15 Unexpected Haunted Places In Singapore

Ghost buster #1: NOEL BOYD (left)
With close to a decade of experience under his ghost hunting tool belt, Noel is the founder of online paranormal show Ghost Files Singapore (GFS), which started as a web series to entertain thrill-seekers but has since morphed into paranormal consultancy. Affluent people from across the region hire Noel to detect paranormal activity in their homes and offices, based on scientific evidence, rather than the more primitive and unscientific shamanism. The 36-year-old Eurasian is also the author of Ghost Files: Singapore, a collection of horror stories based on his real-life encounters. When he's not busy hantu-hunting, he's a corporate event emcee.

Ghost buster #2: DR YASSER MATTAR
Having joined Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI) in 2009, the 42-year-old business studies lecturer is in charge of spooky walks and public talks. Aside from paranormal science, he spends his time researching on jazz theory and music mathematics. Founded in 2001, SPI is the first local paranormal group.

Here’s a glimpse of the electro-magnetic force (EMF) detectors used when ghost-hunting. “In paranormal science, we believe that all living things have vital energy, also known as ‘qi’ in Chinese,” explains Dr Yasser. “These gadgets detect the presence of EMF that should not be there. These EMF are believed to be paranormal energies of spirits, ghosts and other supernatural entities.”

Who knew spirits from the netherworld haunt Singapore’s swankiest shopping district? Or that Ion Orchard and Ngee Ann City had a past life as a graveyard? “There’s a stretch between Ngee Ann City and Mandarin Orchard that’s particularly haunted ’cos the land used to be a cemetery,” says Noel.

“Shopkeepers [in Ngee Ann City] have had many ghost sightings. And I had one myself at this hotel. I heard a female voice a few times in my room and the faucet in the toilet was turned on fully twice. I took it as a ghost wanting me to know that I was not alone.”

But don’t believe every report you read on paranormal sightings around Orchard Road. Says Dr Yasser: “There have been reports of hauntings around Cathay and in Killiney Road. But after our investigation, we found that those reports weren’t true.”

The row of old-school shophouses along Chinatown’s Mosque Street is where old meets new, with traditional businesses operating alongside neon-lit pubs and bars. And they don’t always co-exist peacefully with each other — at least in the supernatural realm.

“The stretch of old shophouses located along Mosque Street was built in the 1800’s. It’s almost impossible to find out if anyone died in this shophouse unit during that period,” says Noel.

“The moment I stepped into this bar, I knew something wasn’t right with it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood for a good hour. A staff member even showed me a video she took one night that showed multiple orbs of various colours flying around. I got the feeling that these entities weren’t happy that the place was being used as a bar. After all, alcohol is considered a sin in some religions.”

Bedok has earned a rep for being a ghost town, literally. But among the many hauntings in that area, this real-life suicide case will give you the chills.

Dr Yasser recounts the tale of a resident-turned-ghost which continues to haunt the neighbourhood... and keep potential buyers away. “A woman threw her three-year-old son out the window from her 25th storey apartment, then jumped to her own death. She was wearing her red Chinese wedding dress. This was caused by marital problems between her and her husband [who gambled and abused his family]. Also, the husband was seeing another woman. It’s also rumoured that she wrote on the wall in blood, ‘It’s not over, darling’ [before committing suicide].

"For years after that, the husband could not sell off the house ’cos somehow no one was interested in it. The husband continued to stay in the house and even took in his mistress, and eventually married her. A few years later, she bore a son. When the son was three-year-old, he opened his window, told his father, ‘This is for kor kor’ and jumped to his own death. We detected high amounts of paranormal energy at the foot of the block where the bodies landed.”

Hell hath no fury like a jilted wife, indeed. Neighbours of that particular flat have reported hearing a woman crying and the laughter of a woman and a young boy, even though that home is now vacant. Or is it?

From outside, the abandoned and dilapidated building located along Upper Thomson Road looks like the perfect setting for Kelvin Tong’s next horror movie. “Many older police officers reported having seen Japanese soldiers marching up and down the parade square in the middle of the night,” Dr Yasser says.

Located a skip and a hop away from the Lim Chu Kang cemetery, is it any wonder that there are horror tales in the HTA waiting to be told? “I’ve heard so many stories from so many people [about hauntings at the New Home Team Academy],” says Dr Yasser.

“One told me that she dropped off her brother there for his National Service, and just as her car was doing a three-point turn, she noticed a woman with long hair and white clothing sitting on the roof of the bus stop. A police officer told me that he has seen a long-legged, long-armed woman being covered in long black hair sitting in the bleachers near the firing range. This same police officer has also seen someone walking outside his office window. The problem was that his office was on the 4th floor!”

[Photo Credit: Home Team Academy]

The green and leafery of Marsiling forest hides an old war-time British bunker used to store rations. “As is the case with abandoned buildings, there are large amounts of paranormal energy trapped inside [the bunker]. Some energies were left behind by the actions of humans while they were there. Some energies made their way there,” says Dr Yasser. “Our equipment practically went haywire when we tried to measure for energies there. One of our agents also reported seeing a face in the darkness coming towards him. We couldn’t justify or disprove that. So we’ll leave that as a possibility.” [Photo Credit: TODAYonline]

Think Pontianaks are an urban legend? Think again. Jalan Mempurong, located in Sembawang and near Bottle Tree Village, used to be home to a fishing village… and now, blood-thirsty banshees.

“I’d say that this is the most haunted road in Singapore,” says Noel. “Many Singaporeans have seen ghosts flying from tree to tree. Some have even claimed to see the legendary Pontianak. I know for a fact that shamans discard entities they have caught in this area. People from all walks of life throw their mandi bunga (prayer flowers) at the nearby canal too. I’ve been to this area four times. Each time, I walk away disturbed ’cos the ghosts there are extremely hostile and have the ability to inflict harm.”

Nestled in the quiet town of Bukit Batok, this tropical haven aka Little Guilin offers a slice of suburban serenity in the concrete jungle of Singapore. But the flora, fauna and foliage of this vista belies its dark past. “Many people have told me they feel uneasy walking through the park even in broad daylight. There is a good reason why,” says Noel. “Three murders [took place here]! The most high profile case is the murder and rape of Linda Chua in 2000. Her murderer has never been caught and the case is unsolved till this day. I’ve investigated this park and can confirm it is haunted. Our evidence includes a voice of a female ghost and we even captured an entity on camera.”

Scenic running trails and boardwalks lure nature lovers and joggers by the droves to MacRitchie Reservoir daily. But how many would, um, run away after knowing that the place houses several water tombs and one former Shinto shrine (pictured)? Syonan Jinja (Light of the South Shrine) was built by the Japanese Imperial Army in remembrance of their fallen soldiers during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. Grand plans were in the pipeline for Syonan Jinja to be the second greatest shrine after Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine. But it was destroyed during the British reoccupation of Singapore. Today, the ruins of the mystical shrine is tucked in the bowels of the dense MacRitchie forest, forgotten by the masses save for a few curious thrill-seekers.

What’s even creepier: MacRitchie contains several water graves. “These graves are only visible at low tide but are completely submerged at high tide,” says Dr Yasser. “MacRitchie is infamous for joggers getting lost even in the light of day. Back in 2008, there was a jogger who was lost in MacRitchie for 18 hours. In Chinese belief, we say that ‘the ghost covered their eyes’. This is by far the most frequent paranormal happening in MacRitchie.” You’ve been warned.

Okay, we’ve all heard (or, for those unfortunate enough, had) our fair share of spooky encounters bunking out in chalets near Pasir Ris Park. But, have you heard about the hauntings behind the three-storey bird-watching tower aka “Suicide Tower”? Rumour has it that a teenage boy fell to his death there many years ago, and based on eyewitness accounts, his ghost still lurks there. There are also tales of Pontianak sightings at the tower. It’s no wonder Noel calls the observation tower “a portal to hell”. “I’ve already been there with my team twice this year. The first time, our video cameras malfunctioned so there wasn’t any audio. The second time, it was just my cameraman and myself and we heard laughter that sounded so evil,” he recalls. “I saw so many dark shadows in the two hours that we spent there alone. There’s this cocktail of emotions — anger, sadness and fear —that one would feel too. I highly advise staying away from this area at night.”

Dr Yasser also attests to the hauntings around Pasir Ris mangrove swamp, a popular destination for Easties by day ,and the playground of Pontianaks by night.

“There’s a story of someone who drowned in the mouth of the river while catching crabs. We’ve recorded faint sounds of a piano playing from within the swamp,” he says. “We’ve also communicated with many spirits there. Most of the spirits are women who say that they do not reside in the park but rather, come and go. This description fits the characteristic of Pontianak, who generally fly from place to place looking for pregnant women and virgin men.” Yikes!

By day, it’s a beautiful beach filled with buzz, beach volleyball and bikini babes. But come nightfall, the dead roam the beaches. No thanks to the place’s violent past. “Bad things happened here during World War II. So now what we have are ghosts that are stuck in a time lapse,” says Noel. “When I stayed at a hotel along Siloso Beach, I experienced multiple paranormal disturbances. For five nights in a row, the doorbell would ring at exactly 3 and 4am. One night, I woke up to find a ghost that resembled a man standing next to the bed and looking down at me. The face had a huge hole. That was terrifying ’cos I wasn’t mentally prepared.” [Photo Credit: Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa]

Time seems to come to a standstill in laidback Changi. Even more so for the resident spirits of Sook Ching past who seems trapped in a time warp. “I love how these old colonial British bungalows look. There’s that air of mysticism of who occupied these houses during Singapore’s darkest days,” says Noel. But there’s more to this charming chalets than meets the eye. “Nine years ago, I stayed at one such bungalow for a family celebration. Everyone, including the non-believers, had paranormal encounters. When I was sleeping, I felt like I had an audience in my room,” recounts Noel. “Friends had their doors opening and closing on their own. Many heard voices in Japanese and English — the latter with a British accent too.”

Hardly surprising, given that the Changi chalets are a pebble’s throw away from Changi Beach, a place with a chilling history. “Changi Beach is a site where many have encountered paranormal phenomena. These range from seeing Japanese soldiers marching and misty apparitions gliding around, to hearing people scream for mercy,” says Dr Yasser.

“During my paranormal investigations, I’ve recorded high amounts of electro-magnetic energies through my EMF meter. I’ve also communicated with entities who tell me that they’ve been living around the area for many decades. This is not surprising, since Changi Beach was one of the main places for the Sook Ching Massacre during World War II, where Japanese soldiers mass murdered Chinese people.”

We’ve all heard our fair share of spooky stories from ex-NSF-ers. Here’s one more to add to the list. “I served a chunk of my National Service attached to an accident investigation unit at Seletar Camp,” shares Noel. “There were areas of this camp that were out of bounds at night. There was even a map that had red grid lines to indicate so. What were these areas? The edge of the camp which had several banana trees! Soldiers claimed to see female ghosts kneeling by the trees. One quiet night, after several beers at the camp mess, I heard a female wailing. When I turned to the direction where it was coming from, I saw the banana trees in the distance. I immediately sobered up and left the camp!”

The former penal settlement and quarantine island is where locals escape to for an idyllic and rustic getaway. But the southern island was also where mass executions were carried out during World War II.

The centerpiece of its chilliness is a giant chessboard, rumoured to be where prisoners of war were used as rooks in games of chess during the Japanese Occupation. Captured human “pieces” were beheaded on the spot. Today, their spirits linger on in the island, where blood-curdling screams and crying fill the night. “I’ve not been to the island at night due to safety concerns. But I’ve heard tons of stories,” says Noel.

“A few years ago, a group of five fishermen who stayed overnight on the island saw a flying head of a man which flew really close to them. Unfortunately, they could not leave the island as the charter boat would only arrive in the morning. They huddled together till sunrise and all of them swore to stay away from St John’s Island.”

Seems like the island spirits enjoy getting a bit too close for comfort. “One of our agents was touched by a naughty entity on St. John’s Island,” recounts Dr Yatter. “She went out of the bunk to smoke and felt someone touch her lower back. When she turned around, she saw that no one was directly behind her. The closest person to her, another fellow investigator, was about 10m away.”

[Pictured: Abandoned house on St John’s Island]

If you want to go all out to get spooked, this scenic site is your go-to spot. Among the many shrines that dot the island, the most famous one belongs to a German girl (pictured), aka the tourist attraction you didn’t know about. The girl reportedly died when she was escaping from the British soldiers during the British occupation. Her remains were kept inside an urn which was then placed at the shrine. Today, local worshippers aside, devotees flock from as far as Thailand and Myanmar to this shrine to pray for luck and 4D numbers. “Many have asked me where the most haunted place in Singapore is. My answer will always be Pulau Ubin,” reckons Noel. “The paranormal activity I’ve encountered on this island is through the roof. I don’t know of a part of Ubin that isn’t haunted. From the German Girl Shrine and the cycling path that has claimed lives to the beaches that one can camp on, visitors will be affected in some form or another.”

[Pictured: A misty face manifested in the darkness captured by the SPI at Bukit Brown Cemetery]

If you’re not content with being an armchair thrill-seeker and are planning to head out to these places to be spooked, here are some precautionary tips, courtesy of those who have been there, done that.

1) Know what you’re getting yourself into
“I’d never recommend anyone who doesn’t understand the subject well to go ghost hunting,” says Noel. “So many things can go wrong with the snap of a finger. The least that can happen is an entity following someone home — and that’s bad enough.”

2) If you have a run-in with an entity, keep calm and carry on… and then flee
“If you find yourself in a haunted place, keep calm at all times. Fear will only make the situation worse,” advises Noel. “In rare situations where you see a ghost, you should say in a calm manner ‘Please leave me alone ’cos I mean you no harm’ and leave the area immediately.”

3) Cleanse yourself after visiting haunted places
“Methods of cleansing include washing the soles of one’s shoes and stamping the ground three times, and burning white sage or incense sticks and going around in a circle around one’s body,” says Dr Yasser.

4) Don’t go ghost hunting if you’re menstruating, pregnant or unwell
“This is ’cos in those scenarios, one’s vital energy is low and more receptive to the energies of ghosts, spirits or other metaphysical entities,” says Dr Yasser.

PHOTO CREDITS: NOEL BOYD/DR YASSER MATTAR