8 Abandoned places in and around Kuala Lumpur with the spookiest stories for horror lovers

Written by Candice Neo

As a self-proclaimed horror junkie, I’ve always been thrilled about abandoned places, zombie houses and indulging in the occasional (or not) horror flicks. Having visited a few places in Bali and Singapore that are supposedly haunted according to urban legends, I started getting excited when I heard that Kuala Lumpur actually has abandoned theme parks too, not far from the city.

Hidden in our vibrant concrete jungle are secrets you do not usually expect to find, from abandoned amusement parks, schools, mansions, to a witch-doctor’s home. Most of these come with stories of crime, torture and tragedy.

If these make your eyes light up and your heart beat faster, you need to read on as we share with you some of the most exciting and terrifying abandoned places in KL.

Disclaimer: Some of these places still sit on private land, so if you enter without permission, you might be caught for trespassing. Also, most of these places we have featured below have been left in ruins for years, so they might be structurally unsafe and be potentially dangerous. Hence, I don’t recommend stepping in but if you do, please bring more than one friend along (and well, they say it’s safer in numbers in case you run into some supernatural friends ;)).

So daredevils, don’t say you haven’t been warned!

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1. Hunt for crumbling dinosaurs in an abandoned Jurassic park – Mimaland

I know what you’re thinking – KL actually has an abandoned theme park?! Yes, one where you can find these once-glorified-but-now-abandoned T-rexes sadly covered by overgrowns in the jungle.

Short for ‘Malaysia in Miniature Land’, Mimaland was opened to the public in 1971 (Malaysia’s first theme park!) and was well-known for its large dinosaur replicas surrounded by the rainforest, with giant waterslides and a lake for boating and fishing.

However, tragedy struck in January 1993 when a Singaporean tourist drowned in the pool. The following year saw developments in the area which led to a small landslide, resulting in safety issues in the pool. The park was temporarily closed after so that they could improve on their safety measures. But it never reopened.

The park has been abandoned ever since and what’s left now are crumbling ruins vandalised with graffiti. As you can see, nature has completely taken over what used to be Malaysia’s most exciting theme park. Till today, my father-in-law still remembers fond memories of his dates with my mom-in-law here. There’s even a Facebook page set up for people to relieve their old memories.

Now, this park attracts a completely different group of people, curious to see and photograph this park in its dilapidated state. But proceed with caution – it’s said that security guards on site would try to keep the public out as it’s privately-owned land. You might even come across wildlife (there’s been reports of a tiger spotted in the area), which you should be more scared of than whatever else that might find you…

2. Klang Valley’s first rooftop water theme park – Safari Lagoon

We don’t just have one abandoned theme park, but two! Hailed as the third largest theme park in Southeast Asia when it opened in 1988, Safari Lagoon was hugely popular due to its unusual rooftop location. This iconic waterpark was easily recognisable by its giraffe statue that stuck out on the rooftop of the Pandan Safari Parade building, a shopping complex.

Surrounded by greenery, besides waterslides, it featured wave pools and a playground for kids, who loved the large statues of animals all around the park – it was almost like a ‘safari’ experience for kids growing up in this urban jungle.

But things took a horrifying tragic turn in 2007, when a theme-park employee was killed in a freak accident – he was trying to retrieve items left by visitors but ended up being trapped in a high pressure water pump compartment and died.

Due to investigations from this incident, another shocking fact emerged – Safari Lagoon had been operating without a license for eight years! It was actually ordered to close in 2005 but the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) had failed to take action against the operator, so it remained open for two years until the tragic incident occurred.

The theme park closed afterwards and today, the entire building is now abandoned and in shambles. Check out this video taken by a visitor in 2017 showing the current state of the once well-loved Safari Lagoon, left to crumble under the harsh elements.

Like most abandoned theme parks, Safari Lagoon is now a haunt for thrill seekers. You never know what you might find, especially when the crumbling rides start coming back to life…

3. Pontianak in an abandoned school – SK Danau Perdana

Some of the best old-school horror stories come from, well, decades-old (or even centuries-old) school compounds themselves, and SK Danau Perdana is no different.

Having closed permanently in 2005 due to safety issues of the building, the compound has been left vacant ever since. Its crumbling walls and empty classrooms are thick with graffiti and dirt, characterised by broken windows and a deep eerie atmosphere that echoes throughout the entire school.

It is said that the school is haunted by a pontianak (a spirit of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth), a cleaner who was believed to have died during pregnancy.

Although the premises are fenced off and closed to the public due to the unsafe conditions of the building structures, it has been attracting many thrill seekers (such as this one who filmed down her experience), and a large door in the fence has been left wedged open.

Do you dare?

4. A mysterious British colonial mansion left to the dead – Bukit Tunku mansion

Formerly known as Kenny Hills, Bukit Tunku was renamed in honour of Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. An upclass estate with lavish mansions, bungalows and condominiums, this area is also known as the ‘Beverly Hills of Malaysia’.

But if you walk past all those glitzy and glamorous homes of the wealthy, you’ll find a strange sight – a crumbling abandoned mansion taken over by natural elements. It’s said that a family used to live there, but the mother had hung herself in her bedroom on the second level. Her spirit is now said to haunt the compound.

A ‘ghost hunter’ and his crew were said to have strange encounters when they were there, such as having stones thrown at their heads from the second floor and a female voice humming from the same corner where the woman was supposed to have died. A female crew member started to act as though she was choking – her face turned blue-black and she started drooling. A healing ritual had to be performed on her, and ended up with a fever for five days.

Some residents also claim to have seen a motorcyclist at night who would mysteriously disappear after turning a bend. He was said to have died while racing one night. Rumours of pontianak sightings have also been going around…

P.S. This mansion sits on privately-owned land, and as the bat-filled house is in a severe state of decay, it is dangerous to enter.

5. Collapsed apartment left in ruins – Highland Towers

Most of you might have heard of the creepy apartments of Amber Court in Genting Highlands. But did you know that closer to home in KL, the once-residential buildings of Highland Towers are now in an equal state of ruin and disrepair?

It all started when tragedy struck in 1993. Due to a landslide, one of the residential blocks collapsed, killing 48 people. The other two blocks were immediately abandoned.

Today, these buildings are said to be inhibited by mainly criminals and drug addicts. Thrill seekers who drop by claim to have heard the sounds of crying and screaming, and seen ghostly figures wandering around the corridors at night.

6. Wrath of an estranged wife – Bukit Gasing Mansion

This dilapidated mansion in Bukit Gasing has been said to be abandoned since the late 2000s, and if you check Google Street View, it is still standing today.

An urban legend has been going around about this abandoned home. Rumour has it that the previous owner had a mistress, and when his wife found out about the affair, she flew into a rage and decapitated his mistress and hung her head on the front door.

Upon discovering this horrifying and gruesome scene, the husband suffered from a heart attack and died. Devastated, his widow then hung herself from the balcony on the same day.

Venture here after dark at your own risk!

7. With unknown dark histories – Taman Tenaga Bungalow

Located on a hill in Puchong, this abandoned bungalow is said to be haunted, but accounts of its history differ. The house was said to have been previously owned by a wealthy Chinese businessman and his family, but due to financial problems, they ended up killing themselves.

Some say that they were murdered by someone living in the same house.

People who have ventured here claimed they have seen splotches of red candle wax on the steps, which is a sign that this abandoned place might have been used for black magic practices.

Others claim to have seen ghostly apparitions in and around the house. A group of friends were said to have even captured a menacing photo of the head of a smiling woman on top of some bushes in the compound. They were so terrified that they deleted the picture immediately.

8. Only the nightclub continues to run – Plaza 63

This commercial complex is located off Sungei Besi Highway, and all shops here have been closed and deserted except for a nightclub. We checked Google Street View and this building is practically abandoned, though still standing.

Those who have visited the nightclub claim that the place is haunted, and security guards recount encounters with supernatural apparitions in the building.

Special Mention 1:  The sorceress who “never dies” – Mona Fandey’s House

Local pop singer Mona Fandey brutally murdered politician Mazlan Idris in 1993, and even after she was executed in 2001, strange stories of her abandoned home in Seksyen 12 in Shah Alam still lives on till today.

She was said to have performed black magic and was known as a bomoh (witch doctor) and offered her services to those in the upper-class society, including politicians. Mazlan was one of them; he wanted her help to boost his political career.

When a cleansing ritual was arranged at her house in Raub, Mazlan was asked to lie down on the floor with his eyes closed while Mona placed flowers on him. Her assistant then chopped his head off using an axe, dismembered and partially skinned his body, which was found in 18 parts and buried in a storeroom.

Mona, her husband and her assistant were convicted and hanged for this horrifying murder. But on the day of her execution in 2001, she still appeared cheerful, not in the least remorseful, dressed herself in colourful clothes and uttered the final words “I will never die” during her execution.

Her abandoned home in Shah Alam was said to be haunted by spirits due to the black magic she practised, and passers-by claim to have felt a strong dark energy that chills the bone.

However, this house has already been demolished, and what’s left is an empty plot of land, waiting to be sold…

Are there any more abandoned places in KL haunted with spooky tales? Comment and share with us your scariest stories and encounters…

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you! Tell us

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