdiction of independent Singapore.
During the latter period, a number of government ministries and agencies sought the island for various proposed uses, including as a port and industrial complex, a tourist resort with a casino, as well as for military installations.
This was when it emerged the Government had reached that agreement with Esso. The rest, as they say, is history.
“Not many people know this today, but if history had taken a different turn, Sentosa could well be…
