A tunnel, once used by terrorists during Malaysia’s Emergency era between 1948-1960, is set to become a museum following a RM3m (US$740,000, €652,000, £505,000) upgrade and refurbishment of its infrastructural facilities.
The site was used by communists during the era, serving as their largest operation room. The new facilities will serve as a museum, Malaysian Armed Forces gallery and a Malayan Communist Party gallery to display a collection of heritage artefacts from the time period.
The tunnel itself is located around 2km (1.2m) from the Thailand border in Baling, and is around 200m (656ft) long. The "Malayan Emergency" was the colonial government's term for the conflict, which was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA).
According to local officials, the area will also be used to accommodate animals including elephants and horses, turning the site into a tourist honeypot. Locals will also benefit from the influx, using four-wheel drives to ferry visitors to the site, which can be difficult to reach for normal vehicles.
