Hunt for new haunts

RECENTLY I came across a TikTok video retelling the story of the long abandoned Wisma Ambang Motif in Ipoh, Perak.

More than three decades ago, a restaurant was operating on the ground floor of the building.

As the story goes, a pregnant woman was ordering food when a bus crashed into the building, killing her and her unborn baby.

Ever since the tragedy, businesses had taken over the place and closed down one after another.

Strange sightings of a pregnant woman seemed to have driven away trade, leaving the building abandoned.

I have been to Ipoh many times and never knew about this place until the video appeared on my social media feed.

And while watching it, I wondered – what if we turned these spots into opportunities?

In May, Tourism Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin suggested that diversifying tourism offerings could attract tourists.

Noting that travellers were always on the hunt for new experiences, he called on all states to introduce new tourism products, especially in niche segments.

This isn’t something new.

In 2024, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Manoharan Periasamy said the agency would focus on promoting this unusual market segment online and draw potential visitors to places like Kellie’s Castle in Perak and the Penang War Museum.

Almost every state has a story to tell.

The abandoned Wisma Ambang Motif building in Ipoh recently appeared on a TikTok video. — Filepic

In Johor, there is a famous seafront mansion called Villa Nabila and in Melaka, there is Bukit Cina Cemetery, home to over 12,000 graves.

The unfinished house that belonged to the convicted killer Mona Fandey in Raub, Pahang, still intrigues people.

If you are ever in Nibong Tebal, Penang, locals can tell you the story of the abandoned 99-door Mansion and the unsolved murder of one of the family members there.

The transformation of the 140-year-old Ayer Molek Prison, or Kota Jail, into a new tourist attraction in Johor Baru is a good example of how we can turn old places into new attractions.

Outside Malaysia, dark tourism already draws the crowd.

The Catacombs of Paris that hold the remains of more than six million people is a popular tourist spot.

In the US, the Lizzie Borden House where the 1892 unsolved double murder of Lizzie’s father and stepmother is today a tourist attraction that serves as a bed-and-breakfast inn.

Tourists can even stay in the room where the stepmother was killed.

The Malaysian economy is set to benefit if we decide to venture into dark tourism – with food, souvenirs, craft and homestays in these areas.

Granted, the topic may be controversial.

Victims and their families will have to deal with the memories when tragic cases hit the limelight.

Then there are the safety aspects that must take priority, being in decades-old buildings.

A complete paradigm shift is crucial if we are serious about exploring dark tourism.

It will be a long road but one worth exploring.