Bedok, Singapore

16 Bedok South Road signage (29 July 2006)

Bedok

(GPS: 1.3236, 103.92734; Malay Jawi: بدوق; Chinese: 勿洛; Pinyin: Wùluò; Hokkien POJ: Bût-lo̍k; Penang Hokkien Taiji: But3lork1; Tamil: பிடோக்) is a township (or "planning area" in local nomenclature) on the East Region of Singapore. The residential area composed of Bedok New Town, the fifth township developed by the Housing and Development Board. It was established in 1973 and was developed over a 15 year period.

Bedok is located in Singapore Postal District 16.

The name Bedok comes from a river that run through the area, Sungei Bedok, which was mentioned as early as 1604, in the Manuel Gomes de Erédia map of Singapore, where it appeared as sune bodo. The place name is already in existence when Stamford Raffles arrived. The name bedok comes from beduk, the Malay word for a type of drum made from a hollowed log, used for calling people for prayers.

Today about 200,000 people live in Bedok New Town. Most of them are in the older HDB flats. The planning area of Bedok comprises 8 neighbourhoods (or "subzones") namely Bayshore, Bedok North, Bedok Reservoir, Bedok South, Frankel, Kaki Bukit, Kembangan and Siglap.