Sini Sana by Tom Sykes

Author:Tom Sykes [Sykes, Tom & May Lee, Tan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MPH Group Publishing Sdn Bhd

ALCATRAZ, MALAYSIA

Jennifer Stephen

WHEN WE DOCKED at Pulau Jerejak, we were picked up by a pink Perodua Kancil, stripped of all its doors. After whizzing around for a little while, we switched over to a four-wheel drive, the only vehicle that could penetrate the deeper parts of the jungle. Our drive to the prison was unbearable. The four-wheel drive must have seen better days. It had two cushions for seats: one for the driver, the other for the passenger. Shawn, my photographer, and I wanted to feel the fresh breeze on our faces, so we sat in the compartment area at the back.

It was a bad idea.

Throughout the ride, we were both thrown from one side of the jeep to the other. The four-wheel drive bounced so violently that I almost threw up my breakfast. I didn’t mind not having anything to grip or the back seat lacking protection, but the constant braking that threw us forward was too much for us to handle.

And when we finally reached the Jerejak Rehabilitation Centre, I was not prepared for what I saw.

Whenever I used to drive past the island along the Penang Bridge, I would admire its lush blankets of flora. But now there were several monstrous lorries and tractors scraping out the vegetation to make way for a tourist spot. I recalled the old photos of the Jerejak prison cells I had found at the National Library. They had looked sturdy and intimidating.

In fact, when we arrived, almost all the structures that once occupied the area had been flattened to the ground. The only vestiges of the notorious maximum-security prison were the three inmates’ quarters, surrounded by three-foot high shrubs. Shawn and I and our guide Ramlee braved the overbearing plantation, scrutinising each step for pythons that were known to roam the island.

The walls of the inmates’ quarters were grimy and soiled with moss and creepers. Even though the prison had been abandoned, there was still evidence of crime hereabouts; chunks of steel that had once been part of the prison’s very structure had been pilfered, leaving the ugly outline of a cut-off steel façade.

The very first prisoners admitted into the Jerejak Rehabilitation Centre were those convicted for their role in the race riots of May 13, 1969. Later on, there was an influx of secret society members, drug kingpins and hardcore criminals. At its height, Jerejak housed 982 inmates.

Over the years, the prison population grew until the cells were crowded with notorious felons from all over the country. This ultimately became an unsustainable situation for the island and the Rehabilitation Centre shut down in 1993. Some detainees were relocated to Muar Prison, while the rest were sent to Simpang Renggam Prison.

As we entered one of the cells, I believed I heard whispers and shouts, which was strange given that we were the only people here. Putting it down to just my imagination, I caught up with the guys who were already inspecting the other two prison cells. Bugs and scaly creatures crawled around the cement floor.

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