Every year, thousands of visitors crawl through the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is also a standard destination on a tour itinerary. On Malaysia's Penang Island, you can capture a similar war experience at War Museum in Batu Maung on Penang Island.
Generation-X citizens of our country only know about the horrors of World War II from history books. The War Museum provides a fascinating insight into the Japanese invasion of then Malaya and its impact on the lives of civilians, soldiers and POWs.
Sprawled over nine hectares, the War Museum was built as a fortress in the 1930's by British Royal Engineers using convict labour shipped in from Gibraltar and India. Its aim was to protect British vessels in Penang Harbour, on the assumption that any enemy aggression would come from the sea. As history would unfold later, the British cannons were facing the wrong direction as the Japanese invasion came from south Thailand.
On December 17, 1941, the Japanese flag was raised on the island when they overran the Batu Maung fortress. The British, in their haste to retreat, even left behind a radio station that was in full working condition! By early January 1942, the Japanese infantry was advancing towards Kuala Lumpur on bicycles. These hardy two wheelers can be seen in the War Museum. During the Japanese Occupation, the fortress was turned into a POW camp. After World War II, it was abandoned, and was gradually overgrown with jungle. Local shunned the place as it was reputed to be haunted due to the many executions that had taken place there. It was re-discovered and turned into a living museum in 2002.
Visitors can explore more than 60 relics that have been restored to almost their original state. Among them are the ammunitions store, observation tower, pill boxes, cook houses, cannon firing bay, generator room and living quarters for soldiers and officers. If you are adventurous, you can crawl through tunnels in pillboxes.
Step into a torture chamber to view the tools of brutality used by the Japanese when they occupied the complex in 1941. Branding irons, clamps and pliers for pulling off finger nails are among the exhibits that tell silent stories of the tremendous sufferings of the POWs. There is also a sword hanging from a ceiling that was reputedly swung with merciless gusto to lop off heads of prisoners by Lieutenant Suzuki, the resident executioner.
Take your time to read the information plaques and scrutinize the old photographs. They show the invasion, POWs, civilian casualties and the Japanese surrender.
Throughout the grounds of the complex, there are posted signs and the trails are easy to follow. A rusty anti-aircraft gun, an observation tower and the grave of one Sergant John Wolf, marked by a cross, are among the other relics found within the grounds. Visiors are advised to carry a torch light with and apply insect repellent. The mueum opens everyday from 9am to 7pm. Admission fee is RM10 for adults, RM for children.
If you are hungryafter your tour, head for the countless hawker stalls selling Malay food line the Bayan Lepas Expressway. For more tempting delighs, go to the seafood restaurant at Batu Maung Village. Fatty Loh, a Chinese eatery located opposite the nearby Fisheries Department is quite popular.
How to get there? After crossing the Penang Bridge, turn left to the Coastal Highway onward to the Bayan Lepas Expressway. Proceed to Jalan Batu Maung and you can see a signboard.
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