HISTORY AT KELANTAN
WELCOME TO BANK KERAPU
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Location
Kelantan is one of the biggest states in Malaysia,
located on the west peninsular. Kota Bahru is the capital of Kelantan, and it's
known for its colorful culture and traditions. Bank Kerapu (War Museum) is
located in Kota Bahru, and is among the many historical buildings around today.
Overview
This is a historic building located in the downstream side of Padang
Merdeka, Kota Bharu , Kelantan. This building, built in 1912 was first
used as a commercial bank and believed as the first building/bank opened in the
state. The Mercantile Bank of India Limited, thus the name Kerapu Bank. The
word ‘Kerapu’ however refers to the rough exterior walls of the building.
During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, this building was used as
the headquarters of the Japanese secret police, or known
as Kempetai. After the war, the building was
reused as a bank.
In 1981, the first floor of the building was converted into an Art
Gallery while the ground floor was used to display handicrafts. The building
was turn into a memorial dedicated to the World War II in 1992 and was
officially opened by the (then) Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail
Petra in 1994. Item on exhibit include artifacts, photographs and other
memorabilia of the war. Meanwhile, the first floor of the building displaying
the history of Modern Kelantan, its statesmen, religious roles and
administration from 1900 until now.
Perhaps, this is an ideal place to begin the visit or to conduct
a research of Kelantan history is at the Kerapu Bank World War II
Memorial (War Museum) in Kota Bharu. It has a number of wartime
memorabilia, information and artefacts of the war inside and outside of the
building. Besides that, it display Kelantan-Thai history of
pre-independence Malaya , and the life of the native under the British
Occupation in the state before and after the war.
Bank Kerapu was built by Mercantile Bank in 1912,
on a land that apparently belongs to Nik Yusof, a renowned local chieftain. It
is also believed to be the first stone. In 1941, during the Pacific War
(1941-1945), Japanese troop landed near Kota Bahru. During the occupation, Bank
Kerapu was used by the Japanese as their 'Kempen Tai', which is a secret police
station for war coordination. Upon the fall of Japan and the return of British,
Bank Kerapu continued to function as bank until 1992, when it was turn into a
war memorial by the Kelantan Museum Corporation. It houses more than 1,000
exhibits relating to the war and a mixture of Japanese tool used during the
occupation, including Japanese bicycle. Photographs, articles and artifacts in
this memorial can bring you back to 1912 using your imagination.
There are many more attractions in Kota Bahru for you
to experience the Kelantanese lifestyle. Thorough visits can take more than 3
full days and a compact tour will take 2 full days. There are many hotels
available for short and long stay and Kelantan hotel ranges
from RM 100-300 per night for short stay.
Transport
By Bus
There are regular express buses operating from
Kuala Lumpur Putra station to most of the major towns in a Kelantan before
stopping at Kota Bahru and the journey will take about 8-10 hours.
By Plane
Malaysia Airlines commence twice daily flight to
Kota Bahru from Kuala Lumpur. You will arrive at Kota Bahru Sultan Ismail Petra
airport. From there, you can access the town via taxi; the journey will take
approximately 20 minutes from airport.
By Train
Express
train departs to Kelatan and many other major towns. Get off at Wakaf Bahru
Station and catch a No.
Overview
Shopping Guide
The place to do your shopping in Kelantan would be at the Pasar Siti
Khadijah which is located in Kota Bahru. Here, various goods are sold. Right
beside the Pasar Siti Khadijah is the Kota Bahru Trade Center which is known to
be the largest shopping mall in Kota Bahru. The Pasar Siti Khadijah and the
Kota Bahru Trade Center are connected to each other via an overpass located at
the second floor. Other places to shop include the KB Mall (Pacific), Pelangi
Mall, Billion Shopping Center, Pantai Timur, The Store, Kota Seri Mutiara and
many more. Other hypermarkets have also set foot in Kelantan. The hypermarkets
include the Tesco hypermarket, Mydin mall and the Giant hypermarket.
Dining / Restaurant
There are many local specialties in Kelantan. One of the most popular
delicacies in Kelantan is its Nasi Dagang. The Nasi Dagang is a mix of white
rice and brown glutinous rice that is cooked with coconut milk, garlic, spices
and onions. The rice is usually eaten with chicken or fish curry and a mild
brown sugared chili paste. Another specialty would be the Nasi Kerabu. There
are many types of Nasi Kerabu bit they are usually served with a matching
traditional chili paste along with some edible greens. It is also served with
fried breaded fish, salted egg and a special sauce called the budu. Another
famous rice dish is the Nasi Tumpang. This is rice packed in a cone-shaped
banana leaf. It usually consists of an omelette, meat floss, chicken or shrimp
curry and sweet gravy. Famous restaurants in Kelantan include the Food Village
Restaurant, Yati Ayam Percik as well as Satay Malaysia.
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Activities
There are many places of interest in
Kelantan. One of them is the Istana Jahar (Jahar Palace). The palace used to
be the royal residence in Kota Bahru. It was built back in 1855 by the Sultan
Muhammad II of Kelantan for Long Kundur, his grandson. Today, the palace is the
house of the Museums of Royal Traditions and Customs of Kelantan. Another place
to visit would be the Pintu Gerbang Kota Sultan Ismail Petra. This arch was
built to commemorate the declaration of Kota Bahru as a cultural city. This was
to preserve the Malay culture. The move was spearheaded by Sultan Ismail Petra
which the arch was named after. The Central Market is also worth a visit. It is
also known as the Pasar Siti Khadijah which is mentioned earlier. This is a
great place to shop.
