Jerejak – 3
3/8/2017
If there is any aspect of Jerejak Island that truly deserves thoughtful conservation, it is the remnants of the old living quarters once used by prison staff.
These dilapidated buildings—tucked away off the main path and nearly engulfed by thick, wild foliage—may appear to be an eyesore to some. But to those who appreciate the natural aesthetic where man-made structures and nature coexist in a kind of forgotten harmony, this spot is a hidden gem worth both time and care.
In Japan, such places are cherished. The Japanese have long honored old, broken temples or decaying farm huts, preserving them in their natural environments. These sites are not bulldozed but protected, offering photogenic, spiritually rich scenes that honor the impermanence of things.
Why not apply that same reverence here?
One idea is to build a simple and environmentally friendly walkway to allow safe access for visitors. The path could incorporate sand, stone, or pebbled sections for meditative walking—something more people seek in this restless age. Bamboo fencing could be used to keep visitors from wandering into the fragile structures themselves, while still allowing the space to breathe and be seen.
At the entrance, a well-designed signboard could share historical insights, flora and fauna highlights, and explain the aesthetic and spiritual value of the site. This simple gesture of context-setting can shift the entire experience of the walk into something meaningful.
Or... you could bulldoze it all to the ground and build yet another spa or cafe.
Tepuk dada tanya selera—it depends on who's calling the shots. After all, money talks, and heritage often walks. Why care about preserving a bunch of abandoned buildings in some mosquito-infested corner of Pulau Jerejak when there’s profit to be made, right?
But when you replace the island’s natural magic with swimming pools, fancy cafés, and prepackaged "experiences," you’re essentially selling coal in Newcastle. You destroy the very uniqueness of the place and end up offering what’s already available elsewhere.
Jerejak’s true asset is its natural beauty, its silence, its memory. The government and all parties with vested interests should take a deeper, more soulful look into conservation, not as a marketing strategy, but as a sincere stewardship for the generations to come. Insha’Allah, this is what will bring sustainable wealth in the long run.
These old houses—now surrendered to the will of nature—hold the same quiet beauty as aged bonsai or weathered rock gardens. They evoke awareness, as the Japanese call it—that deep, aching sense of beauty in impermanence. Like autumn leaves or sakura petals drifting to the earth, these sites whisper the transient truth of life.
Sadly, most of our children will never feel this subtle awe if we keep erasing these remnants of the past in the name of development.
The Malays, like the Japanese and many other Asian cultures, once felt a profound spiritual connection to the natural world. Places like these evoke more than beauty—they preserve our sense of wonder, of the sacred. For many, spirits dwell in such places. And today, these pockets of wilderness are among the last sanctuaries for such unseen dwellers as mankind relentlessly encroaches on their domains.
Heritage preservation is not just about restoring buildings to look brand-new. It's about respecting the decaying, the aging, the time-worn—because these carry emotional, historical, and cultural weight. They are physical testaments to our relationship with the land, both materially and spiritually.
To the artist, these places offer a quiet wellspring of inspiration.
To the nature lover, a biodiversity haven waiting to be noticed.
To the future, a story we’ve yet to finish writing.
Penang is rapidly losing its natural and historical pockets, either due to unchecked development or privatization. We must preserve places like this, not for nostalgia alone—but because they are the lungs, the soul, the memory of our collective being.
Are these abandoned houses haunted? Probably!
Jerejak has long had the reputation as a place where demons and negative spirits were exiled, just like the prisoners once sent here.
Do I intend to find out for myself? Not unless I'm forced to. I have no great desire to walk into the spirit realm uninvited.
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