Pulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue. The area of Pulau Brani is 1.22 square kilometres (0.47 square miles). The island was previously home for Orang Laut, and in Malay, the meaning of Pulau Brani is “isle of the brave”.
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Orang Laut in the context of Malay Singaporean
Malay Singaporeans (Malay: Orang Melayu Singapura) are Singaporeans of Malay ancestry, including those from the Malay Archipelago. As of the 2020 census, they constitute approximately 13.5% of the country's residents, making them the second largest ethnic group in Singapore. Under the Constitution of Singapore, they are recognised by the government as the indigenous people of the country, with Malay as the national and official language of Singapore.
At the time of the arrival of British colonial official Stamford Raffles in 1819, the estimated population of Malays on the island was approximately 1,000. Another estimate suggests that at the time of Raffles' arrival, the population comprised around 120 Malays, 30 Chinese and some local indigenous Orang Laut tribes. From the nineteenth century until World War II, the Malays generally enjoyed favourable treatment, as they were not resettled for labour and their traditional lifestyles were largely left undisturbed. However, as the British required coolies to support their colonial enterprises, immigration rates among Malays remained relatively low compared to Indians and Chinese immigrants. The latter group notably became the majority ethnic population by the mid-nineteenth century.