Located right in the heart of Malacca's UNESCO heritage zone, wedged between the famous Dutch Stadthuys and the Dutch Cemetery along Jalan Chan Koon Cheng, you will find two of Malacca's most iconic British colonial-era buildings. One of them, the former building of the Melaka High Court, also known by older generations as The Malacca High School, is well known to the local community.
Yet, for all its historical significance, somehow this grand building managed to evade wave after wave of development slowly fading into complete obscurity. Its existence unbeknown to the many visitors that continuously throng one of Malaysia busiest tourist destinations containing some of the most photographed landmarks a mere stone's throw away: Melaka's Dutch Square!
Before this building became the Melaka High Court, it served as The Malacca High School. Plans for a school on this site go back as far 1875, but its first use as such was not until September 1, 1884 (283 boys were registered at the time). Construction of the building was headed by Shepherd, the head of the Public Works Department, and though perhaps badly situated, it was considered "one of the handsomest and most solid buildings in Melaka". The school remained active on this site until September 18, 1931.
Abandoned for many years, the halls of the old courthouse no longer serve lawyers in flowing robes, files and books no longer climb the steep stairs. Instead, it quietly serves as a permanent 'hang out' to a colony of Fruit Bats. Be forewarned, these bats tend to scare easily and once alarmed they might panic and make their way towards the nearest exit. In their attempt to escape they might 'buzz' you, but do not be alarmed (unless one gets stuck in your hair), while these bats come with a potential scare factor, and thus provide serious added value to an already dilapidated and haunted location, these creepy creatures are completely harmless!
The same, however, cannot be said from the building's "other" resident!
Local folklore will have it that the abandoned courthouse and its surroundings are haunted by a lost soul. It has been suggested that it could be a Malay soldier, quartered and beheaded by Portuguese soldiers after the defeat of the Melaka Sultanate in 1511, or the restless spirit of a Portuguese spy, tortured by the Dutch after they seized control of Melaka in 1641. Perhaps it is a disturbed soul from one of the exhumed graves from the nearby Dutch cemetery. Truth be told, however, nobody really knows where it came from, why it is here, or what it wants.
There is however a strong consensus among eyewitnesses: the courthouse ghost is not a friendly Casper, but a tormented demon! Appearing as a pale torso, headless and without limbs, it has the habit of banging itself against closed doors (note that many of the doors are no longer in place) until they are opened in response. Its mere presence, some say, would fill the air with the stench of freshly cut human flesh. Clearly not a place for the weak of heart!
Needless to say, that subsequent requests for guidance through the old building were completely in vain, for those who have seen 'it' have sworn never to return there! Their grim warning: "Venture inside at your own peril, but know that you will not be alone!"
Unfortunately for you, this is a mystery cache. You will need to venture inside and make your way to the courthouse with only a meagre hint as a guide to find the cache.
In all honesty though, while placing the cache nothing has been encountered except bats and vicious mosquitoes. That said, is a perceived lack of paranormal activity a good enough reason to dismiss it altogether? Perhaps there is a good reason why the gates have remained locked for many years and why this rather unique building has been left to fend for itself.
In fact, it has been documented that somewhere during the 90s, the old tourist police station that was once located nearby was attacked by the above-mentioned ghost. It appears that this was the reason why the station was always left vacant during the night, with the lights on. These lights would only be turned off by officers who would not come in any earlier than half an hour past dawn.
As it is better to be safe than sorry, it comes highly recommended that you do not tempt faith. If you decide to venture inside, treat the building and its ghostly resident with due respect (silence is golden) and maybe, just maybe, it will allow you to get to the cache and back unscathed! In the unfortunate event of a close encounter, be so kind to take a last photo before you run for your life!
The first building you would come across is a wooden building from the English era. This is where the President of the Sessions Court once stayed. It is interesting to note that those who had to stay in such buildings on St. Paul's Hill (eg. The Sessions Court judge and his family and the Governor's family), had to get used to ignoring ambient sounds occurring in the silence of darkness. These sounds might or might not have included a ghost, but in any case, would have been a result of civet cats leaping around as well as the natural creaking of wooden buildings. To reach the old courthouse, you will need to venture into the garden, it is the brick building on your left (see photo below).
A humble request
Photos and a proper description of your experience and if any way possible a selfie taken in or outside the building would be very much appreciated (play along, try to look worried or scared).
This cache is of course all about the location, and there's no doubt that the haunted courthouse and its peculiar features (check out the nearby jail, the heavy vaults, ...), suffice to leave a memorable impression. If you have enjoyed the (true) story, the search and the thrill of the location, do consider to honour my humble cache with a favourite point.
Advice
Following the given coordinates, be it by car or on foot, will get you fairly close to the cache but will most likely result in you ending up in a relatively quiet street. With a 6 meters (20 feet) high wall topped with old barbed wire, and the steel gates to the only visible ways in permanently locked, it is important that you DO NOT attempt to force entry! The white-blue coloured building across the road is a housing facility for local law enforcement, we do not wish for you to end up being charged for breaking and entering. Instead, you will find an open door (or if locked, a hole in the fence) in the ally next to the Dutch cemetery.
There are several locations where the floor gave way, but given the fact that this is a daytime only cache, there should be no significant problems or safety issues while you navigate your way through the building. Note that some corners inside the old building might be significantly darker (and creepier) on a gloomy day.
Estimated runtime: 20 minutes or more, depending on your luck and geocaching skills.
Credits
2017/02/04 My sincere thanks to The 3 Dudes for confirming the alternative access point!
2016/05/08 Big up to BassXX and Dannyvic for accommodating a trial run.