Mandai

Mandai is a planning area located in the North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the access point of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

Mandai
Planning Area
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	万礼
• Pinyin	Wànlǐ
• Malay	Mandai
From top left to right: Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium, River Safari, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Upper Seletar Reservoir
Mandai Location of Mandai within Singapore
Coordinates: 1°24′42″N 103°47′11″E
Country	Singapore
Region	North Region
CDC	North West CDC
Town council	Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council Nee Soon Town Council
Constituency	Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Nee Soon GRC
Government
• Mayor	North West CDC Alex Yam
• Members of Parliament	Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Hany Soh Hui Bin Nee Soon GRC Carrie Tan
Area [1]
• Total	11.8 km^2 (4.6 sq mi)
Area rank	23rd
Population  (2018)[1][2]
• Total	2,090
• Rank	35th
• Density	180/km^2 (460/sq mi)
• Density rank	37th
Demonym(s)	Official Mandai resident
Postal district	25

The Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium, the largest crematorium and columbarium in Singapore, is also located in Mandai planning area. Other features include the Sembawang Hot Springs and Sembawang Golf Course.

In 2012, a new river-themed park, River Safari, opened beside the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.[3] Mandai is also slated to become the new home of Jurong Bird Park.[4]

Etymology and history

Mandai Road was cut in 1855. The name Mandai appears in the Franklin and Jackson Plan of Singapore (1828) as a river indicated as "R. Mandi". There was also a reference of a hill called Bukit Mandai which appears as “Bt. Mandai” in the olden maps. The name is said to come from a Malay tree called "pokok Mandai". Others suggest that “Mandai” might be a corruption of mandi, meaning “bathe” in Malay, as the river could have been used for this purpose.[5]

Military training

Parts of Mandai are commonly used as military training areas as there is undeveloped land there. The following locations are used as training areas: Kwok Min, Asrama/Ulu Sembawang, Mandai Bumbong, Gali Batu and Mandai Central. Mandai Camp and Mandai West Camp are in Gali Batu, while Mandai Hill Camp and a live firing range are in Kwok Min. Mandai is also the location of Chong Pang Camp and the Sembawang Air Base.

Because of the massive makeover with the new bird park and rainforest park, the military training area (except Sembawang Air Base and Chong Pang Camp) will soon be moved to Lim Chu Kang and Pulau Tekong. MINDEF will release all the Mandai training areas for redevelopment.

Transportation

Apart from Mandai Road, the Mass Rapid Transit system's Mandai Depot, which will be used for the Thomson-East Coast Line, is located in Mandai.

References

1. Mandai (Planning Area, Singapore) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location
2. "Statistics Singapore - Geographic Distribution - 2018 Latest Data". Retrieved 11 February 2019.
3. Mustafa Shafawi; Hetty Musfira (21 May 2010), Attractions of Asia's first river-themed park River Safari unveiled, Channel NewsAsia, retrieved 20 October 2010.
4. "Mandai Area Set for Major Redevelopment". Today. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
5. "Mandai Road | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 12 October 2019.

• Victor R. Savage; Brenda S. A. Yeoh (2004), Toponymics: A Study of Singapore Street Names, Singapore: Eastern University Press, ISBN 978-981-210-364-2.