Singapore Strait

Historical records

The 9th century AD Muslim author Ya'qubi referred a Bahr Salahit or Sea of Salahit (from the Malay selat meaning strait), one of the Seven Seas to be traversed to reach China. Some have interpreted Sea of Salahit as referring to Singapore, although others generally considered it the Malacca Strait, a point of contact between the Arabs and the Zābaj (likely Sumatra). Among early Europeans travellers to South East Asia, the Strait of Singapore may refer to the whole or the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca as well as other stretches of water. Historians also used the term in plural, "Singapore Straits", to refer to three or four different straits found in recorded in old texts and maps – the Old Strait of Singapore between Sentosa and Telok Blangah, the New Strait of Singapore southwest of Sentosa, the "Governor's Strait" or "Strait of John de Silva" which corresponds to Phillip Channel, and the Tebrau Strait. Today the Singapore Strait refers to the main channel of waterway south of Singapore where the international border between Singapore and Indonesia is located.

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Singapore Strait as follows:

Pilot guides and charts

Pilot guides and charts of the Malacca and Singapore straits have been published for a considerable time due to the nature of the straits

Second World War

The strait was mined by the British during the Second World War.

Piracy, incidents, and accidents

In 2009, the Maersk Kendal was grounded on the Monggok Sebarok reef.

In 2024, ReCAAP reported targeted stealing of engine spares by pirates as unique to the Singapore and Malacca Straits, indicating the possibility of a black market.

In 2025, a major increase in piracy incidents was reported in the Singapore Straits by The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre. These have included boardings and violent armed robberies of cargo ships. Over 60% of global piracy occurred in the Singapore Straits in this year.

References

References

1. "СИНГАПУРСКИЙ ПРОЛИВ – это... Что такое СИНГАПУРСКИЙ ПРОЛИВ?". Словари и энциклопедии на Академике.
2. "Singapore Strait". Government of Singapore.
3. (August 22, 2017). "Busy waters around Singapore carry a host of hazards". [[Navy Times]].
4. "Tumasik Kingdom". Melayu Online.
5. (March 2004). "Between East and West: The Moluccas and the Traffic in Spices Up to the Arrival of Europeans". Amer Philosophical Society.
6. (December 2004). "Iberians in the Singapore-Melaka Area and Adjacent Regions (16th to 18th Century)". Harrassowitz.
7. Borschberg, Peter. (2012). "The Singapore Straits in the Latter Middle Ages and Early Modern Period (c.13th to 17th Centuries). Facts, Fancy and Historiographical Challenges". Journal of Asian History.
8. (1953). "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition". International Hydrographic Organization.
9. (1971). "Malacca Strait and west coast of Sumatra pilot : comprising Malacca Strait and its northern approaches, Singapore Strait, and the west coast of Sumatra". Hydrographer of the Navy.
10. (2000). "Charts for small craft, Singapore Strait & adjacent waterways". Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
11. (1971). "Malacca Strait and west coast of Sumatra pilot : comprising Malacca Strait and its northern approaches, Singapore Strait, and the west coast of Sumatra". Hydrographer of the Navy.
12. (1998). "Singapore Strait". Hydrographic Dept., Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
13. (20 February 1941). "SINGAPORE STRAIT MINED.". [[The Central Queensland Herald]].
14. (2010). "Report on the grounding of mv Maersk Kendal on Monggok Sebarok reef in the Singapore Strait on 16 September 2009". Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
15. "Uncovering a black market for stolen ship engine spares".
16. "Spike in armed robbery incidents raises concerns for vital Singapore Strait trade route".