Defined as ‘long sand’ in Malay, Pasir Panjang is a reference to the long sandy beach that stretched along the coast in the area. Many Malays began moving westward along the coast into Pasir Panjang as business and shipping interests took over the Telok Blangah locality resulting in the emergence of Malay fishing villages in the area. The Malay settlement came to be known as the West Coast Malay settlement in 1957.
