Pulau Tekong

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Pulau Tekong (Singapore English pronunciation: TUH-kong), also known as Tekong or Tekong Island, is Singapore's largest outlying island. It lies off the northeastern coast of the mainland, to the east of Pulau Ubin. Since the 1980s, Pulau Tekong has been used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as a restricted military training ground, with public access prohibited. Transport for permitted personnel is provided via the SAF Changi Ferry Terminal located at Changi Beach. Historically, various pre-colonial maps recorded the island under different names, and the origins of the name "Tekong" remain the subject of several theories. Pulau Tekong was previously inhabited by a multi-ethnic population of Malays, Chinese and Indians who established agricultural and fishing kampongs across the island. During the British colonial period, the island played a modest role in regional trade and rubber and vegetable farming sustained its economy. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, residents of Tekong were subjected to forced labour, and many of the island's villages were eventually abandoned following the war. Since the 1980s, Pulau Tekong has undergone significant land reclamation to support the Singaporean military. The original island, measuring about 25 km2 (6,178-acre), was expanded through reclamation along the northwestern coast by absorbing nearby islets, including the former 89-hectare (220-acre) Pulau Tekong Kechil. As of now, its total land area is around 40 km2 (9,884-acre), following the completion of the northwestern polder project. Further reclamation works, particularly along the southern coast, are still underway. Once fully completed, Pulau Tekong is projected to reach a total area of between 60 km2 (14,830 acres) and 75 km2 (18,530 acres).