Bukit Kutu
Bukit Kutu or Treacher Hill is a former hill station and now a ghost town in Hulu Selangor District, Selangor, Malaysia. This hill station was established in 1893 and consisted of two bungalows, which served as a lodge for visitors and included a bridle path that connected it with the town of Kuala Kubu. The hill station was abandoned in 1935 and the government of British Malaya acquired the station's bungalows which were sold as they no longer paid their way. The Japanese army later bombed the station during World War II, leaving it a ghost town. Since the abandonment of the hill station, it has become a popular hiking destination and is busiest during weekends. Bukit Kutu has a rich biodiversity with various kinds of flora and fauna which led to its gazettement as a wildlife reserve in 1922.
Etymology
Treacher Hill is named after a former British Resident of Selangor, William Hood Treacher, whereas the alternative Malayan name Bukit Kutu comes from the Orang Asli people who said the route was too long. Kutu in Malay language means flea, and Bukit means hill, literally "flea hill".History
The hill station was established in 1893 and housed only two bungalows. The first bungalow was constructed by the Selangor government in 1895, using granite and timber; the second bungalow was constructed in 1904. They served as a lodge for visitors renting for a $1 per day for visitors and available free of charge for government officers. Occupying them required a permit from the Kuala Kubu District Officer. Each bungalow provided bedrooms, a landline telephone, a fireplace, a tennis court and a telescope. The hill station was connected by a bridle path, which served as the only road connecting Kuala Kubu with Bukit Kutu. The Straits Times described the road's quality as "extremely bad" and felt it was a "pity" that a better road had not been constructed considering the hill station was a favorite tourist destination.By 1935, the abandoned bungalows in Bukit Kutu were in ruins and the place had become a ghost town. Both buildings were sold to the government of British Malaya as they no longer paid their way. The Japanese army bombed the hill station during World War II. With the abandonment of the town, the only road access to the hill station became overgrown with thick vegetation, leaving it hidden from public view. As of 2020, the only remains of this ghost town are a chimney, a fireplace and a well. The chimney was part of the bungalow previously owned by Tom Sargent, a construction engineer for Federated Malay States Railway.
The trail to the ghost town has become a popular route with hikers, with peak use occurring on weekends. As there will be risks of getting lost inside the trail, all hikers are required to register with police and obtain a permit to access the trail that leads to the hill station. There has been several safety related incidents that have been reported since it became a popular hiking trail. A teacher from Taman Keramat went missing inside the trail in November 2015. While police has been attempted to search for the missing person, as of 2019, her remains has yet to be found. One hiker was rescued after they collapsed from a muscle cramp in November 2016. In July 2017, a hiker from Egypt was reportedly missing on Bukit Kutu, only to be rediscovered after 16 hours.