I’m not much of a museum person, especially those generic history museums. You know, the ones you find in almost every city, that you feel obligated to visit because you like to think of yourself as an enlightened traveler, not a shallow tourist who only remembers the Instagram spots.
But every now and then, I stumble across a museum that’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum in Sibu is exactly that kind of place. It’s Malaysia’s first and only medical museum, set inside what used to be the town’s main hospital, and it preserves not just old equipment and records, but also the memories of a community that grew up around it.
History
The story of the Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum goes back almost a century. The original hospital was a gift from Lau King Howe, a wealthy businessman of Foochow descent who had no children and decided to dedicate his resources to the community instead.
In the 1930s, he donated the land and funds for a proper medical facility in Sibu, at a time when healthcare access in Sarawak was extremely limited. The hospital opened in 1936 and served as one of the town’s main medical centres for decades, treating generations of Sibu residents.
By the late 20th century, the hospital could no longer meet the demands of a growing population. A new general hospital was built, and Lau King Howe Hospital officially closed its doors in 1994. Instead of tearing it down, community leaders and former staff rallied to preserve a portion of the building as a memorial.
After renovations and curation of medical artifacts, the Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum was opened in 1996, making it Malaysia’s first and only medical museum.
Location
The Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum sits along Jalan Lau King Howe, right next to Sibu Town Square Phase II. If you’re staying in central Sibu, it’s a short 10 – 15 minute walk from the waterfront area and near other sights like the Sibu Heritage Centre.
Otherwise, a Grab ride from anywhere in town is easy to get and usually takes less than 10 minutes.
Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed on Mondays & public holidays.
Entrance fee
Free, although donations are welcome to help with upkeep.
What to expect
Right before you even step into the museum, you’re greeted by a lotus pond sitting just outside the entrance. It’s a calm little touch, and a symbolic one too, as the old hospital was built at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers and often faced tidal floods.
To get in, you ring a bell and wait a moment until the receptionist comes to open the door. She then asks you to sign the visitors’ book, and gives you a short introduction about the museum and its rules. Photos and videos are allowed, but no touching the displays since not everything is behind glass.
She also adds that you can ask her anything during your visit. That friendliness alone already makes the place feel worlds apart from government-owned museums, which in Malaysia, to be honest, are often undermaintained and severely lacking in customer service.
The tour starts in the operation theatre, where you’ll see the old surgical bed, overhead lights, anesthetic devices, and sterilizing machines.
For me, it was fascinating simply because it was my first time to see these objects or even know of their existence, but I can imagine that someone from the medical field would find it even more interesting — the difference between this and modern technology must be night and day. As for me, I wouldn’t even know what a current anesthetic machine looks like, so I can’t draw the comparison.
From there, you walk into the obstetric room. The setup is simple and practical, with a delivery bed, an infant incubator, a newborn cot, and a phototherapy lamp.
Nearby is the darkroom, where staff used to process x-rays, and then the radiology unit itself, filled with bulky, intimidating machines that once scanned patients. I found myself wondering how long it must have taken just to prepare one scan.
Next to it is the hemodialysis unit. Even though I’m no medical expert, standing there made me think about how literally life-changing this technology must have been when it was first introduced in Sarawak, where advanced treatment was hard to come by.
The corridors in between are lined with display cabinets. Inside are tools of every kind, from forceps to syringes, scalpels, stethoscopes, and dozens of items I had never heard of, all properly labelled.
For medical students or professionals, this hallway must be like a treasure trove, but for a layperson like me, it’s more a moment of marveling at just how much goes into medicine.
Another section focuses on the pharmacy and dispensary, with jars, bottles, and measuring tools used to prepare medicine.
There’s even an old laundry area with a large drying machine. I never would have guessed this is how hospital linens were dried back then. I wonder what machines they use today, and whether it’s really all that different, or just more automated.
The dental room is a little more relatable, since most of us know what a modern dentist’s office looks like. But here, the chair is ancient and frankly looks like a torture device. It even has a contraption to hold your head steady so you couldn’t move.
Seeing it gave me chills because dental work still feels like torture sometimes. Then again, it also shows just how much the patient experience has (thankfully) improved.
The final rooms take you out of the equipment and into the human stories. Here you’ll find photographs and accounts of how healthcare in Sarawak developed — from the first professionally trained midwives and indigenous healthcare workers to the immense challenges they faced just to deliver basic medical care. Many of these people had to travel by boat, trek through forests, or take light aircraft to reach remote communities.
The museum ends with a display of nurses’ uniforms through the years. They’re arranged by rank, from nursing students to midwives to staff nurses and senior matrons. It’s a surprisingly moving way to close the visit, because you’re left thinking not just about machines and tools, but about the people who wore those uniforms and carried the weight of caring for others.
How long to spend at the museum
Most visitors spend about an hour at the Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum. That’s enough time to slowly walk through the galleries, read the panels, and look at the old equipment and photographs. If you’re particularly interested in medical history and would like to read every little caption of the exhibits, you might want to set aside 1.5 to 2 hours.
The museum is compact and easy to navigate, so it won’t take up a whole day. You could easily pair it with a stroll around Sibu Town Square or the nearby waterfront after your visit.
Final thoughts
I went in thinking I’d just take a quick look around, but ended up staying longer than I expected. As a Malaysian who has only ever lived in the city, visiting this place was a real shift in perspective for me. It gave me a glimpse into a side of our history and healthcare that I’d never really thought about before, and it made me appreciate just how much communities like Sibu have contributed to the bigger story of Malaysia.
Even if you’re not usually a museum person (like me), this one has a way of drawing you in, because it’s about something universal: the way communities care for each other, and how far we’ve come in the pursuit of better health.
If you’re planning a trip here, make sure to also check out my Sibu travel guide for more ideas on what to see and do in town, and browse the rest of my blog for destination inspiration, food recommendations, and practical travel tips around Malaysia.
