Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum
Kota Bharu · Malaysia · Founded 1991
Photo: Gula Kapas · CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum in Kota Bharu, Malaysia — bank Kerapu, a former Mercantile Bank of India branch beside Padang Merdeka in Kota Bharu, has been Kelantan's Second World War Memorial since 1991. Open Saturday to Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM; closed Fridays. Admission: RM2 for adults and RM1 for children; international visitors pay RM4 for adults and RM2 for children (cash only). Allow 1 hour.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Saturday to Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | Fridays and public holidays |
| Admission | RM2 for adults and RM1 for children; international visitors pay RM4 for adults and RM2 for children (cash only) |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 1 hour |
| Best time to visit | Saturday to Thursday in the morning, combined with Istana Jahar and Istana Batu; closed Fridays and public holidays. |
| Getting there | Walk: On Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama beside Padang Merdeka; Istana Jahar and Istana Batu are about 200 m to the east, and the Kelantan State Museum on Jalan Hospital is less than 1 km to the south |
| Address | Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama, 15300 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia |
| Official website | muzium.kelantan.gov.my |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum known for?
The Mercantile Bank of India opened a branch in Kota Bharu in 1912, the first commercial bank in Kelantan, and its present building beside Padang Merdeka was completed in July 1922, according to the plaque outside as reported by Free Malaysia Today. Local people called it Bank Kerapu because its walls were finished with a rough, uneven cement render rather than a smooth surface. The bank occupied the ground floor and the manager lived upstairs; the manager's flat keeps its original layout.
During the Japanese occupation of 1941–45 the building was used by the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. Its safes were turned into prison cells, and Free Malaysia Today reports that torture was carried out on the premises. After the war it was a bank again, passing to the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank when that bank took over Mercantile in 1959. In 1981 the Kelantan state government took over the building for Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (PMNK), which used the upper floor as a handicraft hall, and in 1988 the Kelantan Art Gallery opened here before moving out in 1992.
In 1991 PMNK established the Second World War Memorial (Memorial Peperangan Dunia Kedua) here, and the whole building became its exhibition space. Its purpose is to record the war's impact on Kelantan, where the Japanese invasion of Malaya began with the first attack at Kuala Pak Amat, Kota Bharu, early on 8 December 1941. Indoor displays, arranged chronologically from the invasion to Japan's surrender in 1945, combine photographs with artefacts such as Japanese swords, rifles and bombs. Other rooms cover British rule in Kelantan, Kelantan–Siam relations before independence, and Sultan Ismail Petra's role with the Royal Artillery Regiment.
Outside stand a replica of the pillboxes built along the Kelantan coast during the war, an old armoured car and vintage vehicles from before Malayan independence. The museum charges PMNK's standard rates of RM2 for adults and RM1 for children, or RM4 and RM2 for international visitors, in cash, and PMNK gives opening hours of 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM from Saturday to Thursday, with closures on Fridays and public holidays. Istana Jahar and Istana Batu are about 200 metres to the east.
Best for: History Enthusiasts · Architecture Enthusiasts · Budget Travellers
What are the must-see works at Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum?
5 highlights that define the collection: Bank Kerapu building, Japanese invasion of Malaya displays, Japanese swords and wartime weapons and more.
Bank Kerapu building
Mercantile Bank of India · completed 1922
📍 Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama
The former bank, named for its rough cement render, with the manager's upstairs flat kept in its original layout.
Japanese invasion of Malaya displays
Kuala Pak Amat landings · 8 December 1941
Photographs and artefacts, arranged in chronological order, on the landings near Kota Bharu that opened the war in Malaya and on the occupation that followed.
Japanese swords and wartime weapons
Japanese occupation · 1941–45
Japanese swords, rifles and bombs shown with photographs of the outbreak of the war.
Replica coastal pillbox
Second World War coastal defences
📍 Museum grounds
A replica of the pillboxes built along the Kelantan coastline during the war.
Armoured car and vintage vehicles
Pre-independence Malaya
📍 Museum grounds
An old armoured car and vintage vehicles used before Malayan independence, displayed outside the building.
Collections and highlights
- • Japanese invasion of Malaya at Kota Bharu, 8 December 1941
- • Japanese occupation of Kelantan, 1941–45
- • Wartime photographs and artefacts
- • Japanese swords, rifles and bombs
- • British colonial rule in Kelantan
- • Kelantan–Siam relations before independence
- • Outdoor pillbox replica, armoured car and vintage vehicles
Tips for visiting Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum
- 1.
Best time to visit
Saturday to Thursday in the morning, combined with Istana Jahar and Istana Batu; closed Fridays and public holidays. PMNK's locations page lists shorter gallery hours (9:00 AM – 4:30 PM), so arrive within that window.
- 2.
Tickets & booking
Pay in cash at the counter: RM2 adults and RM1 children, or RM4 and RM2 for international visitors. No booking is needed; school and group visits can be arranged on +609-748 2266.
- 3.
Accessibility
No accessibility information is published; contact PMNK (+609-748 2266) before visiting. The museum is a two-storey 1920s bank building.
- 4.
Photography rules
PMNK publishes no rule on casual photography, but filming needs a written application to its Director. Ask at the counter; the outdoor exhibits and facade are easy to photograph.
How do you get to Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum?
- walk On Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama beside Padang Merdeka; Istana Jahar and Istana Batu are about 200 m to the east, and the Kelantan State Museum on Jalan Hospital is less than 1 km to the south
- taxi Grab or taxi to Bank Kerapu (Muzium Perang), Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama, Kota Bharu
Address: Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama, 15300 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Muzium Perang (Bank Kerapu) – Portal Rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (Internet Archive snapshot of 7 February 2026; live site unreachable) — Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, checked 22 October 2026
- Pengurusan Muzium: Muzium Perang (Memorial Peperangan Dunia II) – Portal Rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (Internet Archive snapshot of 10 March 2026) — Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, checked 22 October 2026
- Soalan Lazim (FAQ) – Portal Rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (Internet Archive snapshot of 10 May 2026) — Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, checked 22 October 2026
- Alamat & Lokasi – Portal Rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (Internet Archive snapshot of 10 March 2026) — Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, checked 22 October 2026
- Balai Seni Lukis Kelantan – Portal Rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (Internet Archive snapshot of 10 May 2026) — Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, checked 22 October 2026
- Bank Kerapu: once a bank, now a WWII memorial — Free Malaysia Today (17 January 2021), checked 22 October 2026
- Bank Kerapu — Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, checked 22 October 2026
- Bank Kerapu (OSM way 157560557) — OpenStreetMap, checked 22 October 2026
Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum: frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee for Bank Kerapu?
Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan (PMNK), the state museum corporation that runs the memorial, charges RM2 for adults and RM1 for children, while international visitors pay RM4 for adults and RM2 for children. Tickets are paid in cash only. The same rates apply at Istana Jahar, Istana Batu and the Kelantan State Museum nearby.
Where is Bank Kerapu and how do I get there?
Bank Kerapu stands on Jalan Pejabat Pos Lama beside Padang Merdeka, the old field in the centre of Kota Bharu. Istana Jahar and Istana Batu are about 200 metres to the east, and the Kelantan State Museum on Jalan Hospital is less than a kilometre to the south, so it is easy to walk between them. Otherwise take a Grab or taxi to Bank Kerapu.
How long should I spend at Bank Kerapu?
Plan 1 hour for the highlights of Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum. Add extra time for temporary exhibitions, the shop and the café.
What are the highlights of Bank Kerapu?
The building itself, a 1920s bank with a rough-textured render that gave it its nickname, is the first highlight. Inside are photographs and artefacts of the Japanese landing and occupation, including Japanese swords, rifles and bombs, displays on British rule and Kelantan–Siam relations, and photographs of Sultan Ismail Petra with the Royal Artillery Regiment. Outside are a replica wartime pillbox, an armoured car and vintage vehicles.
Can I take photos inside Bank Kerapu?
PMNK does not publish a rule on casual photography in its galleries, but it says that filming at its museums needs a letter of application to the Director of PMNK first. Ask at the ticket counter before photographing the displays. The outdoor exhibits, including the pillbox replica and armoured car, and the building's facade can be photographed from the grounds and the street.
What happened at Kota Bharu in December 1941?
In the early hours of 8 December 1941 Japanese forces landed at Kuala Pak Amat, near Kota Bharu, beginning the Second World War in Malaya. During the occupation that followed, the Kempeitai military police used the Bank Kerapu building, turning its safes into prison cells. The memorial was set up here in 1991 to record the war's impact on Kelantan.
Is Bank Kerapu open on Fridays?
No. Kelantan's weekend is Friday and Saturday, and PMNK closes its museums on Fridays but opens them on Saturdays. PMNK's FAQ gives hours of 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM from Saturday to Thursday and lists public holidays as closed; its locations page gives gallery hours of 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and closures on the first two days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha, so arrive within the shorter window.
What are Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum's opening hours?
Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum is open Saturday to Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM, and closed Fridays and public holidays. Hours can change for holidays and events, so check the official website before you go.
Is Bank Kerapu WWII Memorial Museum free to visit?
No — standard admission is RM2 for adults and RM1 for children; international visitors pay RM4 for adults and RM2 for children (cash only).
