Pulau Brani, known as the "isle of the brave" in Malay, is an island located to the south of Singapore's Central Region. In the past, it was inhabited by the Orang Laut. At one point, the island hosted various industrial facilities including a brick kiln, coal depot, tin smelting plant, and ship-repairing dock. It also served as a British naval base and, subsequently, a facility for the Republic of Singapore Navy for an extended period.

The Orang Laut of Singapore were originally water-dwelling people who lived on houseboats. They settled on mainland Singapore and Pulau Brani in the 1840s after being forced from the Singapore River due to the city's growth and increased river traffic. When Raffles arrived, they lived in houseboats at the mouth of the Singapore and Kallang rivers, as well as creeks on the north side of the island. According to an account by Wa Hakim in 1882, there were about 100 small houses and huts at the mouth of the Singapore River, and around 30 Orang Laut families lived in boats further up the river. The area where they lived was known as Kampong Temenggong.
The concentration of Orang Laut sampans along the river disrupted water traffic, leading to their displacement. Although there are no official records of their eviction, it is believed that economic pressures prompted their move around 1842-43. Around 450 of them moved to Tanjong, while others migrated to Pulau Brani, some potentially from Tanjong Blanga. During their time on Pulau Brani, the Orang Laut transitioned from living in boat dwellings to stilt houses.

References :
Arts (no date) Infopedia. Available at: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_221_2005-01-18.html (Accessed: 17 August 2023).
Kwa, C.G. (2019) in Seven Hundred Years: A history of Singapore. Singapore: National Library Board.
(No date) NewspaperSG. Available at: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/newnation19721215-1.2.67.1 (Accessed: 17 August 2023).