Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Abandoned Series - Jalan Turi Bungalow

Ali Buntuts derive pleasure from ventures into grounds people avoid at all cost. Always have, always will. We have explored abandoned projects, godforsaken mansions and numerous small derelict residences. What we have yet to pursue, until recently that is, was to wander into a tract of valuable real estate which reportedly held stage to monstrous multiple homicides nearly 2 decades ago..

"... the bungalow at No 10, Jalan Turi in Taman Bukit Pantai, where two boys aged 10 and 7 and their Filipino maid were killed by their family guard, is still vacant. Their bodies were thrown into a septic tank at the back of the house in the April 23, 1992 murder. Vandalised and sometimes used as a drug addicts' hideout, the place is now dilapidated. Stories also abound about sightings of the victims' spirits standing beseechingly at the gate of the house..."


And so, on a gloomy night illuminated by the waxing moon, we paid the site a visit. The front yard has been overtaken by lush vegetations which made our passage into the house an adventure of its own. Dilemma, along with images of bright-colored snakes, giant lizards and red-eyed pontianaks, plagued our minds. But as Buntuts, we never really have a choice in these situations. We think not with our head, but by the anatomy our sobriquet imply. So amidst the tall ominous leaves and the hidden red eyes, we pressed on into the ill-boding compound...

Buntuts at the infamous spot where "sightings of the victims' spirits standing beseechingly at the gate of the house" are.

Once through the yard, we hung around the patio for a while to snap some pictures in hopes of getting more than what we see there. Tough luck...

But we did find Lost.

Someone knows what we did last summer. We're there to find out who...

And shortly after, we cross the door-less threshold into the house. The place is stripped bare of any functional or valuable chattel whatsoever, leaving only the usual debris of an abandoned dwelling...


However, we did stumble upon an evidence which suggests that efforts have been taken to 'cleanse' the place of a certain lingering 'presence'...

Maybe they're expecting more...like something living and breathing?

Doesnt he look awesome? His extra shadow wouldnt disagree.

The house is a 3-level unit with the entrance on the 2nd level. So after we were done with the 2nd level (Ground Floor), we were forced to make a difficult decision, possibly a life altering one. To Heavens (1st Floor), or to Hell (Basement)? Without our Instinct (Chung Kent) to lead us in the direction normal humans with functioning amygdala would take, we were tempted by our faith to head downwards...


Looking at the pictures, you might think, "Hey, it aint so scary. This is nothing. The place is so damn bright it makes my bedroom looks scarier!" Now now, let's get the facts straight. The pictures are so damn bright, the place is NOT. But your bedroom is scary too. Ever notice the small girl watching you sleep? She's always there, behind the curtains, in the monitor, under the blanket, always there, trust me. Anyways, to have a feel of the level of brightness/darkness we experienced in the place, compare the pictures below...

What you're seeing...

What we saw...

Downstairs, we were somewhat disappointed at the absence of faceless hot nurses and pyramid-head monsters (Silent Hill is real, trust me on this too). However, it was not all a fruitless venture. We found several things of interest...

The mysterious Black Hole.

The Spot-That-Stinks. That corner, occupied by the gallant Satchid, has this odd stench that does not permeate into the adjacent atmosphere. Is it Supernatural, or is it Satchid? We cant tell...

A spiritual journey indeed...

And the most interesting find was this one...

A jejune workbook belonging to a Matthew Ng. We were inclined to assume Matthew to be around 7 to 10 years old around 20 years ago...

Anyways, as interesting as it seems, it was all not worth breaking a sweat for. So we started to relaxed...until we heard something moving upstairs. We looked at each other, did a head count to confirm there 3 and only 3 of us, and started for the stairs. Keeping close to the walls with practiced caution and extreme silence, we reached the Ground Floor to find ... nobody. Except for a mysterious ember burning in the corner that was not there 10 minutes ago, everything seems normal...


Pictured: Mysterious Ember

A little disturbed, we sauntered out of the house, jogged through the yard, and dashed to our ride. And then we disappeared into the night. A night illuminated by the waxing moon, with a small girl sitting by your bed as you sleep.

5 comments:

  1. and again a post on this place.. would've loved to see more pictures.. sure brings back memories of when I was a 10.. seeing, hearing & reading all this happening in disbelief. it was just so surreal.. I followed every news report on tv & kept every article, until someone at home got rid of it thinking it was an unhealthy obsession.. I've seen the place in it's heyday when kabir & arjun used to stay there, so I hate to say that Matthew Ng wasn't one of the boys.. Maybe a friend? I don't know.. I never knew him though.. and the maid wasn't Filipino.. such maids were not big in that age.. they had a maid from India.. her name was Natalie if I recall right.. nice lady she was, Natty as she was fondly known.. visited the place again in 2002 to come to terms with my better memories of (then) bubbly uncle rakesh, aunty suneeta, kabir & arjun, and what a shame it was to see it in its present state (well, i expected it anyways) compared to when it was nothing less of a palace.. I'm sure the owners of the house want nothing but to rid it of the remnants of its past, for obvious resale concerns.. but it sure is sad to imagine children, 7 & 11 of age (remember when you guys were that age?), alone with parents probably back in the US or maybe even back in India by now (I reckon Uncle Rakesh would've retired or maybe sits on an advisory board of directors of sorts), and now being removed from the only place they've known to be home.. at least (I take consolation in the thought) they've had Natty as company all this time... if Arjun & Kabs were still there, I wish I could wish them well or at least had the chance to say goodbye.. I tried, during the visit in '02, but it was a far cry from what I thought it should feel like.. so often we hear that life is worth living.. for some, this may never be a long enough option.. Kabs, Arjun, you cross my mind every now and then.. certainly miss you, fellas..

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    1. hi, do you know who owns the place (house/land?)

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    2. No, I do not know the present owner of this property, but as a young boy many years ago, I briefly knew Kabir & Arjun and the family who went through this terribly tragic incident.

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  2. i was here a few days ago and i felt a kid pulling my shirt

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  3. I bumped into your blog by chance..well, interest..curiosity kills the cat? No? Anyway, I love how you narrate you story. Like reading a novel but a shorter version..not the lengthy type like..harry potter..eh? Thanks for the interesting read :)

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