Former Jerejak Prison Camp

Jerejak Prison Camp (21 February 2004)


The former Jerejak Prison Camp (GPS: 5.3317, 100.31914) is the former penal colony on Pulau Jerejak.

My knowledge of the Jerejak Prison is sketchy, based on sundry information from here and there. I learn, for example, that the late Karpal Singh visited two American and a Dutchman here in 1975, because of their alleged involvement in drug trafficking, and they were imprisoned without trial there.¹ I learned that the Jerejak Prison operated 1969 (but from when until when, I am still trying to determine). I was told that Jerejak was also a quarantine station for Chinese immigrants arriving in 1875.

The site in this series of photographs show the Jerejak Prison Camp, on the north side of the island. I will cover the site of the leper asylum separately, as it is on a different part of the island.

As I get more details about the prison at Pulau Jerejak, I will add the information to this page. The photographs were shot over two or three visits that I made to the area, including one in the company of Penang's deputy chief minister, Dr P. Ramasamy, to show him the historic sights. As I write this page, it is already several years since the photographs were shot, and so I would not be surprised if the buildings you see here are no longer standing.

Jerejak Prison Camp (21 February 2004)


Inside one of the Jerejak Prison buildings (21 February 2004)


Inside one of the Jerejak Prison buildings (21 February 2004)


Wall with door to the latrine at the Jerejak Prison building (21 February 2004)


Grafitti and football photos left behind by prisoners on the wall of the Jerejak Prison (21 February 2004)

Jerejak Prison Camp is on the map of Pulau Jerejak

References

Pulau Jerejak main page