Penjara Pudu

i guess all of u have heard about Penjara Pudu is demolished last few weeks. for me, well, from my own personal opinion, i feel quite sad to see some piece of history being taken away. actually, i was quite frustrated that they have stopped running that place as museum. yes. before this Penjara Pudu was opened to public. i remember very well, because i was a lucky person who managed to visit inside Penjara Pudu :)

it was in a year of 1998, when i was in 11 years old, i joined my school's visit to Kuala Lumpur and one of the places we went was Penjara Pudu. haha. thinking back, it was like some kind of private joke to me because Kuala Lumpur seemed too far away for a kid like me back then. KONON. haha. well, i wasn't allowed to follow my school's trip to anywhere actually. ok2, back to the story. of course, we have to pay a fee before entering.

as far as i remember, first, i was in the gallery. watched some pictures, reading the history (of course i didn't back then! haha), the display of police uniforms, the punishment tools and such. then, we were brought to visit the old cells. we were told that most of the prisoners already dead. i saw the wall was full of painting, poems and sayings how they regretted the life and what not. there's also few names were carved on it. then, the staffs there played us a video of the punishment where the procedure of canning being showed. of course, watching a naked butt would bring a giggle for a kid like us, but, i remember how it made me scared to see the effect and the painful wound after the canning. the police even said that some of the prisoners were dead during the canning process. they are different ranges of cane, from the thinnest to the thickest are available and each category brings just as the same pain as others.

then, the best part, we were then brought to the rooms where the guilty would be sentenced to death. this is the creepiest rooms ever, because, there were few cells, about 6 or 8, which is opposite to each other, and at the last row was the punishment cell where the rope to hang the prisoner is inside. i remember where we were told to sit, then, they played the audio of the exact situation before the prisoner was hanged! all the lights were off, it was dark and cold inside there. it was so so sad and creepy at the same time although for a 11 years kid like me. there were also some kids who cried. ha ha. big boy bully crying huh? the police there told us that the prisoner could request anything before their death, like the food the wanted to eat, leave a note or whatnot. i guess, the police who do this kind of job is a tough and brave man and i shall respect him. yes, yes, yes. it was a creepiest moment visiting Penjara Pudu although we were in a group and to note again, i was in young age. the police also added that Penjara Pudu were surrounded by unmark graves where they buried the dead that weren't claim by their family members.

well, that's the only piece i could remember since it was years ago. sometimes, i have a thought that i wanted to visit again, seeing how the experience would affect me for older age but too bad, Penjara Pudu were already closed by then. i'm considering myself lucky as i had the experience and piece of memory where some don't have. where some only hearing the tales of it and wished to be in to see the place but they don't have a chance. although i can't remember all the exact details and it is slowly fading away, at least there were parts where i can still keep in memory although it seems blur now. haha. how i wish digital camera were already available back then..