Get into the Halloween mood by driving around to the most haunted roads in Singapore, affectionately sourced by the AutoApp editorial team.
There’s always that one friend who constantly insists that nothing ever spooks him. Like that time you asked him to go watch the latest horror flick with you and he was like, “Huh? Don’t want la, not scary”, or when you invited him to Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights and he more or less yawned in your face.
Urgh, we get it. So this Halloween, why not take a little drive around and give your insufferable friend a ghastly tour of some very “special” roads in Singapore! Be sure to elaborate on every sinister detail for maximum effect. *evil laugh*
Sheldon recommends:
Sime Road
There’s nothing like the combination of an old cemetery that was also the site of a World War II POW camp to set the scene for a creepy road. The access through old Leonie Road is a little tricky and the site of the once bustling dual carriageway now looks somewhat abandoned now that Leonie Highway taken on much of the traffic volume only adds to a eerie feel.
Be sure to look out for signs that lead to what’s left of Sime Road and Bukit Brown cemetery and I dare you to take a drive there after twilight…
Brin recommends:
Punggol Road down to Punggol Beach
Image credits: Straits Times / Housing Development Board
A long stretch of road now flagged by young neighbourhood dwellings, Punggol Road leads up to the bustling Punggol Beach. There, you’ll find The Punggol Settlement, home to F&B establishments offering up exciting waterfront dining options to families, youths and more. However, *cue eerie music* things were not always as they are now.
In the past, this same destination was also one of the killing fields during the Japanese Occupation, as part of the Sook Ching massacre. Many Chinese civilians lost their lives and as such, over the years, human remains have been found even up to the late 90s. It is for this reason that the location is a national heritage site.
Despite the myriad of changes and developments, some Singaporeans say this stretch of road still gives them the creeps, especially when thinking about its macabre past. Welp.
Marcus recommends:
Malcolm Road
Go in the daytime, and this place seems anything but haunted. Malcolm Road is home to a cluster of colonial bungalows, cosily set atop a small hill next to the PIE. It’s a posh neighbourhood near town, flanked by prestigious schools such as St. Joseph’s Institution and Singapore Chinese Girls School.
Built around 1925 for high ranking civil servants of the colonial government, there’s a certain grandeur to them – set on a plot of land measuring over 30,000 sq ft, with a long driveway leading up to the house, an imposing black and white structure with massive pillars.
Seems lovely? Not quite – the family of a not-so-distant relative resided in one of these bungalows back in the 1980s. They narrated stories of the dog randomly barking at an empty hallway, and one standout incident involved an infant cousin. At just one year old, his vocabulary was limited to simple, single words such as ‘mama’ and ‘dog’. One evening on a visit to the family, he randomly pointed to an empty part of the house and went “glass man”, much to the horror of everyone around.
Though Malcolm Road isn’t one of the typical haunted roads in Singapore, local writer Goh Sin Tub regales readers of his book – Ghosts of Singapore – with a tale of a pontianak sighting along Malcolm Road. Looking at a map though, its proximity to Mount Pleasant Cemetery is probably reason why unusual happenings have occured. Lovely as it is during the daytime, visit after dusk at your own risk!
Now that you‘ve learnt more about some of the most haunted roads in Singapore, check out some secret driving spots.
