Johor Bahru Prison
Location | Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia |
---|---|
Security class | Medium-security |
Opened | 1882[1] |
Closed | 2005[2] |
Managed by | Malaysian Prison Department (1882 - 2005) |
The Johor Bahru Prison (
.Known to locals as Kota Jail, it was opened in 1883 to incarcerate
government.On August 30, 2005, the prison's operations were relocated to Simpang Renggam in Central Johore,[3] due to the very acute space shortage.[citation needed] Parts of the prison saw continued usage as a police lockup until 2018. Currently the prison complex is abandoned.[4]
Location
The prison, located on 4.5 acres (18,000 m²) of prime land in Johor Bahru's central business district, is surrounded by three roads, namely, Jalan Ayer Molek, Jalan Gertak Merah, and Jalan Khalid Abdullah.
The prison complex
The Johor Bahru Prison was designed by the then sultan, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar ibni Almarhum Daeng Ibrahim, who visited the prisons in Shanghai and Osaka to study the physical condition and design of their prisons. The building contract was awarded to a prominent Chinese building contractor, Wong Ah Fook, on April 16, 1882.
The original built-in area was 400 feet (120 m) square (15,000 m²), with a capacity of 200 inmates. There were then only two accommodation blocks for inmates, two training workshops, a kitchen, a toilet block, a clinic and an administrative office.
With the pressing need to increase its capacity over the years, buildings were added, and existing ones, renovated. The number of accommodation blocks for inmates gradually increased to ten, with a capacity of 1,500 inmates. The number of training workshops had also increased to five. Added too, were additional facilities and amenities, which included a family visiting area, a
Capital and corporal punishment
Death sentences were not carried out at the prison.
General Yamashita Well
This historical well was built at the time the prison was constructed in 1882 as a source of drinking water. According to accounts narrated by ex-staff of the prison, the well was used as an execution ground by General Tomoyuki Yamashita, during the Japanese occupation during World War II. It is popularly believed to be haunted.
Exhibition
After the prison's operations were relocated to Kluang, the Prison Authorities organized an "open house" and exhibition from September 1 to December 15, 2005 at the Johor Bahru Prison. The objective of the exhibition was to create public awareness of the conditions of life within the prison, via a talk, a video show, a caning demonstration, and an opportunity to see the prison facilities, first hand. Entry tickets were charged at RM5.00 for adults and RM2.00 for children (7–17 years old).
See also
References
- ^ "Johor Bahru Prison opened". Archived from the original on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ "Johor Bahru prison closed permanently". Archived from the original on 2015-08-01. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- Prison Department of Malaysia. 12 December 2007. Archived from the originalon 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ "Penjara Ayer Molek". Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- Exhibition Brochure published by Penjara Johor Bahru, and information from the video and demo presentation (September 6, 2005).