Pudu prison demolition
- 9 years ago
Pudu Jail was one of the colonial building remaining in Kuala Lumpur. It was built in 1895 by state engineer Charles Edwin Spooner. The prison is used to house criminals and drug offenders and as a location to administer corporal punishment through rattan caning. The prison is shaped like a butterfly or an X with three levels and 240 cells.
The faded, nature based murals along the prison walls was the first and largest murals according to Guinness Book of Records. It was painted by the prisoners using 2000 litres of paint.
Initially, Pudu Prison was designed to house 600 inmates but with additional cells, its capacity was increased to 2,000.
The Pudu Prison is a large building comprising an Administrative Offices, separate cells for European and Eurasian prisoners and two small rooms for storage of prison records. The female ward of the prison and the prison kitchen were separate areas on each side of the Administrative Block . The prison hospital was close by, but separate from the main building.
However after operating for more than 90 years, it was closed down following the execution of Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers both Australian nationals in 1986 for the drug trafficking of heroin.
Nevertheless, it was reopened in 1997-1998 as a museum and briefly in 2004. There have been rumours that pudu prison is haunted and reports on ghost sightings and strange screams were heard.
However, early this month demolition work started in pudu prison to make way for an underpass and road widening project.
Meanwhile, Urban Development Authority Holdings Bhd, which reportedly bought the 7.65ha site for RMl00 million from the Government, to turn it into a commercial area. In previous reports, UDA revealed plans to turn the prison ground into a commercial hub consisting of retail centres, offices, residences and parks. There were also plans to include a residential development comprising affordable apartments.
Reporter & Camera: Christine Chan
Editor: Lydia Azizan
The faded, nature based murals along the prison walls was the first and largest murals according to Guinness Book of Records. It was painted by the prisoners using 2000 litres of paint.
Initially, Pudu Prison was designed to house 600 inmates but with additional cells, its capacity was increased to 2,000.
The Pudu Prison is a large building comprising an Administrative Offices, separate cells for European and Eurasian prisoners and two small rooms for storage of prison records. The female ward of the prison and the prison kitchen were separate areas on each side of the Administrative Block . The prison hospital was close by, but separate from the main building.
However after operating for more than 90 years, it was closed down following the execution of Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers both Australian nationals in 1986 for the drug trafficking of heroin.
Nevertheless, it was reopened in 1997-1998 as a museum and briefly in 2004. There have been rumours that pudu prison is haunted and reports on ghost sightings and strange screams were heard.
However, early this month demolition work started in pudu prison to make way for an underpass and road widening project.
Meanwhile, Urban Development Authority Holdings Bhd, which reportedly bought the 7.65ha site for RMl00 million from the Government, to turn it into a commercial area. In previous reports, UDA revealed plans to turn the prison ground into a commercial hub consisting of retail centres, offices, residences and parks. There were also plans to include a residential development comprising affordable apartments.
Reporter & Camera: Christine Chan
Editor: Lydia Azizan