Pudu Prison - History After 1940

History After 1940

During World War II, the Japanese occupation forces incarcerated many Allied POWs there.

Botak Chin, an infamous gangster who was allegedly betrayed by his own men, was executed here on 11 June 1981 for the possession of firearms.

In 1986 Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers, both Australian nationals, were executed in Pudu Prison for trafficking heroin. In the same year, the Pudu Prison siege also took place. In this incident, a group of prisoners seized and held two members of the prison staff as hostages over a period of six days. The siege was resolved when Malaysian police stormed the prison. They successfully rescued the hostages and subdued the prisoners without loss of life.

In 1996, after 101 years as a prison, Pudu Prison was formally closed and the inmates were moved to Sungai Buloh and Kajang prisons. It continued to be used until 2009 as a day-holding facility for prisoners attending court hearings. It was used as a museum for a period in 1997. Additionally, 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.

In June 2009, the government finally decided to destroy the complex by developing it in phases. When the MP for Bukit Bintang, Fong Kui Lun (DAP) asked why the building was not being retained as part of Malaysia's heritage, Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussain (UMNO-BN) replied: "To our opinion, it's not something to be proud of."

In June 2010, the eastern wall of the Pudu Prison complex was destroyed to make way for a road-widening project. By December 2012, all buildings within the Pudu Prison complex were completely demolished, with only a part of the exterior wall and main gate still standing.

The former prison site can at present be viewed by the public only from the outside. A clear view of the site can be obtained from the monorail train between Imbi and Hang Tuah stations. The site is now undergoing a US$1 billion dollar redevelopment plan by the Urban Development Authority of Malaysia that involves an integrated commercial and transportation hub.