Rumoured haunted schools in Malaysia
Malaysians can agree that our school days are among the best years of our lives, especially when it comes to chilling with friends and sharing in laughter. However, one memory that often sends shivers down our spines is the rumoured tales of horror shared among students about our school while at school.
We compiled some urban legends and alleged paranormal sightings at schools in Malaysia, which will keep you up at night.
Table of Contents
1. Victoria Institution
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Located along Jalan Hang Tuah, Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur bore witness to a dark chapter in history. During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, the school served as the base camp for occupying forces who treated locals brutally.
Due to the unimaginable torture inflicted on British soldiers and the locals, the haunting legacy of this grim past continues to leave a daunting mark on the school.
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Local tales whisper of lingering spirits, suggesting that the souls of those who met tragic fates during this tumultuous period may still wander the halls. One particularly chilling rumour revolves around students who were allegedly possessed, especially during late-night activities held within the school compound.
Some have even claimed that when night descends, the tortured souls can be seen lingering in the corridors, appearing as white apparitions in various corners of the school.
2. Penang Free School
Image credit: Mudzakir Zainal via Facebook
Penang Free School has a rich historical significance that stretches across centuries, bearing witness to the evolution of education in the region. To help put this in perspective, it’s Malaysia’s oldest English-medium school that was established in 1816.
Within the aged walls of the venerable institution, chilling rumours continue to circulate even today. When darkness envelops the school, eerie encounters are said to unfold. Strange sounds allegedly heard in the corridors have sparked tales of paranormal occurrences.
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According to locals, these unsettling noises find their origin in the grim history of World War II, when the Japanese army used the school grounds as a site for the torture of civilians.
One paranormal activity popularly associated with the school is rumoured to be the voice of a tormented woman. Legend has it that during the Japanese Occupation, the unfortunate soul endured unimaginable torture. Due to her brutal death, she continues to linger through the rustled pages of the school.
3. St. Michael’s Institution
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Founded in 1912, St. Michael’s Institution in Ipoh carries a legacy that extends beyond its academic achievements. The institution’s historic roots intertwine with shadows of the past, notably during the period when it served as a Japanese police headquarters.
Beneath the surface, the school’s network of tunnels remains a haunting reminder of darker days. Local rumours echo with chilling accounts of how these underground passages were once witnesses to the anguish of the local populace – scenes of torture and murder that seeped into the very foundation of this school.
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One particular focal point of paranormal interest is the Chapel nestled on the fourth floor. Here, an unsettling apparition is said to manifest – a headless Brother draped in a black robe, clutching prayer beads and fixating his gaze toward the door leading to the Brothers’ quarters.
4. Chung Ling High School
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Founded in 1921, Chung Ling High School in Penang holds within its walls the weight of a haunting history. This school witnessed a dark transformation during World War II, when it became a British military hospital in 1941.
However, it’s the horrors that unfolded in its corridors during the Sook Ching massacre that cast a long, ghostly shadow over the notable Chinese school. The chilling rumours tell of a time when teachers and students faced brutal fates during the purge of Chinese Malayan individuals.
Rumours of local lore mention sightings of headless figures roaming the school corridors. Additionally, the howling of dogs nearby during eerie hours of the night is supposedly due to the sight of ghostly figures of tortured souls lingering here, especially in the field area.
5. SK Danau Perdana
Image credit: Victor Langon
SK Danau Perdana stands as a silent testament to a chilling reputation – it is often dubbed by locals as “the most haunted school in Malaysia”.
Since its closure in 2015, the school’s vacant corridors and abandoned classrooms have become a hotbed for paranormal whispers. The decision to cease operations was driven by safety concerns, with cracks forming on the school’s walls – the unsettling sight has likely given rise to the chilling stories that emerge from the school too.
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Among the spectral figures said to wander through the forsaken halls, the apparition of a pontianak takes centre stage. Locals suggest that another ghostly figure ofted sighted here is the spirit of a deceased pregnant cleaner who died suddenly at the school, who continues to long for her unborn child in the abandoned spaces.
6. SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2
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SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2 gained notoriety in 2016, when the Kelantan school was hit with an episode of mass hysteria. It began when several students claimed to see a mysterious black figure lurking in the corridors, also feeling a heavy presence and numbness in their bodies.
The whispers escalated into full-blown chaos, with over 100 students and teachers affected inexplicably by the unseen negative force.
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The severity prompted drastic measures – the school temporarily closed its doors for two days, not for academic reasons but to confront the paranormal forces within its walls. During the closure, rituals were conducted to ward off the perceived evil spirits that’s said to have taken residence within the school’s premises.
In the end, there was no clear explanation for the hysteria. However, the Kelantan school’s teachers told reporters that the students must have unintentionally disturbed djinns, or evil spirits, when they improperly disposed of their trash in school.
7. SMK (P) St George
Image credit: Buletin Mutiara
As one of the oldest schools in Malaysia, SMK (P) St George has a rich legacy that dates all the way back to its establishment in 1885. However, a whispered tale rests in the grandeur of its history – one that hovers around the all-girls school’s iconic clock tower and the weight of melancholy that it carries.
Students often whisper under their breaths about its mysterious aura, attributing it to the tragic death of a former student there. Stories that bounce off the walls suggest that the tower bore witness to the desperate act of a depressed student, who allegedly leaped from its heights. Academic pressures faced by the former student are said to have driven her to take her own life.
8. SMK Cheras Perdana
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Constructed in 1985, SMK Cheras Perdana in Kuala Lumpur bears witness to a chilling chapter in history. It involuntarily became a stage for the atrocities of war during the Japanese Occupation in World War II.
One of the haunting figures that allegedly traverses the school’s corridors is that of a headless apparition. Students over the years have reported eerie sightings of a figure without a discernible visage, casting an otherworldly presence upon the premises.
In addition to the headless spectre, rumours circulate about hostel students who claim to have encountered ghostly manifestations linked to the school’s wartime history. Specifically, the spectral echoes of soldiers marching in the empty field at the stroke of midnight have been reported, sparking instances of mass hysteria among those residing in the hostel.
9. SMK Serian
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The history of SMK Serian is rumoured to have an unsettling chapter, which unfolded in 2008. Reports emerged of a peculiar and alarming occurrence where 12 students succumbed to hysteria, their bodies seized by fits of screaming and shaking.
The severity of the situation reached a point that the school found itself compelled to close its doors for several days, as it grappled with an unexplained phenomenon that gripped the students in its hold.
10. Methodist Boys School
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Established in 1906, the Methodist Boys School in KL stood witness to the pages of history, bearing the weight of events that have shaped the nation. One such chapter unfolded during World War II when the school became an unwitting witness to the occupation by the Japanese army.
Allegedly, this school has a persistent rumour that weaves an unsettling narrative around the school’s nocturnal hours. Students and alumni alleged hearing an “army” marching at the school field. Additionally, shadowy figures are said to lurk in the hallways past midnight, which contribute to the mysterious aura surrounding this school.
Allegedly haunted schools in Malaysia
While school days remind us of the fun times we’ve had as students, it is almost impossible to forget the paranormal stories we’ve heard that lurk within school spaces. The tales that circulate about these spots are sure to send shivers down the spines of those brave enough to entertain the ghostly narratives.
For more eerie stories, check out:
Cover image adapted from: Buletin Mutiara, Mudzakir Zainal via Facebook , @atok_dalangg via Instagram