Pudu Prison (Penjara Pudu)

Pudu Prison also called Pudu Jail was build by the British in 1895 as a prison in Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur area. As such, it was used to house criminals including drug offenders and was a location for administering corporal punishment through rotan caning.

The colonial era prison was was officially closed in November 1996. The old Pudu Prison has been identified as one of the major sites for mega development. The land on which the prison structure stands has been earmarked for mixed development with 70% of the land will be used for a commercial hub and 30% for residential development. The old prison mosque will be maintained. The Hang Tuah monorail station will also be integrated with the proposed development site to create easy accessibility for the public.

The construction of the prison began in 1891 and was completed in 1895. The prison served its purpose for a century until it was finally shut down in November 1st 1996. The Pudu Prison is open to the public. There’s a little museum and you can catch a glimpse of what it was like living behind bars.

The cells were small and dark, each equipped with a window only the size of a shoebox. The prison also features murals painted on the walls circling the compound, depicting scenes of nature. These murals were painted by the prisoners, who used over 2,000 litres of paint to accomplish the task. There are very few sentient beings depicted in the murals, though.

The Pudu Prison was closed for several years following the 1986 execution of Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers, both Australian nationals, for the drug trafficking of heroin. In early 2004, it was reopened just for a short time as a museum. Those who have visited the Pudu Prison described the cells as totally horrific.

It is no longer used as a prison and while it was once open as a museum, it is currently a police station and can be viewed only from the outside. (A clear view is obtained from the monorail train between Imbi and Hang Tuah stations.) Currently, it serves as a day-holding facility for prisoners attending court hearings. It is proposed to build a low security prison on the site for drug abusers in the future.

Eight supporters of the Hindu Rights Action Force were arrested and incarcerated in Pudu Prison following the 2007 HINDRAF rally. They were later released due to lack of evidence.

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