Hj. Zulheimy Ma'amor: DOWN MEMORY LANE> PUDU PRISON & AMPANG PARK

BY HAJI ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

From May 21-25, 2006, I stayed at Room 38-04 at Berjaya Times Square Hotel at Jalan Imbi, KL, during the 11th Asian Congress on Fluids Mechanics organised by The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. It is a magnificent 5 star hotel in Kuala Lumpur towering over the skyline majestically & located in the heart of the city.

Something that caught my attention was Pudu Prison can be clearly seen from my hotel Room at Berjaya Times Square Hotel.

Pudu Prison is one of Malaysia’s most notorious landmarks—not just for its grim history, but for the eerie reputation that outlived the building itself. Even though it was demolished in 2010 (replaced by the Bukit Bintang City Centre), the legends of what happened behind those X-shaped walls still linger.

Pudu Prison officially ceased operations in 1996 due to several factors. Built by the British Government between 1891 and 1895, it stood on Jalan Shaw (now Jalan Hang Tuah). It served as a prison until 2007. Pudu Prison was said to be very haunted, as the prisoners that were hung there are still haunting the place and very much active and still living the life's of the prisoner even in the afterlife.

A Legacy of Shadows

Built in 1891 on the site of a former Chinese cemetery, Pudu Prison was doomed from the start. Within years of opening, a cholera outbreak killed hundreds of inmates. Over the next century, it became a site of extreme suffering, including:

World War II: It served as a POW camp during the Japanese Occupation, where conditions were reportedly brutal.
The Gallows: It was the site of numerous high-profile executions.
Cell 13: This specific cell gained infamy as a "hotspot." It was said that prisoners spent their final nights there, and many subsequent inmates refused to stay in it, reporting an overwhelming sense of dread or invisible hands choking them.

Among the famous Ghost Stories:

The Lady in Corridor - sighting of a woman walking the halls, only to vanished when approached.
The Screaming Silence - Guards frequently reported hearing phantom screams or the sound of heavy boots marching when no one else was in the wing.
The Mural Cursed: In the 1980's, an inmate Khong Yen Chong painted a massive record-breaking mural of a tropical jungle on the outer walls. Some say the mural was a way to "trap" the restless spirits inside.

Psychologically, Pudu was a perfect storm for ghost stories. It was a place of "thick" history—dense with human misery, isolation, and death. When you combine that with Victorian architecture and a location built over a graveyard, urban legends are bound to flourish.

Today, while the glitzy Lalaport mall stands where the cells once were, some locals still avoid the area at night, claiming the "vibe" of the land hasn't quite shifted.

The Pudu Prison was largely demolished by December 2012 to make way for urban development. It was never declared a National Heritage Site.

In June 2009, the government finally decided to destroy the complex by developing it in phases. When the MP for Bukit Bintang Fong Kui Lun asked why the building is not being retained as part of Malaysia's heritage, the then Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussain replied: "To our opinion, it's not something to be proud of."

And, June 2010, the eastern wall of the Pudu Prison complex was destroyed to make way for a road widening project.

In my opinion, that Deputy Minister should be the one who cannot be proud of being the Deputy Minister.... I have seen KL grow, until today KL houses some of the tallest buildings in the world. The Petronas Twin Towers had been the tallest building in the world from 1998 till 2004, and are still the tallest twin towers in the world.

The PNB 118 is now the second tallest building in the world and so on.....

Pudu Prison is part of a core tourism asset, among those of historical significance of the city....Old buildings are preserved to retain Malaysia's cultural heritage and integrity, there is historical value need to be preserved, even though it is a prison building.

Sadly same happen to Ampang Park Shopping Complex, KL's first shopping mall was demolished to make way for the MRT Ampang Park Station. Ampang Park Shopping complex held great memories for me and many of those who grew up in KL in the 60s, 70s and 80s.... this complex holds a place in the hearts and minds of those who have lived in KL in the 70s and so on...