A sceptic of the supernatural world, LIZ PRICE ventured on a tour that took her from Bangsar to Seputeh to Pudu prison in search of spirits, ghosts and pontianaks. The result? An intriguing insight into the world of Asian superstitions, taboos and beliefs.
[published on Wildasia.net 24 Aug 2004]
When I told my friends I was going on a ghost hunt that night, they laughed. One, a Malaysian, said, "What, in KL?" Another one, a mat salleh, made a comment on the fact that I am a sceptic of the spiritual world, so why would I spend time looking for ghosts. But as there is no harm in looking, why not give it a go. As they say, seeing is believing, so maybe if I saw something, it would change my opinion that ghosts and spirits don't exist.
So that is why later that night, I found myself sitting in a van with other would-be ghost hunters. We had joined a Spooksters tour, run by Francis Nantha, Chief Spookster. Francis told us that we should be safe enough, as metal is a repellant to sprits, therefore the vehicle should give us some protection. But for added measure we all tied a thin yellow thread around our right wrists.
The nightly tours start at Bangsar with a seafood dinner, where the group is given an introduction to the spirit world. Food is an integral part of Asian life for protection against the supernatural. Asian cultures are full of superstitions and beliefs, which have all got jumbled up by intermixing of the various cultures. It was interesting to learn that most of the customers are foreigners. Is this because Asians are too scared to delve in to the spiritual world, or is it that foreigners are more curious and want to find out about these Asian beliefs?
Before joining the tour I had no clear idea about the difference between spirits and ghosts, but Francis explained all this as we headed for the first stop. I learnt that there are three types of spirits, namely ghosts, gods and demons. Ghosts are basically people who have died, and I was amused to learn that some ghosts think that they are the ones living and us human beings are the dead ones! It seems that we can sense spirits in four different ways, by hearing, sight, touch and smell. A lot of people claim to have seen a ghostly apparition, especially at traffic lights, or have heard a strange noise. If you feel something brush your skin, but see nothing, this could be a spirit passing by. If it gives a sense of cold it is a ghost, whereas a demon gives off heat. If you notice an out of place smell it means a spirit is present. People report smelling fruit or flowers where no such things are in the vicinity.
Our first stop was the Indian temple at Mid Valley Mega Mall. Here we were told how spiritual beliefs affect building construction, both in Malaysia and other Asian countries. Steps needed to be taken to appease spirits before, during and after any development. At this particular temple is a tree believed to have been blessed by the Gods.
Then we went up to the Seputeh Chinese cemetery. I have walked through the cemetery at daytime, as it is nice and peaceful and a haven for small wildlife, as well as providing good views over the city of KL. It covers a huge area and is a real green lung close to the heart of KL. It is about 130 years old. I find it fascinating to walk around looking at the old graves, and there is one section dedicated to Yap Ah Loy, the supposed founder of KL. So to find myself walking through this cemetery in the wee hours of the morning, clutching a lit incense stick was a new experience.
The object of the exercise was to get good luck and a spiritual blessing. We were to walk past the gravestones until we found one we felt was calling to us, then to put the joss stick in the earth in front of the grave. Sadly, I felt nothing. It was a bit ironic that the three cynics of the group were the ones walking, whereas the others in the group, who were believers, were too scared to get out of the vehicle.
We stopped at a shrine, where people, and spirits apparently, come to pray and give offerings. The shrine is a good example of how the Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures have got intermingled, as one of the statues is a Chinese figure wearing a Malay songkok. I have often noticed this in cave temples in Malaysia. Inside what seems to be a Chinese temple, there is often a smaller shrine with gods from the Indian religion, and vice versa in Indian temples.
Spooksters started their tours at Halloween 2002. When I heard that it was almost their first anniversary, the question that came to mind is 'do ghosts have birthdays?' Or should that be 'deathdays'? After all, if us mortals celebrate our births, I wonder if ghosts celebrate the day they departed from this realm.
Off to prison.
We headed for the Pudu Prison, which is on the edge of the Golden Triangle area of KL, opposite the new Times Square. It is easily recognisable by the long mural painted on the outer walls. This prison first opened its doors in 1891 and was expanded to accommodate up to 2000 prisoners. However in 1985 there were more than 6650 prisoners, resulting in chronic overcrowding. Sometimes more than 10 people had to share a cell and take turns to sleep. The prison finally closed in 1996, and the following year opened briefly as a tourist attraction.
The site was the scene of many executions over the years, and even today there are thought to be many spirits still lingering around the place, both ghosts and demons of mortals who tried to escape. I visited the prison when it was open to the public and although I didn't see any otherworldly beings, people are sure they exist. There are plans to build a shopping complex on the site, but first, the remaining phantoms have to leave. I wonder where they will go.
Next place on the itinerary was the Pontianak Den. This is something I knew nothing about so perhaps was the most interesting for me. It is located in an exclusive area of KL, where the pontianaks are said to reside in banana trees, and may be seen sitting in trees and on walls. Pontianaks are vampires, commonly thought to be the mother of a dead child who is out to seek revenge in the form of blood. But Francis has a creepier story - in the old days if an unmarried woman got pregnant, and the man would not marry her, she would turn to a bomoh for an abortion. Due to primitive methods it was not unusual for the woman to die. As she was dying she would be angry and would curse. The curse of the dying woman is very powerful. Her body was dumped in a valley, but the woman would rise, and kill the boyfriend then look for the bomoh. However the bomoh had protected himself from her curse. As the pontianak hadn't completed her task - she had killed the boyfriend but not the bomoh - she could not rest in peace.
Pontianaks have been likened to sexual sirens who attract men. This area, where the bomohs used to live, is infamous and many taxi drivers will refuse to go there due to bad experiences. There are many tales of a driver having picked up a woman, and on arrival at the destination would ask for the fare only to find the taxi empty, or the woman would pay but then float off down the road, a body with no legs. The fear of pontianaks in rural areas is really great. If you've ever seen a beautiful lady whilst driving along a quiet road at night, or whilst waiting at traffic lights, and she suddenly disappears, maybe you've seen a pontianak.
Another Asian being is the toyol, which reminds me of a miniature goblin. It is believed to be a baby who died at birth, or an aborted foetus. It is raised as a zombie by a bad bomoh. It is very feared as it can steal and even kill if its master so wishes.
Our last stop was the old KL railway station, the scene of numerous suicides in the past. Many people have jumped off the road bridge in front of passing trains. And as a result people have seen ghosts in that area - but remember, seeing a ghost is often a sign of danger, so beware. When the station was in operation in its heyday, one particular bench was often reported to be occupied by ghostly figures. I wonder if they have moved away now that the trains no longer stop here. Maybe they have moved to a bench in KL Sentral?
Despite my sceptism, it was a fascinating tour. It is an intriguing insight into the world of Asian ghosts and superstitions, taboos and beliefs. And don't worry if you don't believe, as it is a great opportunity, in Francis's words, "to laugh at what Asians fear and find taboo". But if you are a believer, you should still go, as you will certainly still gain some new knowledge. Did anyone see a ghost…… well that would be telling. Go and find out for yourself…..
© Liz Price - article may only be republished with the author's permission.
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