The Pulau Tekong Island is famous for two things: the Pulau Tekong Reservoir and the Pulau Tekong Basic Military Camping. Singapore has fully implemented the Israeli military operation and the basic Military training is obligatory for every male who is physically fit for the BMT. Since 1989, women can also do BMT although for them it is not obligatory.
Pulau Tekong is the second largest island of Singapore being 24 square kilometres big. One part of the island contains the basic military training campsite, which does not allow tourists to its territory. Since the Seventies when the troops of Great Britain has pulled out of Singapore the little island country’s worries grow because of the closeness of their big Malaysian neighbour who were rumoured to attack and conquer Singapore. This is why Singapore is military very aware. Today their military system and equipment is the best in Southern Asia the Special Forces of the Ghurkha Continent are enlisted among the best and hardest ever-trained military groups in the whole world. From the Eighties Israel has been actively taking part in helping Singaporean forces with their training and weaponry tactics. Singapore is the largest buyer of Israeli military equipments and weaponry. The nonstop trainings make the Pulau Tekong Campsite always very busy. Novices normally spend the first 3 months in the base where they learn the basic military techniques and the holding of weapon and of course have their studies in military related fields from when they get specialised training elsewhere according to everyone’s capacities.
Pulau Tekong has been going through several land reclamation processes too during which they have encountered problems with neighbouring Malaysia due to which there was a one year break in the building works till the issue has been resolved by a joint agreement between the two countries. A new infantry base is soon to open in the area of the island. The Reservoir which protects the rare animals such as Leopard Cat, the Sunda Loris and the Sunda Pangolin small mammals among many other species. The reservoir also provides the total water supply for the military installations. The nature reserve part of the reservoir has also been established because for long Pulau Tekong was among the famous hunting areas, which led to the massive decrease of the number of animals, which are this way highly endangered in their existence. Pulau Tekong is quite close to both Malaysia and Johore therefore it happens when animals swim from one island to the other. In 2004, three elephants arrived to the Pulau Tekong Island, which was taken care of by the staff of Singapore Zoo before being flown back to their homeland, the jungle of Johore.