In 1973, a mosque along Beach Road was gazetted as a national monument. It was built around 1845 to 1846. In the 1930s, the trustees of the mosque had it rebuilt by English and French architects, which explains the rather distinctive minaret within the mosque’s compound. But more unique than the minaret is the fact that this mosque is named after a woman: Hajjah Fatimah.
Hajjah Fatimah was born to an influential family in Malacca, related to the Rajas that ruled the states in what is now referred to as Peninsula Malaysia. She married a Bugis prince from Celebes and became the Sultanah of Gowa. Her connection with Singapore started when she married the prince, who had set up a trading post in Singapore. However, the marriage was short-lived. The prince passed away, leaving the young Hajjah Fatimah to fend for herself and her family.
Undaunted, she singlehandedly took over the business from her husband and showed how outstanding she was. A young widow, she not only brought up her daughter Raja Siti, she also managed the business empire left behind by her husband. Her success was evident, as she owned a large number of trading vessels to conduct trade within the region. And that’s not all that is notable about her.
Hajjah Fatimah’s contributions to Singapore are better understood by taking a look at what Singapore was like in the late 1800s. After 1819, people flocked to Singapore in search of work and a better life. Malays, Arabs and Bugis were located in Kampong Glam. Many settlers lived in tight quarters, with dirty streets and clogged drains. The poor who could not afford shelter were left in the streets. Unable to fend for themselves, people died in the squalor.
The Europeans, entrenched in their enclave; were aghast at the sight of the poor strewn on the streets. The colonial government attempted to set up a Poor House in the 1830s but the project was unsuccessful. To make matters worse, the colonial government was unable to pay more money to solve the situation.
The streets were also unsafe with armed robberies and piracy. Hajjah Fatimah had gone through this bad experience when pirates attacked her house and set it on fire twice.
Despite getting raided twice, and living in a place so impoverished, she would not move physically. Her heart was moved though. After her house was destroyed the second time, Hajjah Fatimah, with the help from her second husband, Sama Unah, proceeded to construct the mosque at the same spot and a house for her family. In addition, she built a stretch of houses, near the mosque for the poor. To help protect them from pirates, she even built a lookout post in the mosque to act as an early warning system.
Hajjah Fatimah’s actions showed how attached she was to Singapore. She spent the rest of her life here, passing away at the estimated age of 98. But that’s not the end of the story.
Her family continued her good work. Her daughter Raja Siti married Syed Ahmed Alsagoff. Hajjah Fatimah’s business and charitable work was handed over to the Alsagoff family and they carried on with her legacy. One of the descendants of Alsagoff and Fatimah was Syed Mohammed, Hajjah Fatimah’s grandson..
The fifth descendent of Hajjah Fatimah, Mona Bte Syed Abdullah, said that Hajjah Fatimah, with her daughter Raja Siti and her son-in-law Syed Ahmed, always set aside some money for the poor . For example, Raja Siti and Syed Ahmed frequently gave rice to the poor. Through Syed Ahmed, the family business grew and so did contributions to society. Syed Mohammed, Hajjah Fatimah’s grandson, continued this philanthropic gesture by establishing the Syed Mohammed bin Ahmed Alsagoff Wakaff Fund, the Muslim Trust Fund Association of Singapore, the Alsagoff Arab School, Alsagoff Dispensary and the Muslim Boy’s Orphanage.
Hajjah Fatimah, a young widow who brought up her daughter, ran a regional business and undaunted by pirates, has left her mark on Singapore. Her work lives on, through the mosque and her family who continue her charitable spirit.
By Ng Jian Cheng
