The name”Bukit Merah” translates to "Red Hill" in Malay, and comes from the red-couloured lateritic soil found on the hill. According to the Sejarah Melayu ,a Malay Annal, Singapore used to be plagued by swordfish that attacked the people living in the coastal regions by launching themselves from the sea at the people at the beach.Thus,many people were killed by the swordfishes.The King, Paduka Seri Maharaja tried many times to get rid of the swordfishes,but to no avail A young boy named Hang Nadim proposed an ingenious solution, to build a wall of banana stems along the coast at the present location of Tanjong Pagar. When the swordfish attacked, their snouts were stuck in the stems,the people could kill the swordfishes easily. With the swordfish problem solved, Hang Nadim earned great respect from the people, but also jealousy from the rulers. The King, Paduka Seri Maharaja finally ordered his execution, and it was said that his blood soaked the soil and the soil turned red from the blood of Hang Nadim on the hill where he was killed, giving rise to the red-coloured hill..When the people heard what had done, they named this place Redhill to remember what the clever little boy had done for them. And even now, they remember the story of the clever little boy who stopped the swordfish from harming his village.