Bukit Kepong Emergency Gallery
Bukit Kepong Emergency Gallery is a museum located in Muar, Johor, Malaysia. It was built as a memorial to the Bukit Kepong incident that took place during the Malayan Emergency.
History
Bukit Kepong incident
In 1950, an armed conflict occurred between the Federation of Malaya Police and guerilla from the Malayan National Liberation Army in the surrounding area of the remote Bukit Kepong police station. The incident started with a guerrilla assault on the police station by a Communist gunman which left almost all of the police officers stationed there dead. The policemen refused surrender and held their ground to defend the police station even whist being outnumbered.Reinforcements from nearby villages
Nearby villages could hear the conflict in Bukit Kepong. Reinforcements from Kampung Tui were made up of villagers escorted by auxiliary policemen but were ambushed by the Communists. They were forced to retreat but continue to guard Bukit Kepong's parameters. Their presence eased some pressure on Bukit Kepong and the guerilla forces later retreated after setting ablaze the village office and robbing some stores.Other reinforcements came from Kampung Durian Chondong who travelled by sampan to provide aid but were also ambushed by Communists forces. Their arrival at 10 a.m was the first instance of the situation in Bukit Kepong being communicated to outsiders.
Aftermath
The conflict ended with the deaths of most of the officers stationed there, some of their family members, 2 civilians and 40 Communist guerilla forces.Design and layout
Architecture
Plans to build the museum were first voiced in 1999. The site of the project was chosen to be at the former location of the police station involved in the Bukit Kepong incident.Construction of the museum costed RM11.5 million and was separated into three phases. Overall, the gallery has three floors.
The gallery opened on 23 February 2017 during the commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the tragedy. It was officiated by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim. His Majesty was accompanied by the Permaisuri of Johor and their sons. A pantomime was performed during the opening ceremony as a retelling of the incident.