Friday, January 09, 2026

ARMED FORCES MILITARY HOSPITAL, KINRARA


The images you’ve shared capture a powerful "then and now" look at a significant piece of Malaysian military history: the Hospital Angkatan Tentera (HAT) Kinrara (also formerly known as the 94 HAT or the British Military Hospital Kinrara).

This site has a deep history that spans from the colonial era to the modernization of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Historical Timeline of HAT Kinrara

  • 1950s – The Beginning: It originally served as a British Military Hospital (BMH). In 1950, it started as a small ward for Gurkha soldiers and eventually expanded to a capacity of over 140 beds by the 1960s.

  • The 1970s (The First Photo): Your image from 1979 shows the hospital in its prime as an active Armed Forces facility. At this time, it was a vital medical hub for soldiers and their families stationed in the Klang Valley and Puchong areas.

  • The 2000s – Transition: As the city of Puchong and Bandar Kinrara developed around it, the aging wooden-and-brick structures became outdated. In 2008-2010, operations were officially moved to the more modern Hospital Angkatan Tentera Tuanku Mizan in Wangsa Maju.

  • 2017 (The Second Photo): After being abandoned for years, the hospital became a popular (and somewhat eerie) site for urban explorers and vloggers. As seen in your collage, by 2017, nature had completely reclaimed the site, and many of the buildings were in a state of collapse.

  • Demolition: Most of the old structures were demolished around late 2017 to make way for new development, marking the end of its physical presence.

Quick Facts

FeatureDetails
Original NameBritish Military Hospital (BMH) Kinrara
Later Name94 Hospital Angkatan Tentera (HAT)
LocationBorder of Puchong (Selangor) and Bukit Jalil (KL)
SuccessorHAT Tuanku Mizan, Wangsa Maju
LegacyServed during the Malayan Emergency and the post-independence era.

These photos are a touching tribute to a place where many "Army Brats" were born and many veterans received care.

The transition of the Armed Forces Hospital (HAT) Kinrara from a colonial-era facility to the modern Tuanku Mizan Military Hospital is a significant chapter in Malaysian military medicine.

1. The Role of BMH Kinrara during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)

During the "Emergency," Kinrara (then known as British Military Hospital Kinrara) was a primary medical facility for Commonwealth forces fighting the communist insurgency.

  • Treatment of Tropical Diseases: While combat wounds were common, the hospital's major role was treating "jungle" illnesses. In 1950, a specialized 18-bed ward was opened specifically for Gurkha soldiers suffering from tuberculosis.1 This quickly expanded to a capacity of 146 beds.

  • Casualty Pipeline: Soldiers injured in the dense jungles of Selangor, Perak, and Pahang were often evacuated to Kinrara. Those requiring highly specialized thoracic (chest) surgery were stabilized here before being flown back to the United Kingdom.

  • A "Family" Hospital: Despite being a military facility, it housed a dedicated children’s ward (staffed by the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps) to care for the families of servicemen stationed in the Far East.

  • Staff Diversity: It was a unique mix of British, Australian, and New Zealand nursing sisters working alongside local Malaysian, Indian, and Chinese staff, many of whom were the first generation of Malaysian military medical personnel.


2. The Successor: Hospital Angkatan Tentera (HAT) Tuanku Mizan

When the wooden barracks and aging wards of Kinrara became too costly to maintain, the government built a "super-hospital" to replace it.

  • Location: Situated in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, the new hospital was officially opened in August 2009.

  • Modern Capabilities: Unlike the low-rise, sprawling layout of Kinrara, Tuanku Mizan is a high-tech facility with:
    • Capacity: Over 340 beds and the ability to serve thousands of veterans and active personnel.
    • Specialized Units: It houses a state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab and advanced Ophthalmology (SMILE/LASIK) suites.
    • Hyperbaric Chamber: One of its standout features is a specialized hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit, crucial for treating diving injuries (for the Navy) and certain chronic wounds.

  • Status: It is now considered the flagship medical facility for the Malaysian Armed Forces, serving as a teaching hospital for military medical officers.


Comparison at a Glance

FeatureOld HAT KinraraHAT Tuanku Mizan
Era1950 – 20082009 – Present
ArchitectureTimber/Brick "Nightingale" WardsModern Multi-story Medical Complex
Primary FocusTropical diseases & war casualtiesSpecialized surgery, Cardiac & Hyperbaric care
AtmosphereQuiet, jungle-fringe, "colonial" feelBusy, urban, high-tech hub
It’s quite a jump from the quiet, tree-lined wards of the 1970s photo you shared to the steel and glass of the current hospital!
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9/1/2026: 1.05 a.m



FLAT PEKELILING, KUALA LUMPUR

The images you’ve shared of the Pekeliling Flats (also known as Tunku Abdul Rahman Flats) evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia and urban history. For many Malaysians, these buildings were more than just concrete structures; they were a landmark of Kuala Lumpur’s modernization and a bustling community hub.

Built in 1967, they were among the earliest high-rise residential buildings in Malaysia, representing a new era of social housing.


A Glimpse into the Past

Looking at these photos, we can see the transition of the Pekeliling Flats through different stages:

  • The Vibrant Community: In the black-and-white photo (bottom right), we see the ground-level shops and stalls. This was the heart of the area, where residents would gather for meals, groceries, and daily conversation.

  • The Architectural Scale: The wide shots show the sheer size of the blocks (Blocks A to G). At its peak, it was a massive "city within a city," located strategically near the Titiwangsa transport hub.

  • The Decline and Abandonment: The top-right and bottom-left images capture the flats in their later years—weathered, covered in graffiti, and slowly being reclaimed by nature before their final demolition.

Fast Facts about Pekeliling Flats

FeatureDetails
Completed1967
LocationJalan Tun Razak / Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur
Structure7 blocks of flats and 4 blocks of shops
DemolitionStarted in 2005; the last block (Block G) was demolished around 2014-2015
SignificanceSecond high-rise housing project in KL after Razak Mansion

Why They Are Remembered

For those who lived there or passed by them daily, the Pekeliling Flats were an iconic part of the KL skyline. They stood as a testament to the Brutalist architectural style of the 60s—functional, massive, and raw.

While the physical buildings are gone, they live on in the memories of the thousands of families who started their lives there and in the works of local photographers and filmmakers who captured their haunting beauty before they disappeared.

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9/1/2026: 12.46 a.m


Thursday, January 08, 2026

1968 : THOMAS CUP


The image is a historical photo commemorating the 1967 Thomas Cup victory by the Malaysian team, not the 1968 or 1960 event. The Thomas Cup competition is the world championship for men's national badminton teams. The photo shows a celebratory parade in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 1967 Thomas Cup
  • Winners: Malaysia (then Malaya) won the Thomas Cup for the fourth time in 1967.
  • Tournament Details: The final round was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Due to crowd trouble and a volatile situation, the final match against Indonesia was suspended. Indonesia later refused to resume play in New Zealand, leading the International Badminton Federation (IBF) to award the remaining matches and the cup to Malaysia by default.
  • Parade: The image captures the triumphant return of the team, who arrived at Subang Airport and were greeted with a parade.
  • Key Players: Notable members of the winning team included Ng Boon Bee, Tan Yee Khan, and Tan Aik Huang.
1967 Thomas Cup Winning Players
The players in the 1967 Malaysian Thomas Cup winning team were national heroes, and many sources mention their names. The primary members included: Teh Kew San (Captain)
  1. Tan Aik Huang
  2. Ng Boon Bee
  3. Tan Yee Khan
  4. Yew Cheng Hoe
  5. Billy Ng Seow Meng
  6. Kwan Yoke Meng (mentioned as a 1992 team member in one source, but part of the general 1967 roster)
  7. James Selvaraj (also a manager/coach in later years)
The individuals in the open-top vehicle in the photograph are likely some of these players and possibly officials from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), such as the then-president Tan Sri Khir Johari

Malaysia's Thomas Cup History
Malaysia (initially as Malaya) has a rich history in the Thomas Cup, having won the prestigious trophy a total of five times: 
  • 1949: Malaya won the inaugural Thomas Cup, defeating Denmark 8-1 in the final.
  • 1952: Malaya successfully defended the cup against the USA.
  • 1955: The team secured their third consecutive title, again defeating Denmark.
  • 1967: The victory celebrated in the photo, won by default after a controversial final against Indonesia was abandoned due to crowd trouble.
  • 1992: Malaysia ended a 25-year drought, winning the cup on home soil in Kuala Lumpur.
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8 January 2026: 11.11 p.m