Fire At Army Museum, Updated

29 September 2018 Marhalim Abas Malaysian Army 13
Smoke billows from the Army museum as the firemen tried to put down the fire. Air Times

SHAH ALAM: Fire at Army museum. The exhibition gallery of the Army museum at Port Dickson were damaged in a fire today. Bernama reported that 50 per cent of the exhibition gallery were damaged in the incident. The report stated that the area affected in the 8.25am incident was the ground floor of the museum.

The report stated no injuries were reported though the extent of the damage or the cause was yet to be ascertain.

Smoke billows from the Army museum as the firemen tried to put down the fire. Air Times

If I remember correctly the ground floor include various items in the history of the Army. Hopefully none of the one off items are destroyed or damaged in the fire. Although I have visited the museum several times I cannot remember most of the items displayed in the ground floor apart from the recovered parts of a World War II aircraft. If you recalled them please put them in the comments section.

Items exhibited in the Army museum. PortDickson Info

Anyhow, it is likely that the museum would have to be closed down for repairs before it’s reopen to the public. With the military funding likely to be squeezed in the upcoming budget announcement, one has to wonder how much money can be spared for the repairs. Its not like the museum was already swimming in cash.

Part of the exhibition gallery in the Army museum

Anyhow the incident had to happen as the eyes of the nation were already focusing on Port Dickson due to the by-election.

The entrance of the museum as seen from the parade ground. PortDickson Info

For now I guess visitors to Port Dickson may want to visit the Royal Malay Regiment museum located along Jalan Pantai. It is much smaller than the Army one but still interesting.

Updated. The museum is still open to the public though parts of the gallery of Block A which sustained damage in the fire remained closed. The gallery affected were those of the early history of the British Army in then Malaya. The RAMD gallery next door is not affected.

— Malaysian Defence

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13 Comments

  2. Always liked the museum. It’s underrated but with tons of old military vehicles sitting in a row behind the main building. Do ask DS Anwar for funds to get it going again.

  3. I hope nothing else other than the pictures on the walls,wooden exibits and such are thrown out.The possibility of hard to fine metal parts/wrecks being dumped outside is a possibility as I am sure not all the cleaning up crew are history savvy. I sincerely hope that there are military historians among them who could identify which are worth keeping.

  4. When I visited the museum it was like a haphazard collection of unwanted pieces of metal. Those that was restored is done without any consideration of historical correctness and accuracy.

    Historical collection does not need to be very old to start to be collected and preserved. I did not see any serious consideration of preserving artifacts from the UN and peacekeeping deployments to Somalia, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Hopefully they have also started to preserve artifacts from Lahad Dato incident.

    Anyway related to our military history, what is the latest info on the TUDM Museum? I really hope that they could preserve and dismantle some of the british era steel hangars of Simpang Air base. Also any latest news on the fate of KD Hang Tuah and the new TLDM Museum in Lumut?

    Reply
    No news on both the RMAF and RMN museums.

  5. Some people are really relentless.

    That’s a pity. I had some happy times in that museum with family and friends.

  6. It’s possible that more damage was caused by firefighters’ hoses than the fire itself.

    Ditto any improper drying, cleaning and storage of the articles after the fact.

  7. Right now the collection, how many that they actually know the history of that item? What are the actual units using them and what events that they have gone through? Yes we know the incident behind the commando that is pierced with the RPG-2, but what about others?

    Did we keep track of which individual Condor that was used in Bukhara Market Incident? Which one is directly behind the one that was struck by rpg-7 ? Is one of those condors preserved? What about which ferret involved in hostage rescue in congo?

    All of this background history of the item adds the appreciation of the operational history of our army, and makes each of those items an important aspect of the museum collection, not just a lump of metal without any story.

  10. …. – ”Did we keep track of which individual Condor that was used in Bukhara Market Incident?”

    According to a Somali student I asked in 2005, the wrecks were still there. All were later hit by U.S. Cobras to prevent anything being salvaged.

  11. @ azlan

    Yes the wreck of the leading Condor that Koperal Mat Aznan was killed is still in place now AFAIK. What I meant was the rest of the surviving Condors in that incident. What we know is that 16 Condors from B Company was leading the convoy, while 16 more Condors from A Company is at the rear of the convoy. Do we plan to save one of those surviving ones (better if that particular Condor was also sent to Timor Leste, Lebanon or Lahad Dato affter the stint in Somalia)?

  12. More on the Cessna 310 “tirok” and others still in Simpang.

    On 3rd Nov there will be a big concert called Freedom Festival 2018 at the site of the former air force museum. It is said that they will open up Twin Pioneer “rajawali” and other aircrafts to concert goers. Hopefully those precious Malaysian historical pieces will not be damaged or vandalized in the process.

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