Bukit Batok New Town is a new town located in western Singapore and within the boundaries of the Bukit Batok Planning Area. It is bounded by Bukit Batok Road, the Pan Island Expressway, along the western edge of Toh Tuck private estate, Bukit Batok East Avenue 6, Old Jurong Road, Bukit Timah Road, the north edge of Bukit Batok Nature Park, south edge of Hillview estate, east and north edge of Bukit Batok Town Park, and Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 back to Bukit Batok Road.
There are many different versions of the origins of its name Bukit Batok. Bukit means “hill” in Malay, thus the name of the town gives the impression of it being hilly. Batok, however, has several interpretations. One version has it that according to a Javanese village chief in the tiny village of Gassing, coconut trees grew on the hills in the area and hence the name batok, the Javanese term for coconuts.The Chinese interpretation is that the hills were of solid granite and hence called batu, the Malay name for “stone”, which was corrupted to bato and finally batok. Another version argues that the hill resembles a skull top and batok could also be construed to mean “skull top”.Others felt that the cold air in the area, which led to coughs and colds, conferred on the place the name batok, the Malay term for cough. This could also be a reminder of the days when the area had a large granite quarry at Little Guilin; coughing refers to the sounds of the explosives used.A more ribald explanation has it that the two hills in the area looked like green buttocks to the British, a word which suffered verbal mutilation among the Chinese to finally emerge as batok.
The shopping complex West Mall was opened in mid-1998. Developed by Alprop Pte. Ltd., a joint venture between the United Industrial Corporation (UIC) and Singapore Land, it has 8 storeys in total gross floor area of 283,000 sq ft (26,300 m²) on a land area of 106,000 sq ft (9,800 m²). It was built at a cost of S$170 million.West Mall has many amenities and shops such as a 6-Halls Eng Wah Cineplex, a Post Office, Popular Bookstore, Harvey Norman, a Community Library, KFC, Burger King, Watson’s and a Shop N Save Supermarket.
There are two MRT Stations in the Bukit Batok area: Bukit Batok MRT Station and Bukit Gombak MRT Station. The Bukit Batok Bus Interchange, which is near Bukit Batok MRT station and West Mall, is of moderate size and wholly used by SMRT Buses, part of SMRT Corporation. The interchange and most of the services were previously operated by SBS Buses, the precursor of SBS Transit, until 1999/2000; SBS Transit still has a bus depot in Bukit Batok.
Recreation
The Bukit Batok swimming complex is located off East Avenue 6. There are many parks in the neighbourhood, including the Bukit Batok Town Park (often considered part of Bukit Gombak) and the Bukit Batok Nature Park.The CDANS Bukit Batok Country Club, for reservist members of the Civil Defence forces and their families, was opened in 1998. It offers a golf driving range, swimming pool, bowling alley and sports facilities for relatively affordable prices. The Civil Service Bukit Batok Clubhouse offering similar recreational facilities to civil servants and their families and the public is located near the Bukit Batok Town Centre, and was opened on 1 March 2006.
Education
There are several institutions for education in Bukit Batok:
Primary schools
Bukit View Primary School is a government primary school.
Dazhong Primary School is a government primary school.
Hong Kah Primary School is a government primary school.
Keming Primary School is a government primary school.
Lianhua Primary School is a government primary school.
Princess Elizabeth Primary School is a government primary school.
St. Anthony’s Primary School is a government primary school
Secondary schools
Bukit Batok Secondary School is a government secondary school.
Bukit View Secondary School is a government secondary school.
Dunearn Secondary School is a government secondary school.
Hillgrove Secondary School is a government secondary school
.Swiss Cottage Secondary School is a government secondary school.
Yusof Ishak Secondary School is a government secondary school.
Centralised Institute
Millennia Institute, formed from the merger of Jurong Institute and Outram Institute, moved to its new campus off Bukit Batok West Avenue 3 in January 2007.
Higher institutions of learning
ITE College West (Bukit Batok Campus) (going to merge with Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, Balestier and Dover to form a regional campus at Choa Chu Kang)
Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC)
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