At 8.15 am, we arrived at the grandest residence of Singapore, the Istana.

The security was extremely uptight. We even had to pass a gun detector!

It was a long walk up the service road to the Istana. However, you would be gaping at the beautiful scenery and not feel your tired legs.

In the Istana grounds, there is a gigantic 9-hole golf course, complete with lush, delicately trimmed green grass; the Sri Temasek, the Military Guardroom and the Villa. Not to forget the exotic plants and the Queen Victoria garden

The Queen Victoria Garden

.   

A grand staircase greets visitors at the main entrance hall. To the left and the right of the entrance are two plaques. The plaques are wooden and have elephant tusks at each side of them.

Plaque on the left:

H.H

THE SULTAN

OF

SELANGOR

IN TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP

FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

1871

Plaque on the right:

PRESENTED

BY

H.H THE BANDHHARA

OF

PAHANG

IN TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP

FOR THE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT

1874

The Indian Convicts who built the Istana were possibly the same ones who built the St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

The Sri Temasek was built in 1869 for the colonial secretary and is now the official residence of the Prime Minister.

The Japanese gun was presented to Lord Louis Mountbatten after the Japanese Surrender in 1945.

Since its’ first occupancy in 1869, the Istana has seen 21 terms of governmentship (1869 -1958), 2 terms of Yang Di Pertuan Negara (1959-1965) and 5 terms of Presidential occupation. Not to mention the Japanese Occupancy.

A Peek into the Grand Palace

Before you enter the Istana, you have to pay a $2 entrance fee. All proceeds are donated to the community chest.

In the Istana, you would be greeted by a cheerful, "Good morning" from the guard. But before you return his reply, you would be awestruck by the number of badges and honours on his uniform. Well, guess what? The "guard" is a full-fledged captain or other high-ranking official from the ADC.

In the Istana, you are only allowed to view some rooms. You cannot go inside and sit on the comfortable teak-made sofa or have a chance to feel the soft, delicate Persian rug through your shoes. The only room that you get to step into is the banquet hall at the back of the first floor.

The State Room

The first room to the right of the main entrance is the state room. In the past, The State Room was called the Victoria Room by virtue of a large statue of Queen Victoria. The State Room is used for ceremonial events such as swearing-in and investitures. the room consists of a mini-stage, a red carpet and matching velvet curtains.

The Reception Room

to the left of the main entrance is the reception room. It was originally a dining room before the massive renovation in 1996. The room was redesigned for multi-purpose usage.

The Banquet Hall

Opposite the entrance and behind the grand staircase is the Banquet Hall. The banquet hall also serves as an exhibition hall on open house days because many equisite souveniors from all over the world that are presented to our presidents are displayed there. the black and silver floral design vase from india, a sparkling dragon figurine from China, a miniature gong and silver sampah from brunei Darrusalam and a Japanese doll from Japan are some of the souveniors on display.

The West Dining Room and
The Sheares Room

The West Drawing Room 

The first room in the west wing to the right of the grand staircase is the West Drawing Room. The west Drawing room and the Sheares Room are combined together into one room. It was used as a ballroom during the colonial days. It is now used for receiving distinguished guests. The Sheares Room at the upper end is named after our Second President, Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares. It serves as a dining and conference area.

The Sheares Room

The East Drawing Room
The opposite room is the East Drawing room. It is essentially designed as a parlour. VIP guests are received here. At the far end is the Yusof Room, which is named after our first president, Encik Yusof Bin Ishak. It serves as a dining area.

The President's Lounge

Located between the East and West Drawing Room is the President's Lounge which overlooks the ceremonial plaza and the front lawn. It has furniture as equisite as the ones in the other rooms. The elliptical crystal chandelier that hangs over the central hall  weighs 350 kg and was specially made for this hall.

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