Saturday 25 December 2010

The 13 Cells Christmas Nightmare

The Ex CID Headquarter Prison Cells Christmas Nightmare is opened to public for the very first time in Singapore. The 13 Cells is managed by Imperial Ministry and co-partner with Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI). SPI had a run tests or investigations before opening the event and was reported this building to be haunted.
SPI acts cosplay as ghosts characters , to scare the public in line and also conducted the Talkshow about the history of this building, hosted by SPI Desmond. This horror house is opened from 22nd Dec to 26 Dec 2010 and 29th Dec to 02 Jan 2011. This is the horror-themed event for the public for the very 1st time.

Do you dare take the plunge into the horror hellhole at 13th cells entrance?
This 13th hell entrance looked scary at night when night falls. Spirts of the dead inmates roamed the 13 cells through the walls of the building which was abandoned years ago. All hell breaks loose, this entrance is opened for the public to be prepared the fright of their life when entering the horror cells which the demons are waiting to eat their fear.


Ticket holders who turned up at the horror ticket counter from Hell would get the chance to meet the actors dressed as werewolves, demons and ghouls. Public also get the rare chance to look in this locked-up cells and its building floors above. Public also met by SPI who dressed-up as ghost characters to scare them while queue up and to roam the dark building.
Outside the 13th cells' entrance, there are tombstones which can be spotted everywhere. There is a cannon just beside the 13 cells entrance. I wonder why there is a cannon built there. Is this cannon left there after the World War II? Public may view some of the tombstones with toy mummies lying around dead. I think those toy mummies are specially wrapped in a long narrow cloth to look like decaying, especially in ancient Egypt.
Some of the Singapore worst criminals and murderered have passed through these prison cells.

This is the Operation Room which can be found inside one of the 13th prison cells. Operation Room was conducted by Hell Doctor Tongue to cut off the criminals' body and head after their death. Does it really exist in this nether world?


Another horror-themed of one of the 13 prison cells, "Classroom from Hell" where the dead prisoners studied, is a rare common to those who have a good karma when they have a chance in Hell. Do you dare to sit with a dead prisoner?

Store room is used to keep dead bodies of the prisoners in the black plastic bags who were either hanged and committed suicide inside the cells, really to be collected by the relatives. Some of the dead prisoners were left there, without relatives and families to collect. Their families and relatives were either migrated or dead.

This is the most heart wretching inside the isolation room at the corner end. The 'woman' knelt down on the floor to pray for her dead son who met his ill-fate inside the isolation room. The incense papers are pasted on the walls to look like burning hell notes.
This woman may look scary on her face, dare you look into her eyes when she turned around to greet you with eeire smile..
When you look at her back, you may seem frightened to call her after entering the isolation room.

There are also some of the 13 prison cells comprising of Demons, werewolves and ghouls inside on each of 13 prison cells.
Cell 3# Ticket Holders need to retreive the baby doll from the monster dog.
Cell 5# Gamble with the devil (Ox devil) inside the cell.
Cell 6# Feed the baby wolf without being attacked by monster wolf.
Cell 8# Dine with The Flaming Devil is to make it out alive.
Cell 9# Move the baby doll to the big cot

There is also the toilet where the actor played as 'ponitanak' (white ghost) standing at the corner.
The horror-themed event is well organised by Imperial Ministry and public attraction by Singapore Paranormal Investigators.
Venture through the 13 cells and perform the tasks to survive the experience and make this Christmas a happy occasion.


Thursday 9 December 2010

The 13 Cells (Ex-CID HQ Prison)

The 13 Cells (Former CID Headquarter Prison Cells)
SPI Special Recce at Ex-CID Hq (06 Dec 2010)

Present: Me, Ariffin, Desmond, Spark and IZ Reloaded
Time: 2.30pm

This is the first time for SPI teams to access the former CID HQ Prison at Eu Tong Sen Street, was managed by SLA(Singapore Land Authority). This is the State Property and is monitored by CCTV all year round. This former CID HQ has been abandoned many years ago. One of the main building has five-storey, the first level was the most famour with its 13 prison room cells, comprising of hardcore criminals locked up during interrogations. One of the most isolation room of which the inmates locked up were meant for ill-fate.

There are persisting rumours from the public that the cells rooms are haunted due to the past suicides of the criminals. It was reported in year 1990 that the police officer shot himself inside the toilet on the third floor. This is the 3rd floor of the toilet which I detected would be the ghost of the police officer who was shot himself.
The 44 year old of former police officer who declined to be named said that it was a rumour sorts of. He was stationed at the building form 1987 to 1992, the time it also housed the Central Police Division (CPD), and knew the officer who shot himself there. The former police officer also revealed that his colleague had tried to confide in him that morning. He was the one who found the body later. Since then, he has developed a fear of visiting public toilets at nights. Guilt at not being able to help his friend has kept him visiting his grave every year for the past 20 years.

Alongside the prison cells, we came to a room called 'Isolation room" where the hardcore criminals locked up waiting for their ill-fate. We then monitored and scanned the stuffy room as to see whether there is a strong presence lurking around. Just then as I walked into the isolation room intend to capture a photo inside, I felt as if something pushing me forward into the room, I was startled and got goosebumps over my body. I decided not to take a shoot as well and walked outside the room instead. This photo was taken by one of our SPI teams who was stand outside the isolation room. To believe or not to believe, there are spirits lurking in that room.

Just next to the five-storey building, there is two-storey building. On the ground floor, there was nothing much inside, just a pile of dust and messy around. Then we went at the back of the two-storey building, there was small staircase up the 2nd level of the building. As we went up the 2nd level of the building, at the precise moment, one of SPI members told me that he saw joss-stick (incense stick)placed on top of each door and asked me why. What I saw rows of doors placing the joss-stick on top of each door. I was wondering what it was all about. There I saw a pile of joss-sticks lying around at the corner end. Did those officers use incense sticks to pray for appease/chase away the spirits while working at nights and to protect the building? There would be someone who knew what had happened to this building is a mystery. Just then I walked towards the door to where the joss stick placed, I felt something weird inside the room when I opened and I felt hot inside the room and walked out quickly away. From there, I saw the toilet at the end and I felt uneasy. But this thing made me to walk towards the toilet to see what was inside the toilet, there I saw a white figure floating upwards. Not wanted to go further, I decided to check the tree which was facing directly the joss stick door. Could be this spirit hid to that tree from where the joss stick placed?


Further down the building, there is the staff canteen at the corner end, where you can see the People Park Complex opposite. We went inside the canteen to scan around the area and the staff toilet.
SPI teams detected the toilet and found something unusual movements inside the cubicles which I did not enter! On the other side of the canteen, there is room called 'Contact Point', SPI teams entered to further scanning using ghost meter and devices to scan the walls and was found the ghost meter to rise up and down quickly. As I was inside the room and suddenly felt dizzy and developed the headache. The room had a strong presence inside which I wasn't figure out. Furthermore, I detected a soul smell like rotten meat lurking around. I wouldn't stand at all and walked out the contact room quickly.

Before CID moved out of the premises in 2001, the 13 cells housed drug abusers, rapists and murderers pending their appearances in Court.

Up to date, there are lots of ghost disturbances in CID Headquarter at Eu Tong Sen Street as times goes by. Some of the Singapore worst criminals and murderers have passed through these walls after their death.

Monday 3 May 2010

My Time in Orchard Road (Part One)

It's time for me to pen down the memories of my time in Orchard road when I first worked in early 1980s on both department stores - OG and Metro after worked at Factory in Ayer Rajah road.  Orchard Road changes overtime over the decades which spanned from Tanglin road to Orchard road that I used to stroll along the stretch of roads for as long as I could remember. 
Orchard Road Market
Courtesy of NAS
I still remember there was Orchard Market located where the Orchard Point (opened in 1983) is.
Me & ex-Colleagues (OG)@Plaza Singapura
My ex-colleagues and I were posed outside Plaza Singapura in 1985 and we were once worked at OG Elite at Plaza SIngapura in 1983 and we wore green uniforms with skirts as long as I could remember. How times flies and it's been more than three decades. Can you spot where am I in this photo (above)?
Me@FarEastPlaza 1984
I wore Metro uniform and sat on the bench outside Far East Plaza in 1984, behind me was a fountain where the overhead (background) and bus-stop (umbrella-shaped) located. On the far right, opposite the road was Holiday Inn hotel ( now as Scotts Walk and Royal Plaza). On the far left, was Hyatt Regency Singapore (hotel now known as Grand Hyatt) where my god sister's mum worked over the decades till she retired. Now the fountain was no longer there and it's been moved inside the Far East Plaza, I presume. I fondly remember..I used to alight at the old bus-stop just outside former Holiday Inn and walked up the overhead bridge to the Far East Plaza where I worked.
Me@GoodwoodParkHotel (1988)
To the farther up the hill of the road where I stood in front of Goodwood Park Hotel (above pic taken in 20th Nov 1988 by my god father using my old Pentax camera).  At that same time, we dined at restaurant there. 
Teutonia Club (Today's Goodwood Park Hotel)
Source: NAS
Goodwood Park Hotel was once the site of Teutonia Club in the 20th century was the common sight along Orchard Road. The entrance structure of the Goodwood Park Hotel is still around. The street hawkers were seen selling fruits and the rickshaw puller in the front of Teutonia Club (Goodwood Park Hotel).
Every year from early 1980s, my old friends, best friends, ex-colleagues, classmates as well as my family including my god father would stroll along Orchard road during Christmas and other occasions.
Along the road, the old hotels - Ming Court Hotel where I used to frequent cafe with my family. Many foreigners visited SIngapore and stayed at Ming Court Hotel in 1970s to 1980s.
Me@MingCourtHotel (1986)
On the 15th Dec 1986, I stood and posed at Christmas tree outside Ming Court Hotel at night. 
Ming Court Hotel (1970s)
Source: Sg Institute of Architects
I remember there was a swimming pool on the upper 4-storey podium, complete deck with sauna and club facilities. Remember the famous character - David Bowie visited to Singapore in 1983 and stayed at Ming Court Hotel while filming "Ricochet".
Me@Orchard Parade Hotel 1990s
In the year 1987 that was a year later, the hotel was acquired by Far East organisation and in 4 year later in 1991, the hotel was renamed as Orchard Parade Hotel. Above pic taken outside Orchard Parade Hotel (background) in early 1990s.
 Paragon By SOGO (pic in 1995)
I remember there was once a Fitzpatrick Supermarket along Orchard road, opened in 1958 that was replaced by Promenade and then Paragon after it (Fitzpatrick) torn down. My mum and her old friends as well as her siblings used to frequent the supermarket in early 1960s. Little did she mention to me about the "wet market" along orchard road. That was long long time ago.
Me stood behind Paragon By SOGO
I stood behind the shopping centre - Paragon By SOGO in 1995 after I heard about the supermarket from one of my aunties.The 20-storey shopping centre was designed by Kumpulan Senireka Sendirian Berhad, a Malaysian architectural firm. The Paragon owned by SOGO group, later in that year 2000 around Sept, Pokka Cafe in Paragon Sogo Food Stall in Orchard Road is closed because Sogo Department Store in Japan had gone bankrupt and its Singapore subsidiary had to be closed down. In addition, Pokka Singapore Group once owned one family restaurant (Compass Point Seng Kang Square), two patisseries (Takashimay Shopping Centre Basement 2 and Isetan Scotts Shopping Centre level 4), three Tonkichi (Takashimaya Shopping Centre level 4, Basement 1 Suntec City Mall and Isetan Scotts Shopping Centre level 4) and one ice-cream shop (Isetan Scotts Shopping Centre level 4)
There used to be Metro department store at Paragon. Along the Orchard Road, there was a huge flood in 1960s.
My mum's old friend whose sister works at Isetan for more than three decades till present. My god father's eldest son who set up his clinic at Orchard Midpoint and has been operated since late 1980s till present.
Last but not least, I have to stop here and will continue in my next blog (Part Two).