The forgotten courthouse on a Terengganu hill

Climb a small hill behind the post office in Kemasik and, amidst the weeds and undergrowth, pieces of another era can still be found.

There are old foundations, pillars, a flight of steps and the remains of what was once the courthouse vault or lock-up – fragments of a building believed to date back to the 1860s.

Today, the former Kemasik Courthouse is abandoned. But historians believe the hilltop site could eventually offer visitors an intriguing window into a lesser-known chapter of Terengganu’s past.

Malaysian Historical Society Terengganu branch committee member Che Mat Nor Abd Llah said Kemasik was once recognised as its own administrative district before being reorganised under Kemaman.

Historical records from the 1920s and 1930s show that the town had the trappings of a district centre, including its own district office, customs office, police station and courthouse.

The court dealt with relatively everyday matters – minor civil disputes, customary land issues, fines and petty criminal cases involving residents from Kemasik, Kertih and Paka.

Its first judge, Lebai Isa Muhamad, is recorded as having served between 1864 and 1866.

After Malaya gained independence, the courthouse eventually ceased operations and its records and judicial responsibilities were transferred to the courts in Chukai.

Time has not been particularly kind to what was left behind. Much of the original building has collapsed, while the roughly 223-sq-m site is now thick with vegetation.

Yet its position on Bukit Kemasik gives it something many historic ruins cannot manufacture: a naturally scenic setting overlooking nearby villages and the coastline.

Kemasik assemblyman Saiful Azmi Suhaili believes that combination of history and landscape could eventually turn the hill into a small heritage attraction.

Among the ideas floated are restoring surviving structures such as the staircase and strongroom, clearing the grounds, and creating pedestrian paths and places for visitors to rest.

For now, though, the courthouse remains more a forgotten landmark than a tourist stop, and any redevelopment would still require planning, conservation work and funding.

That may ultimately be part of its appeal. Behind the modern town is evidence that Kemasik once occupied a rather different place on Terengganu’s administrative map.

And on a quiet hill, some of that history is still stubbornly holding on.

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