“TAKE the entire lot. The items come with the book you just purchased and everything belongs to you now,” quips the elderly Indian book seller cheerfully. His words are music to my ears. I just can’t believe my good fortune.Just minutes earlier I’d chanced upon this unique item from among the sea of reading materials offered for sale at the second hand book shop in Penang’s Chulia Street.
The title of the dark green hard cover book, The Prisons Rules 1953, immediately capivates my imagination. After all, it’s very rare to come across books dedicated exclusively to this elusive genre. Apart from pencilled annotations regarding policy changes, I find a plethora of postcards, letters and even utility bills slipped between the yellowing pages. All of them belong to a lady named Lily Paul who was attached to the Alor Star Prison Department back in the 1960s.
Coincidentally, the Kedah state capital’s gaol, located at Lebuharaya Sultanah Bahiyah, celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. When established in 1893, the prison premises was located in the town centre and the official in charge then wasSultan Abdul Hamid Shah’s trusted official named Ku Baharuddin bin Ku Meh.
As Kedah was a vassal state of the sprawling Siamese Kingdom at that time, Ku Baharuddin, or Ku Din as he was affectionately known to the locals, spoke and wrote fluent Malay and Siamese. Ku Din was assisted by an able chief warder nicknamed To’ Ali Penjara.
The authorities at that time, however, had to contend with several irregularities in the fledgling prison system. Many locals as well as the few rare foreign visitors tothe state thought that it was unfair for
the retainers and servants belonging to members of the royal household to enjoy immunity from arrest. At the same time, Chinese convicts also enjoyed special privileges as they were easily let off the hook as soon as they could find someone to bail them out.
A FRENCHMAN’S TALE
During my journey back home on the commuter, I suddenly recall having a late 19th century French magazine which is filled with tales told by pioneering explorer and photographer Jules Claine during his famous year-long tour world tour.
Claine visited Kedah in 1890, just three years before the Alor Star prison was formed. He wrote saying that he, together Chinese steamer in Penang and headed for Alor Star. At the end of an arduous seven hour voyage, Claine disembarked at theAlor Star Customs Jetty (Jalan Pengkalan Lama today).
He wrote saying that the well-built town was bustling with commerce. Cattle and poultry were so numerous that the excess had to be exported to Singapore in large quantities. During his brief stay, before moving on to Siam (Thailand today), Clainespent most of his time capturing scenes around town well as the suburbs with his camera.
Among his many interesting tales, Claine told of his encounter with convicts performing manual labour around town.
He was certain that the felons had no opportunity to escape as they had heavy chains affixed to their legs by enormous iron rings. Furthermore, the prisoners were very closely supervised.
I remember Claine talking about an execution which he witnessed firsthand.
The highly unusual ritual prompted him to pay careful attention to the entire affair and at the same time put his camera to good use.
On the morning of the execution, Claine said that the Sultan and his ministers set off for an empty waste ground located about two kilometres from the palace.
Upon arrival, Claine noted that the place was covered with graves of many unknown criminals. Nearby was a very tall tree which the locals named the Execution Tree.
Several servants brought an armchair and placed it at the foot of the tree for the Sultan. The ministers then arranged themselves according to seniority on either side of the monarch, forming a near perfect semi circle.
There was pin drop silence when the condemned person was brought forward.
The guards forced him to kneel about 10 metres away from the Sultan. The prisoner was naked to the waist and had hands bound behind his back.
The executioner’s entrance was greeted with muted murmur by the onlookers. With a thick wad of cotton in one hand and spear in the other, he moved silently towards the condemned man. Then, with an emotionless face, he placed the rough cotton cloth on the left shoulder before raising the richly decorated judicial spear almost vertically with both hands, resting the silver chased tip on the cloth.
Once everything was in place, the executioner turned towards the Sultan and waited patiently for his liege to give the signal. As soon as the Sultan raised his right hand, the executioner plunged the spear towards the prisoner’s heart with a strong and sturdy thrust. Death was almost instantaneous.
Once the deed was done, the executioner extracted the spear and pushed the cotton wad into the wound to prevent blood from exiting the wound. The crowd slowly dispersed after the Sultan and his retinue left the execution grounds. Claine, on the other hand, opted to stay back to observe the deceased family treat the body before burial.
CHANGES AND REFORMS
Fortunately, this inhumane method of execution came to an end when the Anglo-Siamese Treaty was signed in 1909. In that agreement, the British government gained all rights of suzerainty, protection, administration and control over the northern Malay states of Kelantan,Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.
In his book Bygone Kedah, the late Datuk James F. Agustine hghlighted the prison and medical reforms brought about soon after the arrival of Dr A L Hoops. Based on his initial evaluation, Hoops realised that the existing prison and medical facilities were severely lacking by European standards.
Hoops secured a piece of land some distance from town to build Kedah’s first hospital. Since it was the colonial practice at that time for the doctor to be also in charge of the prison, Hoops made the decision to construct a new gaol next to the hospital.
The walls of the new gaol were made of brick about six metres high, and loose bricks were placed at the top. These would easily dislodge if disturbed by escaping convicts and the ensuing ruckus would surely attract the attention of the guards on duty.
Once the buildings were ready, Hoops assumed the position of State Surgeon as well as Superintendent of Prisons. Wan Mohamed Amin was appointed gaoler while To’ Ali Penjara remained as chief warder.
THE PRISONERS
Hoops initiated a variety of workshops to help the prisoners gain useful skills that would assist them in finding decent jobs after their release. The inmates at Alor Star Prison learnt carpentry, weaving, metal work and rice milling. Short-sentence prisoners were allowed to perform extra mural work.
They leve l led grounds, swept public gardens, discarded rubbish and brought fresh water to the hospital and government quarters.
Convict teams also helped to construct the state’s first gymkhana and golf course in Alor Star.
In 1913, the inmates proved their worth during what was to become the most severe cholera epidemic in the state. Convict gangs were despatched to assist sanitary inspectors and dressers in the process of disinfecting private homes in Alor Star.
Acutely aware of their cooperative nature, state officials began viewing the prisoners in a more favourable light. A law was passed to allow light-sentence convicts with examplary conduct to become assistant warders. Their duty was to assist the prison guards who were primarily of Sikh and Punjabi descent.
The cordial relationship between the inmates and their guards didn’t last long. Some time in 1923, nine prisoners attempted to escape when breakfast was served 5.30 am. They broke through the inner gate and armed themselves with guns and bayonets from the gaol armoury.
With the element of surprise still working to their advantage, the prisoners then beat up the door keeper severely before snatching the key to the outer gate.
A concerted manhunt was launched as soon as the prison break was discovered.
Seven escapees were recaptured that same morning while a dragnet was put in place to apprehend the remainder.
Resigned to the fact that that the two escapees had probably fled across the border and would never be recaptured as there were no extradition treaties with the Siamese at that time, the Kedah authorities immediately began reforming the prison system. For the first time in history, a European by the name of E.C. Thomas was made the chief gaoler.
BORDER COOPERATION
The British also faced the problem of Siamese bandits slipping into Kedah to escape the long arm of the law from across the border. Their primary entry points were at Durian Burong, Sintok and Baling.
Aware of this loophole, the authorities from both side of the border began building a closer relationship. This cooperation, cemented in the 1920s, led to the recapture of a high profile Siamese bandit named To’ Poh who had sought refuge in Baling with his gang.
Thanks to the guile of Che Mat, the Kuala Muda District Officer of Kuala Muda, the rebel chief was persuaded to meet the Sultan of Kedah as a distinguished visitor. The people of Baling were also roped in to lend weight to the ruse. They turned out in force to give To’ Poh and his followers a rousing farewell.
Convinced that they were really going to meet the monarch, the rebels happily boarded the boat for Alor Star. Along the way, they were persuaded to put aside their weapons in deference to the Sultan. But instead of being taken to the Balai Besar, the wanted men were escorted directly to prison while awaiting their transport back to Siam to face justice!
After leaving the Alor Star train station, I decide to take a drive around town in an attempt to locate the original prison site built by Ku Din. My attempt proves futile.
The only reminder left is just the road name. Today, Jalan Penjara Lama connects two of the oldest parts of the city, Pekan Melayu and Pekan Cina.
I’m indeed glad that our modern society no longer condones barbaric executions like those committed in the past. As we move towards a more civil and law abiding society, perhaps one day we can finally dispense with prisons once and for all.