Seletar
title: "Seletar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["seletar", "places-in-singapore", "north-east-region,-singapore"] topic_path: "general/seletar" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seletar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Seletar |
| settlement_type | Planning area and regional centre |
| translit_lang1 | Other |
| translit_lang1_type1 | Malay |
| translit_lang1_info1 | Seletar |
| {{Script | Arab |
| translit_lang1_type2 | Chinese |
| translit_lang1_info2 | 实里达 |
| 實里達 | |
| Shílǐdá | |
| Si̍t-lí-ta̍t | |
| translit_lang1_type3 | Tamil |
| translit_lang1_info3 | சிலேத்தார் |
| Cilēttār | |
| image_caption | From top left to right: |
| pushpin_map | Singapore |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Seletar within Singapore |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Singapore |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | North-East Region |
| subdivision_type2 | CDC |
| subdivision_name2 | * Central Singapore CDC |
| subdivision_type3 | Town councils |
| subdivision_name3 | * Ang Mo Kio Town Council |
| subdivision_type4 | Constituency |
| subdivision_name4 | * Jalan Kayu SMC |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_name | Central Singapore CDC |
| leader_title1 | Members of Parliament |
| leader_name1 | Jalan Kayu SMC |
| {{Bulleted list | list_style |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 10.25 |
| area_blank1_title | Residential |
| area_blank1_km2 | 7.23 |
| population_as_of | 2025 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 280 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_demonym | Official |
| postal_code_type | Postal district |
| postal_code | 28 |
| image_map | Seletar location.svg |
| map_caption | Location of Seletar in Singapore |
| :: |
| name = Seletar | settlement_type = Planning area and regional centre | translit_lang1 = Other | translit_lang1_type1 = Malay | translit_lang1_info1 = Seletar {{Script|Arab|سلتار}} | translit_lang1_type2 = Chinese | translit_lang1_info2 = 实里达 實里達 Shílǐdá Si̍t-lí-ta̍t | translit_lang1_type3 = Tamil | translit_lang1_info3 = சிலேத்தார் Cilēttār
| image_skyline = | image_caption = From top left to right: | pushpin_map = Singapore | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Seletar within Singapore | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Singapore | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = North-East Region
| subdivision_type2 = CDC | subdivision_name2 = * Central Singapore CDC | subdivision_type3 = Town councils | subdivision_name3 = * Ang Mo Kio Town Council | subdivision_type4 = Constituency | subdivision_name4 = * Jalan Kayu SMC | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Central Singapore CDC
| leader_title1 = Members of Parliament | leader_name1 = Jalan Kayu SMC | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 10.25 | area_blank1_title = Residential | area_blank1_km2 = 7.23 | population_as_of = 2025 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 280 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = Official
- Seletar resident | postal_code_type = Postal district | postal_code = 28 | image_map = Seletar location.svg | map_caption = Location of Seletar in Singapore Seletar ( ) is the regional centre of the North-East Region of Singapore. The place name was derived from the Malay subgroup who were indigenous to the area, the Orang Seletar. It shares boundaries with the planning areas of Sengkang to the south, Punggol to the east, Yishun and Simpang to the west, as well as the Straits of Johor to the north.
Formerly a Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase site, the area now houses the Seletar Aerospace Park. The aerospace park houses industries specialising in aircraft maintenance and repair services. Despite its status as a regional centre, the area remains relatively rural in a local context, with more residential and commercial developments being constructed in the neighbouring planning area of Punggol. There remains future plans to transform Seletar into one of Singapore's regional centres, along with Jurong East, Tampines and Woodlands.
Geography
Geographical extent
According to the book Down the Seletar River: Discovering a Hidden Treasure of Singapore, Seletar generally refers to a region defined by the Ponggol River to the east, the Seletar River to the west, Ang Mo Kio to the south and the Straits of Johore to the north. It includes the areas covering Yio Chu Kang, Jalan Kayu, Lower Seletar Reservoir and a part of Upper Thomson.
Seletar Planning Area
Seletar Planning Area, as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, shares a land boundary with planning areas of Sengkang to the south, riverine boundaries with Punggol to the east and Yishun to the west. Its northern boundary is made up by the Straits of Johor. Seletar Planning Area is officially divided into 4 subzones – Seletar, Seletar Aerospace Park, Pulau Punggol Barat and Pulau Punggol Timor.
History
The area was home to the indigenous Malay population, especially the Orang Seletar (Malay for Seletar people) - a subgroup of Malay sea gypsies living on the waters of the island. There were already hundreds of them even before the arrival of Raffles. Seletar was originally a rubber plantation estate owned and managed by the Singapore United Rubber Plantations Ltd. In 1923, the Straits Settlement government bought 600 acres from the Singapore United Rubber Plantations Ltd and gave it to the British Royal Air Force as a site for its military air base in Singapore. Construction of the airfield was completed in 1929 and it was officially opened in 1930. The airfield was the first RAF base east of India and had also served as a civilian airport until 1937, when Kallang Airport was opened to the public.
The Seletar Reservoir (now known as Upper Seletar Reservoir), was first built in 1920, after the First World War to cope with the water demand in Singapore. It was marked as a conservation site in August 1999.
The area is also dotted with colonial bungalows that were built for the military personnel of the RAF, which still stands today. In 2007, the government announced that some 174 bungalows has been set aside for demolition to make way for the new Seletar Aerospace Park, while the remaining 204 bungalows will be retained and some of these units will be converted into aerospace training schools and food and beverage outlets, while 131 units will be set aside for residential use.
References
Sources
- Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics – A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press,
References
- Seletar]
- (June 2025). "Geographic Distribution Dashboard". Department of Statistics Singapore.
- Kaur, Karamjit. (19 June 2007). "Plans for $60m Seletar Aerospace Park on course". [[The Straits Times]].
- Kaur, Karamjit. (27 June 2007). "Seletar gets ready for makeover as aerospace hub". [[The Straits Times]].
- Wijeysingha, Eugene. (1 January 2013). "Down the Seletar River: Discovering a Hidden Treasure of Singapore". Seletar Hills Estate Residents' Assoc..
- "URA SPACE". [[Urban Redevelopment Authority]].
- "Planning Areas/Subzones in Singapore (Year 2015)". [[Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)#Departments & Statutory boards.
- "Conservation Portal – History of Seletar". URA Singapore.
- "Seletar Airport". Infopedia Singapore (National Library Board).
- "Seletar Reservoir". Infopedia Singapore (National Library Board).
- (14 February 2014). "The Colonial Bungalows of Seletar". The Lion Raw.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::