Its history can be traced back to the 1820s, the name comes from the Malay word Kampong which mean village and Gelam a name of the cajeput tree there was a village by the sea where the orang laut from the glam tribes reside include the Arabs, Bugis and the Javanese. In 1920 the area was descended into notoriety so much so it was famed for its red-light district than for its distinctive community the elegant Moorish influence Sultan Mosque was rebuilt in 1924 and continues as a beacon for the Muslim. In 1989 the historic district of Kampong Glam was gazetted as a conservation area and in 1993 the government announced a plan for the development of Istana Kampong Glam, today it had turn into a Malay Heritage Centre. The streets around Jalan Sultan was once full of ironsmith and the local call it Sio Po Pak Ti Koi and Sultan Gate is called Raja Kottei in Tamil which means Raja Palace.
