An Illusory Toilet & Sensations Of Doom: More Unsettling Real-Life Encounters On Maxwell Hill

By Lara Alkhateri  •  17 Feb 2023 in Horror/Mystery

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Previously, JUICE discussed the strange and alarming stories of people who have visited Bukit Larut, formerly known as Maxwell Hill, in Taiping. It is a known fact that the serpentine road spiralling up to the hill was built by prisoners of war, many of which perished from exhaustion halfway through.

This adds to the area’s creepy allure and further accentuates its alleged ‘haunted-ness’.

However, the three tales featured in the earlier piece shared one common trait: the ominous silhouette of a female ghost, clad in white, laughing maniacally in the face of petrified guests. Many believe this could signify the presence of the Pontianak, rather than the spirit of a captive who died during the war.

Either way, we found the similarities pretty surreal, so naturally we chose to make another deep dive into the Internet and see what transpired during other netizens’ eerie encounters.

Here are some of our findings:

Twilight Zone Encounter

This story took place back in December 1973. Written in the blogger’s own words:

“I had just finished my HSC exams, so my buddies and I planned a getaway, to stay one night in Maxwell Hill. About 30 people made up the large group, and we were all youthful, exuberantly excited about the trip. Using Land Rovers, we travelled in groups of approximately 10 to the hill station.

“The bungalow had been reserved at a discounted rate, and we enjoyed cooking in the kitchen while some people went on walks to enjoy the surrounding mountain air. After supper, we had a lot of fun playing games together.

“When 10 o’clock rolled around, the electricity was cut off. We were previously told that every night at 10, the hill station administration turned off the generators. We had brought candles, that we kept lit since we arrived. Many retired to their individual bedrooms to sleep after a while. The girls had one room, while the boys shared two. Given the size of the group, some people also opted for the hallway.

“At midnight, I needed to use the restroom. I playfully joked around with my friends, who I’d been having a chat with, saying I hoped I won’t run into a ghost. I clearly recall entering one of the bedrooms where the boys were already asleep and heading to the opposite end of the room to use the restroom. Nothing particularly eerie occurred, and I went about my business. I then returned to the hallway. I only fell asleep around 3 o’clock, staying up talking and having a laugh with my friends.

“The following morning, after breakfast, at around 11:00, we packed up and left. I was tasked with inspecting the rooms to make sure we hadn’t left anything behind. I discovered that, with the exception of one room, none of the other rooms had a toilet. The sole, existing restroom was located in that one room, and it was right next to the door. I was perplexed and double-checked the rooms, but I was right and the restroom I walked to at the far end of the room was nonexistent.

“Even now, 25 years later, I am still unable to unravel the mystery. Which restroom did I use that night? Did I enter the twilight zone inside the house? I don’t know exactly, but it continues to baffle me to this day. This is a true story.”

Close Encounter While Filming In Perak

When planning a getaway, having a ‘trip to remember’ is always on the agenda, but perhaps not in this manner. As told by blogger Sarena Hashim;

“Our newly formed business, which was named after my husband and myself, was primarily focused on producing documentaries for Malaysian state governments, statutory bodies, and corporate entities.

We created several short films in addition to more than 25 significant documentaries. My husband was an expert in scripting, cinematography, and directing, and I supplemented his works with editing, music composition for sound tracks, and post-production duties.

The Perak State Government tasked us in 1989 with creating two documentaries, one on tourism and the other focusing on investment promotion.

We eventually made our way to Bukit Larut, to cut to the chase. We parked our cars at the bottom of the hill and rode in government-owned 4-wheel drives for thirty minutes. The 13-kilometre, winding, steep ascent to Bukit Larut was difficult to navigate, and finally, we stayed at the government-owned Rest House for several days.

I noticed a change in one of the girls when we got there. We assumed she was upset with somebody or homesick. She admitted, after being comforted, that she didn’t know why, but she was feeling depressed. We parted ways to get ready for bed. Several people reported having strange dreams, nightmares, and troubled sleep the next morning. I did not sleep well either, because I frequently take some time to become comfortable, particularly in unfamiliar environments. Filming continued over the next few days as planned.

The final day then arrived. Instead of spending my last evening here cooped up indoors, I wanted to make the most of it by wandering in the mist and breathing in the cool air.

Nobody, not even my spouse or daughter, wanted to follow me as dusk approached. Before dinner was served, they wished to engage in some indoor activities. It was assured to me that being by myself was completely safe.

The cool mists were caressing my skin as I gleefully headed towards the woods. I was surrounded by a great sense of tranquilly as I was strolling. I continued to walk without thinking about how much time had passed or where my feet might take me. I then caught sight of a vacant bench facing the jungle.

I had never experienced anything comparable to that sensation of being surrounded by nature, with mists periodically obscuring my vision. Then, I experienced a sudden depressive episode. My mind was filled with all kinds of gloomy notions, including death and despair, and I started crying.

Subsequently, from a distance behind me, I could hear someone dragging their feet over some dry leaves that had fallen to the ground. I could hear the footsteps coming in my direction. I didn’t turn around because I thought they were my husband’s footsteps. I hurriedly brushed away my tears since I didn’t want him to see me crying irrationally.

As they halted immediately behind me, I realised that the shuffled footfall actually sounded more like those of an elderly or ill person. A sudden surge of chilly wind blew down the back of my neck and arms. I spun around right away, but to my complete horror, nobody was there. My feet were ice cold. My thoughts were absent as I sat rigidly. It took me five seconds to understand that what I was experiencing was indeed happening and that something invisible was in fact standing behind me. I leaped off the bench and started running as quickly as I could, periodically turning my head to see if anyone was chasing me.

It was challenging for me to make my way back to the rest house because I had gone farther than I had anticipated. I was also unaware that my frightened husband had been looking for me while I was out for a significant length of time. I was in a dazed state when he found me. I entered the rest house quickly, drawing attention from everyone. The girl said the next day that her depression was eerily identical to how I felt while seated on the bench.”

It seems that the horrors that reside within Maxwell Hill are widely known, and despite this, the area seems to be frequented by tourists and hikers to this day. Due to heavy rainfall, the location is also prone to dangerous unforeseen landslides, which prompted the government to close off the road to private vehicles in 2019.

The road is anticipated to reopen in 2026. As intriguing as these stories are, we hope anyone visiting the area, whether for work or leisure, stays safe and does not come across unwanted instances.