• The Mandarin term “勿洛” is the transliteration of the name “Bedok”.
• Two possible origins of the name have been posited. One belief is that it came from the Malay word beduk, meaning “drum”. In Singapore’s early days, Malays would use drums to announce important news in their villages. Some mosques would also sound the drums five times a day as a reminder of prayer times. Another belief is that the name originated from the Malay word biduk, meaning “small fishing boat”, as the coasts of Bedok were lined with such vessels.
• Before Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore, there was a cemetery on the outskirts of Bedok, at Jalan Sempadan, where Riau and Bornean people were buried. There was also a coconut plantation in Siglap, in the southern part of Bedok.
• The Bedok planning area was launched in 1963. A part of the area was reclaimed during the East Coast Reclamation Scheme in 1966. By 1976, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) had built 4,600 flats in this area. According to statistics from the HDB, Bedok had 61,828 public flats in 2018, with an HDB resident population of approximately 194,700.

An illegal betting area was recently seen in Bedok estate, with close to a hundred people gathering in and around a coffeeshop. Among them were people suspected of being involved in illegal horse betting and many customers who table-hopped and drank late into the night. (Lianhe Zaobao, 4/12/2020)