Located at the museum’s entrance is a fountain that was transplanted from Pudu Prison in 2011. — Photos: GISELE SOO/The Star
Melaka is renowned for its historical monuments and landmarks. But did you know that the state is also home to Malaysia’s second oldest prison?
The Bandar Hilir Prison, built in 1860, is located at the junction of Jalan Parameswara in Melaka’s town centre. Initially called HM Prison Jail, it was renamed Henry Gurney School 2nd Bandar Hilir and served as a detention centre for juvenile offenders.
It was turned back into a prison (Bandar Hilir Prison) in 1990 before ceasing operations two decades later.
After more than 150 years in service, it was reopened as the Malaysia Prison Museum in 2014, giving it a new lease of life. The preservation of its legacy as a prison and detention centre is a joint effort between the Malaysian Prison Department and local authorities.
Inside prison walls
Today, the museum allows visitors to see what a typical prison in the country used to look like, and at the same time raises awareness on the Malaysian prison system.
The museum is surrounded by tall concrete walls topped with barbed wires.
At the entrance, you will find a fountain. This particular fountain was once used as a bathing pool at the infamous Pudu Prison (popularly known as Pudu Jail back in the day) in Kuala Lumpur. When it was decided that Pudu Jail would be demolished, the fountain was brought to Bandar Hilir in 2011, where it permanently “resides” today.
Sewing machines once used by inmates to make prison uniforms and other clothing items are kept at the museum.
Comprising two storeys, the Malaysia Prison Museum kept most of the original facilities, furniture and even equipments intact, serving as exhibits today. Some of the facilities include a library, kitchen and dispensary.
For a more surreal experience, visit the execution room that is located at the far end on the second storey. This room is not for the faint of heart. This is where the gallows is – essentially where prisoners were hung. Directly underneath the gallows is a trapdoor that opens up when the hanging is being executed. This trapdoor connects the second and first floor, where the body is then placed on the mortuary trolley.
You can enter the room on the second floor to take a closer look at the gallows. However, visitors are not allowed to enter the first floor, but you can take a peek from the door. What you will see are two boxes – one green, and one black. These are wooden coffins: Green was for Muslims, while black was for non-Muslims.
According to information found at the museum, the century-old complex once housed over 300 inmates.
Some of the “residents” here were given the opportunity to work while carrying out their sentence. Among the work available in prison were cooking, making clothes and building furniture.
Just like scenes in movies and TV shows, such as the popular series Orange Is The New Black, inmates here were responsible for preparing their own food. Besides cooking, inmates were also responsible for making the prison uniforms. The sewing tools and machines can still be found at the museum.
The door of the dormitory is curved for safety purposes.
Each inmate was paid for their labour, though not much. The money could be sent to family members, or kept as savings for when they were eventually released.
Some were also artistically talented and made handicrafts, woodwork items and sketches in prison. You can check out some of their creative works at several sections of the museum today.
Most inmates were keen to work as it was a way to keep oneself occupied. More than that, though, having a job also meant getting “rewarded” with a bigger sleeping area. This is because those who worked got to sleep in the dormitory, which can host up to 10 prisoners within its space.
These dormitories were installed with a curved, iron door. The curve feature was designed to make counting prisoners easier for the guards on duty – there was no need to open the door to do this as there were no blind spots.
Meanwhile, inmates with no jobs spent their time idly in their cells. Unlike the dormitory, a cell was much smaller and only had a tiny window, just enough to let a little light in.
Each cell held five to six inmates, and they were given only two buckets that were used for dumping bodily waste. There was barely any space to walk in the cell.
A visitor looking at the photographs of artworks done by past inmates.
The prison had 32 of these cramped cells, and overcrowding was always a problem.
You can also check out the communal shower area, with shower heads mounted on the walls, and a large tub in the middle for them to do their laundry.
There are also photos of the inmates’ graffiti displayed in the hallway for visitors to view.
A guided tour is advisable (available via advance booking), and you get to witness a caning demonstration – not on a real person, of course – conducted by the tour guide.
Caning is a form of punishment that is still being practised in Malaysia despite efforts to abolish it. Many countries including the United States and India ban whipping as a punishment, as it is deemed degrading and cruel.
The uncovered shower room where prisoners had to clean themselves in groups.
You can learn more about the different types of punishment executed around the world at the museum, as well as other facts about Malaysian prisons, such as the list of prohibited items. Although locked away from the outside world, prisoners would make daring attempts to smuggle in contraband via their visitors – either to be used as a weapon or used to trade for something among other inmates.
Artefacts such as old iron handcuffs and the Hangman’s knot are preserved in glass boxes at the museum, which you can view.
Malaysia Prison Museum
Jalan Parameswara,
Kampung Bandar Hilir,
75000 Melaka
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, closed on Mondays
