The Aljunied Family

The Aljunied family, now remembered by icons such as Aljunied Road and Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, were established traders in Palembang before setting up their base in Singapore. The patriarch of the family, Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied, became the “principal Arab merchant” in Singapore by the mid 19th century. He contributed to the development of early Singapore with his philanthropy such as the building of mosques and the donation of land to build facilities for the larger community, including the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and St. Andrew’s Cathedral.