L I F E S T Y L E Travel & Adventure
Saturday December 31, 2005
Reliving history
By Liz Price
The fort lay lost in the jungle for some 57 years. Few locals dared to visit the site as it was reputed to be haunted. In fact, they called it Bukit Hantu (Ghost Hill). Then along came Johari Shafie from Tourism Malaysia. This enterprising man from Kedah rediscovered the site and transformed it into a living war museum. Now he runs it together with his wife.
Next time you are in Penang, make sure you visit the outdoor Living War Museum at Bukit Batu Maung. It is an educational step back in time and is a unique concept. During its heyday in the 1930’s, this mighty British fortress protected the island from its enemies. During the Japanese era, it was used as a detention centre for POW’s. After the war ended in August 1945, the fort was abandoned and slowly enveloped by the jungle. The locals had no interest in the site and it lay lost until 1993 when Johari found it.
Johari had actually played around the base of the hill as a child, but it wasn’t until many years later that he went up to the summit, and found the fort. He developed an idea to turn the fortress into a living war museum. Accompanied by his wife Jenny, they travelled overseas to some 28 countries visiting war museums and doing research. They returned to Malaysia in 1995. Johari submitted a paper to the government for permission to open the site as an outdoor museum and got the go ahead in March 2002.
Johari pointing to some artifacts.
The next six months were spent clearing the site. The couple cleared and restored the artifacts, and added some extra ones. The area was exorcised to remove the spirits and the buildings were restored to their original state.
The result is quite amazing. This mighty fortress has been returned to its former glory. Signposted trails lead around the site and information boards are placed at each of the relics.
You get an idea of how the soldiers lived, see their barracks and cookhouses, even an infirmary. Go into the underground communication rooms and stores. The more adventurous can explore the narrow dark tunnels. There are some 60 relics to see.
The fortress was designed by British engineers, and built by convicts who were shipped here from Gibraltar and India. The barracks were designed according to rank. There was one set for the British officers, others for the British Other Ranks, the Indians, and the Malays.
They each had their own cookhouse according to their religion, although the Brits had rations sent in from outside. You really get a feel of how the men lived in wartime as you walk around their quarters. Their toilet consisted of a bucket secluded in a walled cubicle, with a basic washroom next to it. Underground pipes supplied water from a well.
When the Japanese invaded in August 1941, the site became a prisoner of war camp. From here, the prisoners were sent to Kanchanaburi or Singapore, according to their fitness and skills. The fortress became a torture centre. The Japanese tortured many of the local Chinese people, as they supported the Chinese who were massacred by the Japanese during the invasion of Nanking in 1937.
The infamous executioner Suzuki beheaded people without a blindfold. He would drip blood from the knife into a bottle of brandy and drink it. This was to scare the locals. Some men had to dig their own graves. You can see the guillotine site as well as the gallows. When the site was cleared, a grave was found, and the area was burnt to settle the spirits.
I was fascinated by the underground areas. There are offices and halls, logistic and intelligence centres, ammunition stores, all with ventilation shafts supplying fresh air. The military tunnels are worth exploring if you are not claustrophobic. But be cautioned, they are rather small.
In others, you have to crawl; one tunnel is now inhabited by bats. It can be a bit unnerving to be in a small tunnel with bats flying close to you but they soon get out of your way. There is no lighting here, but you can borrow a torch from the ticket office.
The ammunition store at the war museum.
An explosives dump was situated four storeys underground. There was a pulley to bring up the heavy loads, but the men had to use metal stairs to go up and down to the tunnels. They also had an escape hatch for times of emergency.
You can see mortar shells on display at one of the cannon firing bays. The six-inch breech guns were used to fire on enemies approaching from the sea. From the site, the officers could communicate directly with the Cabinet War Room in London. There is even a submarine-landing bay.
As you walk around, you begin to get some idea of how the largest military complex in Malaysia was run.
There are lots of notice boards giving the history of World War II followed by the Japanese invasion in this area. Listen carefully and you can almost imagine the screams of soldiers being tortured or executed here. Many people describe the place as creepy.
The site has been left in its natural state as much as possible. You may even see small mammals and birds, maybe even lizards and a snake.
You can enjoy the fresh air and the peaceful surroundings whilst immersing yourself in history. Whether you are a local or a foreigner, you will be captivated by the adventure of reliving the old days. But watch out for the ghosts ?
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