The Story Behind Sisters Island

Located south of Singapore, Sisters Island comprises two small islands, Subar Laut and Subar Darat. They are separated by a thin strip of sea.

The islands are good spots for swimming, scuba-diving and picnicking. However, the lack of a regular ferry service means that visitors to the island have to hire a bumboat (a water taxi).

The Story

This is the story of two sisters who were very close to each other, Minah and Lina. They lived with their mother, who often felt that it was time they got married.

One evening, when their mother brought up the subject, the two sisters were dismayed. If they got married, their close bonds would be broken and they simply could not imagine life without each other!

Their objections took their mother by surprise, as the two girls were normally very obedient. Potential suitors were all turned away, many were from good or wealthy families, and marrying them would have ensured a blissful life.

Some time later, the old woman fell ill and passed away. At the funeral, an uncle who lived in a different town, offered to take the girls under his care. And so, the two sisters went to live with him.

Life with the uncle was not easy and every day, they had to wake up at dawn to help with the chores. There was hardly any time to rest. The two sisters did not mind as their uncle was a fair man who made sure enough food was placed on the table. Besides, the most important thing was that they were still together.

One day, when Lina was at the well, she overheard loud voices coming from the beach. She peeked and discovered a group of men making plans to rob the village. It was the Orang Laut!

Suddenly, Lina sensed a movement behind her and when she turned around, she saw the ugliest man she had ever seen. He towered over her and looked ferocious with fresh scars running down his unshaven face.

Terrified, Lina ran as fast as she could into the safety of his uncle's hut. She did not tell her sister about this for fear that it would worry her. Everything seemed to be well when evening fell.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door and before they could react, the door flung opened and in stormed the ugly man that Lina saw. He demanded that Lina became his wife but Minah fought him away and offered herself instead.

They were no match for the ugly man who lifted Lina over his shoulder and threatened to kill anyone who followed him.

Within minutes, Lina found herself on board the Orang Laut's ship that had already drifted out into the waters. From nowhere, a voice cut into the air. Minah was swimming toward the ship!
While the Orang Laut were distracted, Lina seized the opportunity to escape. The two sisters swam desperately towards each other when a huge wave suddenly engulfed them. Then all was calm again. The pirates were stunned by the strong bond between the sisters.

The next day, two mysterious islands emerged at the spot where the two sisters were thought to have drowned. Today, we know these islands as Sisters Island.