Syrian Christians The first wave of Syrian Christians— all Malayalees— arrived in Singapore at the end of World War I. The first documented Syrian Christian immigrant to arrive was Isaac Benjamin, who came to Singapore in 1911 after encountering problems with the colonial authorities in Kerala. The early immigrants worked in the civil service as teachers, lawyers, policemen, and at the British Naval Base.

A second wave of immigrants— mostly tertiary- educated— arrived in the early 1950s. With their strong command of the English language, most found white- collar jobs. While the majority became Singapore citizens, many families returned to India in 1971 following the British withdrawal from Singapore.

The Syrian Christian community probably numbered no more than 250 families until the mid- 1990s, when a third wave of Indian expatriates came, attracted by job opportunities in the computer and healthcare industries.

Syrian Christians believe that in 52 CE, St Thomas, one of Jesus Christ’s 12 apostles, brought Christianity from Palestine to the Hindu and Jewish communities near the port of Cochin, Kerala. In 1653, the Syrian Christians broke away from Roman Catholic leadership. Around 1889, one branch aligned itself with the Protestant reformation movement, forming the Mar Thoma Church. The original group remained part of the Oriental Orthodox faith and is known as the Orthodox Syrian Church. The Syrian Christian community in Singapore is made up of these two branches.

In the 1950s, the two churches in Singapore established their respective places of worship off Serangoon Road. The churches have since undergone redevelopment and their members now worship in their churches off Upper Thomson Road and Old Yio Chu Kang Road. The descendents of the pioneer members of both churches have inter- married and share a common cultural heritage. Syrian Christians can be recognized by their surnames, the more common ones being Abraham, Cherian, George, Jacob, Joseph, Matthew, Philip and Varghese.

The community faces several challenges. Knowledge and use of the mother tongue, Malayalam, is in danger of being lost, as most Syrian Christian children speak only English. The two churches have attempted to bridge the language gap by holding more services in English. Few from the local community join the clergy, resulting in the need to bring priests from India. Moreover, many young Syrian Christians are marrying non- Indians and therefore may not pass on the traditions to the next generation. In 2006, the population of Syrian Christians in Singapore was about 1,500.