The End of Historical Icon

10pm, 21 June 2010 would be an unforgettable and historical moment for those who live in Kuala Lumpur and also heritage enthusiasts. The demolition of Pudu Prison wall has brought to different sentiments among residents. This building had accompanied the KL people for about 115 years before it was forced to be torn down. I am sure that most of the visitors would know about the Pudu Prison especially with its wall that full of mold and algae. Yet, it indicates the history of the century-old building. Our government stopped the operation of this prison in 1995 because of the limited capacity for the prisoners. However, this historical building need to be scarified for the development as it is located in the middle city of Kuala Lumpur. Should we choose to preserve the heritage or to develop our country? Or how do we get balance for these both elements? However, we have to realize that these both are mutually exclusive. Then, why don’t we have a museum to display the history of Pudu Prison on that site and a part of the wall or the gate to be preserved? Obviously, the evolution of the capital city of Malaysia is going to enter into a new era. Will the scarification of heritage bring the KL city into a better place? Although prison is not something that we should be proud of it, the historical value of the building that is still standing there firmly for a century is definitely something that we should be proud. (respond to our Deputy Finance Minister, Awang Adek) To conclude, justification of the public are promptly needed to protect our heritages from any further destruction because we are the custodians for our nation's heritage.