Omar Aljunied

Syed Omar Aljunied (1792–1852), full name Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied (Arabic: السيد عمر بن علي الجنيد; transliterated as Sayyid ʿUmar bin ʿAlī al-Junayd) was an Arab Singaporean merchant and philanthropist from Hadhramaut. He built the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, the oldest mosque in Singapore. Syed Omar Aljunied is regarded as an important figure in the history of Singapore.

Biography Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied was born in 1792 in the al-Junaid family which hailed from Hadhramaut. The al-Junaid family is a branch of the Ba 'Alawi sada. or because he was invited by Sir Stamford Raffles to set up his business there and improve Singapore's economy. In 1823, a rival trader from Pahang named Yassin attempted an assassination on Syed Omar, which he escaped from unscathed, but the attack resulted in the British Resident William Farquhar being stabbed by Yassin instead. Yassin was then incarcerated and executed afterwards, and received a small cult following in the form of his grave being turned into a holy site, or keramat shrine until it was demolished by local authorities.

In 1851, Syed Omar was appointed by the British authorities to work alongside fellow merchant Tan Kim Seng to represent the Straits Settlements for a business exhibition held in London. As a philanthropist, Syed Omar donated land and properties to construct buildings to benefit the local community, for example donating a large portion of his land for Tan Tock Seng to establish a hospital, which still stands to this day. Aside from Muslim places of worship, Syed Omar also donated land for colonial officers to build the St. Andrew's Cathedral. Being a Muslim, Syed Omar Aljunied provided waqf (inalienable charitable foundations) through donations to benefit the Muslims of Singapore, such as the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka and a plot of land within the historic Jalan Kubor Cemetery. Aside from Muslim religious sites, Syed Omar also donated land to be used for the construction of St. Andrew's Cathedral which was completed in 1836. In the early 2000s, the graves of Syed Omar and the rest of his family at Jalan Kubor were exhumed and interred within the courtyard grounds of the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka.

Legacy Syed Omar Aljunied was remembered as a prominent figure in Singapore's early history during colonial rule. Aljunied Road was also named after him.

The name of Syed Omar is also present on textile products produced in the Toko Aljunied store located along Arab Street. An annual congregational prayer for Syed Omar, known as Haul Akbar, is celebrated in the oldest mosque in Singapore which he established.

An illustration of him was displayed at Paya Lebar MRT station as part of The Paya Lebar Story public art display.