‘Ghost’ haunts Malay girl.
A “ghost” in Province Wellesley is at present defying Malay, Siamese, Hindu and Chinese medicine men who for the last four days have been making frantic efforts to drive it away from a young Malay girl of 14, Utusan Melayu reports.
The young girl, Sabariah, lives with her grandmother at Kampong Siram Road, Butterworth, Province Wellesley. For the past four days about 2,500 visitors have visited the little hut where the girl lives.
Sabariah was searching for firewood in the evening at Bukit Tengah, Seberang Perai, about a week ago when she was staying with her aunt when she was suddenly confronted by a huge pig. The pig suddenly attacked her feet and Sabariah defended herself by throwing stones at the animal whereupon, she says, it suddenly changed into an old man dressed in spotless white. Sabariah says that since then, her hut has been disturbed without interruption by unknown hands. Stones have been thrown and her hut has been shaken.
Several medicine men were called to deal with the ghost but to no purpose. Sabariah was taken by her father to Alor Star to be attended to by medicine men. Still the disturbances continued. Nine more medicine men of various nationalities – Hindu, Malay, Siamese and Chinese – were called. One medicine man came as far as from Gunong Semanggol, Perak.
At present Sabariah’s little home is still disturbed by the “ghost” who throws stones and shoes and pours water on the floor. A young man who visited the hut saw a ten-cent coin drop from the ceiling.
The Straits Times, 20th April 1950.