KUALA LUMPUR: Award-winning actor Beto Kusyairy can never forget his brief "stay" in the now-demolished Pudu Prison off Jalan Pudu more than a decade ago.
In a recent tweet which accompanied an anonymous Netizen's sharing of graffiti on the walls of the dreaded prison, the 40-year-old artiste said that he was honoured to have "stayed" in an ordinary cell, a final cell as well as the hangman's room of Pudu Prison while filming Astro's historical drama series Warkah Terakhir Rosli Dhoby in 2009.
"I'm honoured to have stayed in an ordinary cell, a final cell and the hangman's room of Pudu Prison, while playing Sarawakian nationalist hero Rosli Dhoby in Warkah Terakhir Rosli Dhoby on Astro more than a decade ago.
"This place has such extraordinary energy!" tweeted Beto.
Beto also lamented the demolition of Pudu Prison in 2012 to make way for commercial development.
"Staying there was haunting and humbling for me. There were lots of interesting bits of graffiti, many of them scary and sad, especially in the final cells.
"What a pity we've demolished Pudu Prison to make way for commercial development. The place could have been preserved like Alcatraz Prison in the United States," tweeted Beto.
Beto's tweet garnered more than 90 likes and 13 retweets.
Singer, actress and television host Adibah Noor commended Beto for sharing his experience in Pudu Prison.
She tweeted: "It must have been such a humbling experience, kan?"
Beto replied: "Yes indeed, kak."
Zainul tweeted: "I loved Warkah Terakhir Rosli Dhoby. Such a sad and tragic story of a brave warrior. You acted so well, and made me cry."
Zubir tweeted: "What a shame we've demolished Pudu Prison. We are bad in preserving our heritage."
Warkah Terakhir Rosli Dhoby which was screened on Astro Citra HD (108) in 2009, told the story of Sibu-born Melanau school teacher Rosli Dhoby who was hanged for fatally stabbing Sarawak's second British Governor Sir Duncan George Stewart during his visit to Sibu in 1949.
Beto played Rosli, his first non-fiction role, while award-winning actor-director Shahili Abdan or Namron played his fellow anti-colonial activist Awang Rambli Awang Matsaruddin who was also hanged for organising the plot to kill Stewart.
Rosli and Awang Rambli were the founders of the anti-British movement Rukun 13 which opposed Sarawak's status as a British Crown Colony, and agitated for independence.
Besides them, two other members of Rukun 13 involved in the plot, Bujang Suntong and Morshidi Sidek were hanged by the British in Kuching Prison in 1950.
The four men were buried in Kuching Prison, and in 1996 the Sarawak State Government had their graves moved to the Heroes' Mausoleum outside the Sibu Town Mosque.