THE OLD GOMBAK ROAD (FEDERAL ROUTE 68) - ABANDONED HIGHWAY BEFORE KARAK.

That's the iconic bend - Jalan Gombak Lama / Old Gombak Road, Federal Route 68. Your photo captures exactly why it has such a reputation: narrow, wet, sharp blind corners flanked by thick jungle.

Here are the facts:

What it is

• Location: Runs from Gombak, Selangor, to Kampung Ketari/Bentong, Pahang, through the Titiwangsa range.
• History: Before there was Karak Highway, Jalan Gombak was the main connector between Gombak, Selangor, and Kampung Ketari in Bentong, Pahang.
• Karak Highway / E8 was built in the 1970s as an alternative for the winding, narrow route 68, which runs from Gombak in Kuala Lumpur to Bentong, Pahang. After Karak opened in 1979, Old Gombak became the old abandoned route.

Today it's still open but very quiet - flanked by dense forests, the narrow and quiet Jalan Gombak nevertheless remains in use today by a small number of cars and cyclists. The bends here make it hard to see far down the road, adding to its eeriness.

It was notorious for lorry accidents, landslides, brake failures on steep descents, and no street lights.

Why it's called Malaysia's most haunted road

The combination of fatal accidents + dense jungle + abandoned structures gave it a perfect storm for ghost stories. It's consistently ranked in the top 3 alongside Karak Highway and Bukit Tunku.

Common legends you hear from drivers:

1. The Gombak Police Station – Along this road you'll also find a creepy abandoned building known as the Gombak Police Station. Rumour says it was built during the Malayan Emergency to house a British office overseeing a nearby dam and later became a police station. People claim to see figures inside, lights on, and hear voices. YouTubers love to go at night. In October 2021, The Vibes sent journalists and a paranormal livestream host to explore a police station in the forest. The article describes the ruins, a strange human-like sound, and a patch of unusually cool air near a waterfall. One participant reported seeing shapes in the distance. 
2. Mimaland – Interestingly enough, the famously abandoned theme park Mimaland is also situated along Jalan Gombak. Malaysia's first theme park (1971-1994) closed after a Singaporean tourist drowned and a landslide destroyed the pool. It's said to be haunted by that victim.
3. Classic apparitions: Pontianak on the roadside, a lost schoolboy looking for his mother (similar to Karak), a woman in white asking for a ride, a strong perfume/frangipani scent in the car, and the famous "yellow VW that cannot be overtaken".
4. The viral car-mat video (2019): One video clip went viral for showing white, willowy "fingers" dropping a car mat from the window of a wrecked vehicle being lifted from the side of a cliff. The tow operator said he saw nothing while filming. It was reported in Malaysian news outlet MSTAR on 16 August 2019.
5. The driver who felt someone sitting in the back seat (2012): A blog published on 11 December 2012. A driver was driving towards Genting Sempah at around 11.30 p.m. in light rain. He began feeling unusually frightened and imagined a long-haired woman sitting in the back seat. He repeatedly checked the rearview mirror but could see nothing. He then felt something like fine strands of hair brush his face, followed by what he described as a forceful tap on his right shoulder. He accelerated away and chose the highway for his return journey > Abdrahimblogspot.
6. A Singaporean family lost on the road (2022): On 2 August 2022, the horror programme "Malam Seram" hosted by KC Champion featured a story titled "Keluarga SG Sesat di Jalan Gombak Lama Nyaris Maut". The programme's description says the story concerned a Singaporean family that became lost and ended up driving along Jalan Gombak Lama. It describes the road as dark and frightening at night.

Current status

It's not fully abandoned anymore. Birdwatchers still go there to spot montane birds.

But on my last trip here on 28 December 2022, construction is now ongoing at several sections of the Old Gombak Road, and when I looked at the signboards, it was the ECRL development. So several sections are now under construction for the East Coast Rail Link and are fenced off.

If you want to go – go in daylight, from the Gombak side near Ulu Klang, you are very close. Go with a friend, don't stop in the blind corners, and don't enter the police station or Mimaland – both are structurally unsafe, plus there are wild animals and Jabatan Perhutanan patrols.

One other important point: Jalan Gombak Lama has also been associated with serious road accidents and reports of bodies being found in the area. Those are real-world safety concerns, but they do not establish that the road is haunted. 

Conclusion

The 2012 long-haired woman account is probably the most compelling of these stories if you're interested specifically in what drivers claim to have experienced. The 2019 long-finger video is the more interesting case if you want something visual that was reported by a news outlet.

Neither establishes a paranormal event. What we have is a mixture of personal testimony, published folklore, a disputed video, and a genuinely eerie environment.

One last thing worth keeping in mind: if you ever drive this route at night, the winding road, rain, darkness and limited visibility are real hazards. Don't stop in an unsafe spot or put yourself at risk trying to investigate a strange sight.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

28 October 2026: 2:05 a.m.