Another Piece of History Disappears

Pudu Jail (formerly Pudu Gaol) in Jalan Hang Tuah (formerly Shaw Road), was built and designed in 1891 and completed 1895 led by British state engineer and Director of Public Works Department, Charles Edwin Spooner at a cost of RM 15,360.90 Its design was copied from the Kandy prison in Bogambia, Africa and shaped like a butterfly or X structure.

Every morning for five years I pass Pudu Jail on my way to school. At 10 p.m. 23 June 2010, Pudu Jail is no more.



It is indeed sad that the government went ahead with the destruction of the Pudu Jail. Our government has the habit of demolishing historical buildings, erasing history and destroying the nation’s heritage. A big chunk of our history is now gone. In its place will be hotels and apartments developed by the Urban Development Authority.

Also gone is our entry into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest mural in the world which was painted by the prisoners depicting scenes of nature.

Apart from Botak Chin (pic left) and Mona Fandey, Pudu Jail also housed POWs during WWII. In 1986 Pudu Jail saw the execution of Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers, both Australian nationals, for drug trafficking. 


The prison ceased operations in 1996 when the new prison in Sungai Buloh was completed.

The comments made by some ministers merely add insult to injury. Deputy Finance Minister, Awang Adek Hussin said, “Pudu jail is not something that we can be proud of. There are other things that we can be proud of rather than a prison, even if it is old”. He brushed off suggestions of a Pudu museum: “Since we don’t consider it a heritage site, there will be no museum.”  Joseph Salang, Deputy Minister of Information Communication and Culture said the government had done more than enough by documenting the Pudu jail complex through drawings, photos and video.  

The New Straits Times on 23 December 1997 reported that Pudu Jail Museum is a family crowd puller having attracted 400,000 visitors since opening in May that year. The museum was a joint effort between the Prisons Department and Bukit Perwira Sdn Bhd. The museum exhibits artefacts, pictures and video recordings from everyday prison life. The former Death Row and the execution chamber are also open to the public for the first time. So who says the jail has no value? The Ministers should have done a bit of research so their statments won't sound so stupid. 

Prisons may not be glamorous monuments but they are full of history. France’s political history was built around the liberation of the Bastille. So it is no surprise that many prisons are turned into museums.


Nelson Mandela’s home for some 27 years was Robben Island Prison. Today it is a museum and a major attraction for visitors to South Africa.

The Abashiri Prison in Hokkaido, Japan was used until 1984. Now visitors can see models of prisoners throughout the prison museum showing the prisoners’ daily lives in Abashiri.

Adelaide Gaol was built in the mid-1800s and closed in 1988. During that time, over 300,000 prisoners were kept here. Nowadays the visitor center includes a museum with lots of interesting artifacts dating back to the Gaol’s early years.

The Old Melbourne Gaol has a long history. It was opened in 1839 and was closed in 1929 and the prison still looks the way it used to be.

The Fremantle Prison was built by convicts in the 1850s and was closed as a place of incarceration in 1991 after 136 years of continuous use. It was opened to the public in 1992 as a tourist site.

Toul Sleng where the Khmer Rouge rounded up and executed intellectuals is now a Museum of Genocide in Cambodia.

The Model Prison Museum is a Cuban national monument. It was built in 1931, and imprisoned the likes of Fidel Castro along with other revolutionaries.

One of England's most famous prisons, Dartmoor Prison Museum reflects the heritage of HMP Dartmoor from Prisoner of War Depot to the present day. The interesting collection of artefacts provides a unique insight into prison life both past and present.

Alcatraz is probably America’s most famous prison, operated as a federal prison from 1934 until 1963. Today it’s a museum.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was opened in 1892. It was used as a model for about 300 other prisons around the world and was closed in 1971, opening its doors now as a museum (and a popular yearly Halloween attraction).

Jails have a dark history but it is history nonetheless. Demolishing Pudu Jail is akin to scoring an own "gaol".

http://www.dirjournal.com/info/a-piece-of-prison-life-tour-the-worlds-prison-museums-online/