REMINISCING BLOOD & TEARS

"MALAYAN TEARS"

   Not a long time ago, I heard about haunted museum in Penang but at that time I thought it was a joke or an invention story that made to attract tourist. But one day, when one of my friend asked me to explore the museum, I thought it was a joke to scared me but she was very serious since our beloved lecturer gave us an assignment; to explore about a selected place to write about in travel blog later. My friend challenged me to experience that haunted museum but she said instead of a scary place, it is actually have a sad story behind the history of war museum. 

The entrance of War Museum

ARRIVAL

   We arrived at War Museum at 1 p.m. When the first time my foot stepped at the museum, my jaw dropped. Was this is real? Me? At the War Museum? Would this be my first real haunted trip? I spent the rest of the day worrying about how to explore the haunted museum but my friend asked me to 'feel the pain' inside the museum.

   The staff welcoming us politely. She gave us a lot of information about that place and some guiding for us because this place is quite big. They also provided us a small map around the place to explore. I totally not make a joke if I say that you have to bring a bottle of mineral water and wear a suitable shoes as we have to climb hill and many stairs. We had interviewed one of the friendly staff there, a Chinese woman. She worked there from the first day of the museum was open. She told us about the history of that place .

THE HISTORY BEHIND THE WALL

The cells that built to place the offenders based on their position ranked.

 
War Museum, Batu Maung Penang, had known for its painful history since decades ago. Located at Bukit Hantu, named by the nearest citizen because of Malay people that had sent to there never coming back again. This place started its history in 1930 by being British fort to protect Penang from enemies. However, later this place had been took over by Japanese army when they success to conquer Malaya in 1941. Since that, this fort become a place for torture  Malayan's citizen at that time. After the Japanese invasion ended, this place has been abandoned for 60 years before it been found again in 2002 and built as War Museum by its founder, Mr. Johari Shafie. The violent and brutality of Japanese people still can be feel if you go to this place.

The darkness inside the secret tunnel.

THE SECRET WAY

   We took the chance to visit this place to show the uniqueness of this place that can attract tourist come to visit. There a numerous tunnels, where one can experience what it was like being a soldier then. This tunnel attract us to go inside. We just go inside and somehow make us realized how hard should they face when walked along this narrow tunnel.

Japanese tourist came out from one of the tunnels.

   As the area is quite big, we planned to spend about 2 hours here as we need to walk and climb the stairs that abound on this hill. Proper signage and information about the artifacts are clearly displayed here. As it can be quite humid and hot during the day, do not forget to bring along a cap to protect your head from the heat of the day and have insect repellent ready to ward off the mosquitoes as you move deeper into the hill.




TIME TO END YOUR LIFE! 

   War and cannon cannot be separated. This place has too many cannons. This spot known as cannon firing bays. For night tour, you can hear the sound of the cannon by yourself but for day tour, they did not provide the sound of cannon. There also has an underground place to keep weapons and for communications. Do not be afraid if you feel like General Yamashita is looking at you. General Yamashita is the officer with the highest rank of Japanese army at this camp. He controlled everything in this fort at that time. The museum's staff said that we can see General Yamashita spirit walking around this museum at night. The truth is we have to experience it by ourselves. The war museum's dark past caught the attention of a National Geographic television program called  "I Wouldn't Go In There" and list it as top ten list of Asia's most haunted spots.

A mortuary that will open for night tour only.

   This is the most scary thing that we saw, a mortuary. You will shiver and feel like there have something around you. That is why this place are famous for dark tourism as many ghost hunters came here just because they want to see how haunted this place. In addition, the founder hang two to four fake heads and banshee at mortuary. Rumors said that it just to attract the banshee's attention to not to disturb the night tour's tourists.

"Bring me their heads!"

   This is saddest reality that we witness by our own eyes. Not about the ghost and evil spirit but what we saw are there. The place to torture Malayan people. We saw a lot of torture tools that had been used by Japanese army that time. The head cutter place is also the haunted spot in War Museum. Colonel Tadashi Suzuki is the famous head cutter in that area.
 
   In Penang during that time, Malay, Chinese and even Indian people were afraid to die in Colonel Tadashi Suzuki's hand as he was the police officer during the Japanese invasion in Penang. He will just cut the head of people that he did not like to give some warning to Malayan not to go against Japanese. Before, he cut the head, he will shout out "Banzai!"and then cut the head. The blood that dripping from his samurai sword will be kept in his wine bottle because Japanese believe the blood that had been drink will make them loyal to their master.

"Welcome Back To The Malaya"

HISTORY THAT WE SHOULD PRESERVE

   Truly, we can say that this place is worth to visit. Besides, the entrance fee is quite affordable because of the priceless of the history behind the wall which is RM 21.40 for adult. It teaches us about our own history. Make us realize that war is something horrible that we cannot even imagine it. For those who said this place haunted, you can say it haunted. But the truth is, it was haunted by its own history. This place should become one of the attraction that we must protect for our next generation .

An old torture room that still exist and preserved until now.

Remaining of the bullet holes.

   From both pictures above, we can still saw the remaining of the bullet effect after the victim got shot in a very cruel way in this room. Actually, there were a story before the one of the rooms closed forever. A visitors, a man brought his son here. He said that his 4 years old son said, he saw blood on the wall but his father cannot saw any blood. Just a bullet effect. 

Additional note:

• Opening hours : 9 a.m until 6 p.m (Day Tour) / 7 p.m until 11 p.m (Night Tour)
• Other than night tour, War Museum also provide more activities such as Jungle Trekking, Camp Stay, 100ft. Tunnel Explore, Paintball, War Games and Team Building.
• They also provide more parking free of charge.

Thank you for reading!

By: Nur Jannah binti Ahmad

     Nazmiyah binti Abdullah Omar