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Pudu
Gaol in Kuala Lumpur
Visit date:
October 2009
Year of build: 1895
Status:
Under going demolition. Completion sometime late 2010
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Back in 2009 I got a rare opportunity to explore the
infamous Pudu Gaol in Kuala Lumpur. Pudu jail was completed
in 1895 and saw full active service up until 1996. What
is interesting and perhaps a little disturbing, is that
the overall facility appears not to have seen much modernisation
works since its original build. So in a way, this was
a true functioning heritage jail when it was in operation.
Although I am sure the prisoners in recent years would
not have appreciated this fact!
At the heart of the Pudu prison facility is the infamous
main three level X shaped jail block building. When
I first laid eyes on it, it wasn't hard for me to imagine
that this particular building was like a dormant malevolent
beast. It even seemed to breath in and out, exhaling
a stale stagnant stench into the surrounding outside
air.
I spent most of my time in this main X block, wondering
down its dark corridors and trying to cover as many
of the cells that I could.
I was also slightly annoyed at having missed not seeing
the execution block by a matter of days before its demolition,
for the sake of my documentary being complete, of course.
The chamber was a little unassuming two storey block,
at the end of D Block. It was one of the first structures
to be demolished, removed a bit faster than all the
other bits, for obvious reasons, perhaps?
To be honest for this type of vast location, one day
wasn't enough to explore properly. I had planned a follow
up visit, but before this could happen even more of
the jail had been demolished. There had also been a
big increase in human traffic through the site, some
authorised but most not. The site had become vandalised,
graffittied, disrespected. I didn't want to go back
after this.
For a location like Pudu and all the bloody history
it has seen, I think the jail should have got a lot
more respect in its final days. |
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This was
the jail's original hospital and morgue (not shown).
In recent years the old hospital was used as the jails
court room.
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The severed end of
D Block, where the execution chamber was once located.
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The main entrance
to the infamous main "X" shaped cell block
of Pudu.
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A standard cell,
completely unchanged since its construction.
Foot marks and nail marks were gouged and indented
into the far side wall, where prisoners had
scrambled up to the barred aperture at the top.
The exterior concrete weather shade however
only allowed prisoners to view downwards, down
to the outside recreation yard below.
Conditions got so bad in the 80's, that it
was said that prisoners had to sleep in shifts
as there was only standing room left in each
of the cells. There were also no toilet facilities
in the cells, so inmates had to make do with
a simple plastic bucket. |
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| One of the log book
rooms in D Block. Log books were dated as far
back as the early 1990's. The scrawled "Let
me out" on the desk is somewhat suspect,
I think probably done by a member of the public
rather than any actual inmate. |
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The log books recorded prisoner
movements and personal items, cigarettes and matches
in most cases. Things like this should be saved.
It all becomes worthwhile historical artifacts
at some point, surely? |
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| The ground floor in
A block wing. This area was very dark and suppressive.
The main reason for this was that the normally
open central ceiling void, which opens up the
two higher levels above, was for some reason covered
over in metal corrugated sheets. Escape proofing
perhaps? |
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This was middle floor along the
central courtyard void section.
Simple circular air vents kept some aesthetic
flair in the overall harsh functional styling
of the building. |
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