COMMENT | My wife and I went to Malacca recently for a short getaway from the kids. You know how it is; eat chicken rice balls, walk around Jonker, maybe pop into a museum to balance out all the eating.

I went to the Malaysia Prison Museum, expecting to see old uniforms, rusty locks, maybe a cell or two. Something to make me think about how life must have been for prisoners back then.

The first thing I came across was a demonstration by a prison warden. He showed how caning is done, using a dummy made of rubber or silicone. The warden explained the rules and technique, and then gave a few strikes.

The cane landed with a dull thwack against the fake padded cushion skin. Honestly, it wasn’t too bad to watch. It was still violent in concept, but because it was just a dummy, it felt abstract - more like a lesson than a punishment.

Then we were led into a separate screening hall. That’s where things changed. On a big screen, a real prisoner...