The most haunted places in Malaysia
It is often said that you shouldn’t dabble with what is unseen – which is why things such as summoning, taunting, or speaking ill of any paranormal creature is said to be highly taboo.
This does not, however, stop courageous and thrill-seeking ghost hunters from visiting Malaysia’s haunted places in hopes of making contact with someone or something from another world. Here are 14 haunted places in Malaysia and what people who have visited them said they have experienced.
Table of Contents
1. Kellie’s Castle
Image credit: Kellie’s Castle Malaysia
The story: This elaborate mansion in Perak was owned by Scotsman William Kellie Smith. But after he passed away from pneumonia before it could be completed, it was left abandoned for over 80 years after his death before it became a well-known attraction for visitors in 2000.
It has also racked up a mysterious reputation, with the discovery of 4 hidden tunnels under the house where over 70 workers were said to have died from the Spanish flu while working on them.
Image credit: William Harald-Wong & Associates
What you may experience or encounter: According to many who visited the mansion, Smith’s restless spirit has been seen roaming a balcony that’s now marked with a plaque that reads “Ghostly Cloister Balcony”. While he didn’t die in the house, his spirit is said to remain here because his dream of building a mansion was never completed and later neglected.
Wine cellar.
Image credit: Maria Dass
3 other haunted spots in the mansion are known for unsightly encounters too. Smith’s 6-year-old daughter has also been seen wearing an all-white ensemble and running around her abandoned bedroom. A worker of Smith’s who died in the house is also said to haunt the laundry room, while the wine cellar that leads into the mysterious tunnels is also home to unidentified entities.
As tourists have often gotten lost while exploring the underbellies of this mansion, the tunnels are no longer explorable by visitors. But that hasn’t stopped many from getting spooked out and feeling an eerie presence while walking along the corridors of this mansion.
2. Mimaland
Image credit: Wikipedia
The story: Mimaland – shortened from Malaysia in Miniature Land – was Malaysia’s first theme park that opened in 1975 in Gombak. It featured a sports park, water park, and prehistoric animal park with life-sized dinosaurs that made it the must-visit place of every kid growing up in the 70s and 80s.
But a series of tragic mishaps plagued the park, including a Singaporean tourist’s death on a water slide and a landslide that damaged the same pool where the accident happened a year later.
Image credit: Mimaland
The park was forced to cease operations in 1994 because of security issues, after which its name entered many lists of haunted places in Malaysia. It’s now left abandoned, with remnants of the amusement park’s attractions scattered around, giving the whole area an eerie vibe.
Image credit: Mimaland
What you may experience or encounter: The park has been touted as an abandoned Jurassic Land in Malaysia – which has made it a magnet for those who want shots with the dinosaur statues that have been left behind and those who believe that the place is haunted.
Image credit: Mimaland
Local film Miimaland, which is a 2020 horror film about a group of individuals filming a reality show at the park, was also filmed here. During filming, the crew experienced a series of ghostly incidents, including an unexplained attack of hysteria among 3 staff members, as reported by China Press.
You can watch the trailer of the film here to see more scenes of Mimaland’s abandoned landscapes.
Image credit: Mimaland
3. Amber Court
Image credit: Drone South KL
The story: This row of buildings in Genting Highlands was set to be a resort for those making a trip out to this hilltop entertainment city. But it was later sold as apartment units after the financial crisis of 1997-98. With the apartment’s 23 stories left largely unoccupied, coupled with red algae resembling blood on the building’s facade, stories of suicide and paranormal activities inside apartment units and abandoned areas in the building have cropped up.
Amber Court before it was repainted with a fresh coat of grey.
Image credit: @IBCIG
What you may experience or encounter: Scroll through the reviews section of this apartment complex which is still occupied by tenants and operating as a homestay for curious individuals, on Google and Agoda and you’ll see your share of paranormal stories from guests. Some have sighted a headless woman, while others have heard howling noises seemingly from women and the slamming of doors.
A 2017 horror film, Haunted Hotel 2, directed by Malaysian director Ryon Lee, was filmed here too, furthering the claims of paranormal activities. A Penangite actor who starred in the film and stayed at the apartment was reported by New Straits Times as having heard knocking sounds on his door.
Watch our video to find out more about Amber Court here:
4. Penang War Museum
Image credit: Penang.gov.my
The story: This museum in Bukit Batu Maung used to be a British fort in the 1930s. Fast forward to World War II, and Japanese soldiers took over the site and converted it into a prisoner-of-war base. A lone soldier by the name of Tadashi Suzuki is said to have carried out gruesome beheadings and the torture of over 100 individuals with a samurai sword here.
Image credit: Penang.gov.my
This spot, now known as “Ghost Hill” for the atrocities that took place here, was even included in a National Geographic documentary on the 10 scariest places to visit in Asia. Penang War Museum is now located on the hill, with dark tourism attractions such as displays of plastic corpses and guillotines recreating haunting experiences for guests.
Image credit: @serina_sands
What you may experience or encounter: The presence of photos depicting the horrors of war and bunkers ridden with dark tales is sure to send shivers down your spine. But not just that, visitors of the museum are said to have heard sounds of humans screaming echoing down the hills and some have even seen apparitions of Suzuki wandering in tunnels in the museum.
During the restoration of this area, employees have reportedly heard sounds of victims being tortured and disembodied voices echoing down the bunkers too.
5. Karak Highway
Image credit: @amirularshadabd
The story: One of the most haunted places in Malaysia is this highway that gets you up to two of Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations – Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands. Its long and winding nature has been the site of some of the most horrific accidents. The Karak Highway’s hauntings are so widely known that a horror movie titled Karak: Laluan Puaka was made in 2011, based on the numerous ghost stories surrounding the area.
Image credit: Midnight Scary Show
What you may experience or encounter: Sightings of Pontianak, a driverless yellow Volkswagen (which you should never try to overtake or it will continue to appear in front of you) and a lost young boy looking for his mother.
6. Villa Nabila
Image credit: @whassangill
The story: Famous seafront Villa Nabila in Johor is rumoured to be the location where a jealous maid took the lives of a wealthy family that once lived there in order to inherit an heirloom. Their bodies were said to be buried somewhere in the compound but never found.
Image credit: Uppercruster
The villa is so popular that a movie titled Villa Nabila was produced in 2015 based on real events that happened there.
Image credit: Uppercruster
What you may experience or encounter: If you’re visiting with your squad, just as in any other haunted places in Malaysia, you’d do well to stay together. Otherwise, someone might go missing or you might find an additional being in your midst. There have been reported sightings of a lady dressed in white too.
7. Shih Chung Branch School
Image credit: @malaysiaguidebook
The story: Located near Lebuh Farquhar, this school was turned into a military administrative building where people were said to have been tortured to their deaths during the Japanese Occupation. Currently, the school is buried in full forest bloom, which ups the creepy factor of this place.
Image credit: @sitiamorba
What you may experience or encounter: Many people who drive past this spot said that the sight of this building is so creepy that it sent shivers down their spines. There have even been reports of sudden and unexplained attacks of hysteria taking over visitors to the site. Keep a lookout for hauntings of Japanese soldiers.
8. Byram Estate
Image credit: @kokwai1226
The story: Hidden in a quiet corner of a palm-oil plantation in Nibong Tebal is Byram Mansion with 99 doors, thus the name of the place. Abandoned over 50 years ago, this elaborate house was once owned by an extremely wealthy family who lived a lavish lifestyle until 1948, when it was said that a member of their family was brutally shot and the killer, never found.
After the mansion was abandoned, it was reported that a famous local witch doctor used the site as a medium to contact the unseen. The violence and paranormal activities that the house has seen primed it for the spooky status that it has now, among other haunted places in Malaysia.
Image credit: No Surplus
What you may experience or encounter: Some locals report having heard inhuman growls and unexplained sounds coming from the surrounding areas of the building. Locals will not stay within the area past sundown for fear of meeting one of the witch doctor’s evil spirits. Some people are said to have even encountered possessions. Investigators have also reported feeling overwhelmed by an evil presence, fleeing even before carrying out their duties.
Rumours say that there is a 100th door in the mansion that leads to the world of spirits that opens only at a specific time of the day.
9. Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)
Image credit: Wikipedia
The story: Known as Bukit Larut, this hill is a popular spot amongst hiking enthusiasts and those looking to have a unique getaway. Its ghastly history lies around the fact that the road was built by the blood, sweat, and lives of prisoners who were forced into labour during the Second World War.
Image credit: DP Review
What you may experience or encounter: Unexplained loud thuds on the doors, footsteps, and an eerie presence. Some have even reported feeling that they were “touched” by something they could not see.
10. Pulau Jerejak
Image credit: The Way Home
The story: This small island off the coast of Penang, which is now a popular weekend getaway, used to house people infected with leprosy in the late 19th century. From 1969 to 1993, it was turned into a prison-rehabilitation centre to house those who were supposedly the most hardcore criminals. The island was said to be surrounded by sharks, and any inmates who tried to escape were eaten by the marine animals.
What you may experience or encounter: Fishermen and visitors have reported numerous sightings of spirits unable to find peace after suffering an unwilling departure from this world. Many people also reported feeling shrouded in an unsettling aura after stepping foot in the area.
11. Jalan Turi
Image credit: Source
The story: In 1992, the murder of two US citizen children of Indian descent and their maid made headlines in the newspapers. A 25-year-old security guard was detained to assist in investigations, and he was later convicted and eventually hanged in 2002 for murdering the victims and hiding their bodies in the sewage tank behind the house.
Location of the sewage tank behind the house.
Image credit: Malaysian Urban Legend
What you may experience or encounter: Keen visitors to this now-demolished bungalow would have found that it was littered with belongings of the former occupants – school books and more. With claims of black magic practices in the building coupled with gruesome deaths, the site is a location of recurring hauntings.
12. Victoria Institution
Image credit: @redducati46
The story: The school, established in 1893, is said to be the location of many ruthless tortures and deaths during the Japanese Occupation. After that dark period, students have said that they experienced hauntings, from seeing doppelgangers to marching Japanese soldiers.
What you may experience or encounter: You might see a black figure on top of the clock tower – a sighting common amongst students – a dead body hanging from one of the toilet doors, or even a mysterious girl hanging around on her own.
13. Mona Fandey’s “Aeroplane” House
Image adapted from: Youtube
The story: “Saya tidak akan mati.” (“I will never die.”)
These were the famous last words of Mona Fandey, who was charged with the murder of politician Mazlan Idris. A well-known witch doctor, Mona and her husband hacked to death and partially skinned the then-politician. The duo were subsequently sentenced to the gallows.
An illustration of how Mazlan Idris was chopped up.
Image credit: Tiru Media Sensasi
What you may experience or encounter: While there aren’t many reports of people encountering supernatural events at her house, it is still the scene of a gruesome murder. Paraphernalia from her black magic rituals reportedly remain in her abandoned house.
14. Bukit Tunku
Image credit: Poskod.my
The story: An upmarket area in Kuala Lumpur and a place where Tunku Abdul Rahman called home, this place is where one wouldn’t expect anything sinister or paranormal. But as it’s an abandoned mansion, the assumption that the area is “clean” would be almost ridiculous.
Indeed, there are many unverified accounts about supernatural beings haunting this abandoned building.
Image credit: astroulagam.com.my
What you may experience or encounter: Some residents claim to have seen a ghost rider taking a joyride around the area in the middle of the night, only to disappear around a bend. There have also been sightings of regular resident ghosts such as pontianaks.
The most haunted places in Malaysia
Whether you’re a skeptic or firm believer in paranormal activities, the stories and experiences of visitors of these 14 haunted places in Malaysia are bound to send shivers up your spine or give you goosebumps.
But while thrill-seeking Malaysians who are always up for a good hantu story may want to drop by these haunted places in Malaysia for their own tales to tell, it’s always best to play it safe and not wander too far into the unknown.
Check out these other frightening content:
- Best Malaysian horror movies
- Tamil & Hindi horror movies on Netflix
- The Deceased, a horror-themed bar in KL
Cover image adapted from: @kylinchiaphotos, Mimaland, @malaysiaguidebook
Original article by Faizah Mas Mohd Khalik published on 21st October 2020. Updated by Janet Cho on 31st October 2024.