As a history enthusiast I knew I had to visit Pulau Penyengat after being informed of its proximity and historical significance by Dr Sham. I brought two of my close friends along and we spent three and a half days at a homestay where we experienced local hospitality firsthand. We visited historical sites including Benteng Bukit Kursi, a 19th century fort used against the Dutch, the shrines of scholar Raja Ali Haji and his family members and the ruins of the famous Rusydiah Club, an intellectual organization. I learnt that despite its small size and population of only 2500 people, Pulau Penyengat has contributed significantly to the history of the Malay world as the site of Malay intellectualism and press printing in the olden days. The former royalty of this island also has ties to Singapore's past and unfortunately this fact has been overlooked and is not general information. My hope is that more Singaporean youths would visit this quaint island to reconnect with parts of our past history.

Sufia Maisarah