Volunteers clean up vandalised historic fort
Malaysians have great interest in preserving heritage buildings and monuments that hold historic significance in our country. But we can’t always guarantee that they’re safeguarded from damages, such as vandalism, especially when they are left abandoned.
An 80-year-old fort in Penang, which has been around since World War II, was the target of vandalism by irresponsible individuals. The abandoned fort was covered with graffiti over time. But this all changed recently, when a group of volunteers offered to clean up the historic structure.
Graffiti removed and surrounding area cleared of trash
Image adapted from: @Joshuawsz
The group of young Penang volunteers came together to clean an abandoned and vandalised pillbox fort by the Permatang Damar Laut beach, on 6th February 2022.
Their cleanup effort was recorded and shared by Twitter user, @Joshuawsz.
Image adapted from: Aun Chuan
For the uninitiated, pillbox forts are forts that look similarly to small blockhouses or bunkers. It gets its name – ‘pillbox’ – from its oblong shape that resembles the small containers used to contain medicinal pills.
In Penang, there are approximately 20 existing pillbox forts, each with its own rich history. During World War II in the 1940s, these forts served an important role as a military defence against the attacks of the Japanese army.
One such pillbox was defaced with graffiti.
Looking out for these historic structures are about 30 volunteers from Generasi Penang and Penggerak Komuniti Muda (PEKA), who planned a trip to scrub the fort clean. This cleanup effort was initiated by youth groups under the “Sayangi Warisan Kita” (Love Our Heritage) programme.
Despite it being a sunny weekend morning, these volunteers poured their heart and soul into removing the graffiti from the walls of the pillbox fort.
It wasn’t an easy feat. They had to scour for graffiti removers online and at physical hardware stores, and bring along their own water as there was no source of clean water in the area.
Their effort revealed a drastic outcome
The volunteers’ dedication to their cleanup efforts definitely paid off.
Before and after photos shared by the team showed the walls of the pillbox fort now rid of unwanted graphics and obscene scribblings, making the fort look almost as good as it did previously.
Though there were still stains on the walls as the volunteers had run out of graffiti removers, the group mentioned that the worst of the vandalism had been successfully removed.
Image adapted from: @Joshuawsz
Not only did they work hard on restoring the treasured fort to its former glory, the team of volunteers also took the time to pick up rubbish strewn along the beach.
The trash they cleared amounted to ten astoundingly full black trash bags.
Following their cleanup efforts, Generasi Penang urged the authorities to take a more active stance in preserving our country’s historic structures. They also voiced their wishes for the area around the fort to be more accessible to the public. This would make it easier for people to visit and learn more about the history behind the fort.
“We hope that the public is aware of how important it is to preserve historic structures [such as this fort] and stop vandalism against them,” Generasi Penang wrote in a Twitter post.
Preserving our heritage
Protecting and preserving historic artefacts, buildings, and landmarks allows future generations to learn about our nation’s roots and historical identity. Besides contributing to the enrichment of the country’s cultural worth, structures such as these pillbox forts in Penang can also serve as tourist attractions.
We encourage everyone to learn from these passionate youths. Do look out for our public spaces and artefacts so they don’t fall victim to pesky acts of vandalism. Whether the resulting damages are minor or serious, the act of vandalism is a malicious one.
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Cover image adapted from: @Joshuawsz