It is surprising the distance sound travels in a remote places as I had discovered one day when I was out walking in the company of my assistant, Sergeant Arif of the Penang police force. Although our duties as crime fighters had taken us to almost every part of the idyllic island including beautiful Penang Hill which we had ascended by way of the hill railway, we had not actually climbed it. We set out to accomplish this one morning in June 1951 with the hope of walking to the top and celebrating our achievement with a lunch at the Crag Hotel that offered a magnificent view of Penang, one of the most beautiful holiday resort island in Malaysia.
Soon after we began our climb we realised what a relief it was to be away from the harsh noises of the town and to be treated to the songs of birds and the sounds of a variety of insects that lived in such gorgeous, natural splendour. We halted many times to listen and to fill our lungs with a peculiar but invigorating 'green scented' air of the jungle. We had been climbing leisurely for about an hour and had so far enjoyed every minute of this experienced. Sgt. Arif said to me, 'I don't know why we hadn't thought of doing this climb before. However, I am sure there will be many others in time to come, once we told them what a pleasant experience it is. 'Indeed. It's really something...' I began to say and stopped because a woman's loud and angry voice had shattered the tranquility of our surroundings.
Unaccustomed to the strange acoustics that nature provided in such an environment, it seemed as though the interruption came from somewhere quite close. Although we were unable to make out what the woman was saying, by catching a word here and there we were able to determine she was speaking English. Our 'instincts' as policemen told us to investigate further. After we had climbed for a couple of minutes in the direction from where the voice was coming, we were able to hear quite clearly what was being spoken. We heard the woman shout, 'Get out! Leave me alone!' 'I would like to talk to you but you're drunk!' a man's voice said. 'It's you who made me an alcoholic!' she shouted back. 'Put that knife away!' said the man and we heard the woman scream. 'You hit me! My lip is bleeding!' she screamed. we ran as fast as we could in the direction of the voices, hoping to get to the scene before something serious happened.
A minute later, a bungalow situated in a large and beautiful garden came into view and we increased our speed because we saw a rather attractive woman waving a meat chopper menacingly at a man who was apparently the cause of her distress. We also noticed there was blood around her mouth. Sgt. Arif who was younger and more athletic than me was able to wrest the chopper from the woman and as soon as she was disarmed, she burst into tears and ran a short distance before she fell. The man rushed up to us and I quickly informed him we were police officers. I showed him my identification card. 'I am Inspector Zain', I said 'and this is Sergeant Arif'. 'I can explain', he said, 'I am her husband'. Ignoring him, Sgt. Arif and I went to assist his wife. I got the smell of liquor on her breath. I quickly told her who we were and offered her a small towel from my haversack with which to wipe the blood from her lip.
'Arrest him! He came up here to kill me!' she screamed. I glanced at her husband. He was frowning with his hands buried inside the pockets of his trousers and staring blankly at the ground, slowly shaking his head from side to side. Tengku Hamidah, was in her late twenties and one of Penang's leading socialites. Her family was wealthy and distantly related to the royal family of one of the northern state of Malaysia. I recalled a newspaper article about her that was written on her return from England where she had spent the war years and attended a well known girls boarding school. Back home again, her vibrant personality and the fact that she had a good education made her instantly popular with 'progressive minded' woman. She was a talented horsewoman and tennis player. She was concerned with welfare work among underprivileged children and spent her free time at the riding club where she had meet her husband Abdul Rahim. He was a tall, good looking man and a prominent polo player who was slightly older that her and the only son of a senior government official. They were married in a ceremony that was described as 'the wedding of the year'. That was three years ago.
Later that morning, after she had made herself presentable and appeared to have her emotions under control, she sat in a comfy cane chair on the veranda of her home sipping a cup of a black coffee. There was a small cut on her bottom lip. Her husband stood on the veranda staring at the rose bushes in the garden, deep in thought. Sgt. Arif and I sat facing his wife sipping glasses of iced tea. We had accepted the fact that our hopes of climbing to the top of Penang Hill were now very remote following the unexpected interruption. Tengku Hamidah looked steadily at me and said, 'I would be most grateful if you took no official action in this matter', her eyes suddenly filled with tears, 'Any publicity would bring unbearable shame to my family'.
I had no intention to show interest in what was obviously a squabble between a husband and wife. I said, 'It's up to you, really. You could make a police report claiming you were assaulted. Your husband, the other hand, could make a report that you had threatened to attack him with a knife'. 'I am not going to do anything of the kind', said Abdul Rahim from where he was standing. 'Very well, I'm glad that's settled', I said and was about to take my leave with Sgt. Arif when she said, 'Please don't go. I would like police protection because I know my husband came here with the intention to kill me!' Glaring at him she said, 'That bitch sent you to kill me! Don't deny it! You're under her evil control!' Her husband turned to face us angrily, 'I am not going to listen to her lies and ridiculous accusations! Should you require me for anything, please get in touch'. He handed me his business card, ran down the veranda steps, jumped into the driving seat of a sport car parked in the driveway and roared away.
According to his card, he was a 'director' of a real estate company. Tengku Hamidah lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke deeply. 'You must know who his lover is, of course?' she said to me. 'I don't', I replied. She raised her eyebrows, surprised. 'Everybody seems to know about his affair. It's been going on for the past six month's. She stubbed out her cigarette in an ashtray and stared at the ceiling with her large, black eyes. In a steady voice she said, 'I shall be most grateful if you would listen to what I have to tell you after which you could decide whether or not they are ridiculous accusations, as my husband would describe them'. I found myself in an awkward situation. I realised she was in need of someone to talk to about her problems and not wishing to further upset her, I reluctantly acceded to her request.
'I suppose you know all about our marriage? she said. 'It was on the front pages of the newspaper that said it was 'love at first sight' and that we were 'made for each other'. There were a thousand guest at our wedding and we spent a 'dream' honeymoon in Japan, never imagining for a moment that the 'dream' would turn into a nightmare!' There was bitterness in her voice and her pretty face soured slightly. 'Two years and seven months, that's how long it lasted!' she said. 'I saw her, his lover for the first time when she was among a group of spectators watching a match at the polo club in which my husband was playing. I had wondered who the beautiful young woman was. I watched her for some time and suddenly discovered her eyes were following my husband around the field and not the other players! I consoled myself with the thought that it was something to be expected since, besides being handsome, he was the best polo player in Penang. I had no idea she was a member of a dancing troupe that specialized in Malay classical dances that was going to perform at the club's anniversary dinner that night.
'My husband and I were among the large crowd of guest that included many well known Penang personalities to watch the performances by the troupe in which this most attractive young woman was the principal dancer. her gorgeous costume and make up made he look even more radiant than when i first saw her earlier that day. All eyes were focused on her also because of her graceful and expressive movements to the music. 'There was sustained applause at the end of the performance and as she was leaving the stage with the other dancers, I saw her look in the direction where my husband and I were seated. She was looking directly at him! and, then I saw her smile and I noticed he had a strange look in his eyes. I decided to ignore what I had seen. Perhaps I was over reacting. I told myself. But, there are certain signs that only a woman can detect in another's behavior towards a man that betrays her hidden feelings and I knew at once that she had her eyes on my husband!'
She lit another cigarette and continued, 'I had realized before we were married there was quite a few woman, including some whose husband were friends of ours and who were attracted to him. I suppose it was his good looks and charm, like those dashing heroes one sees in romantic Hollywood films. I knew he had been unfaithful to me a few times after we were married, but I was willing to overlook these quick 'flings' because I was deeply in love with him, as I believed he was with me. His problem was that he couldn't resist a pretty woman, although I must say that when we were alone he made me feel that there was no other woman in the world whom he loved! I was a queen and he was a slave!
'By pretending to everybody that I was happily married wasn't the best way to deal with the problem, but I found I had no alternative. I was afraid a confrontation with him would seriously affect our marriage and I was determined not to let that happen! It meant that I would be forced to conceal my feelings as best I could. I turned to drink, hoping that alcohol would dull the pain in my heart that was becoming more severe as the days passed. I had reached a stage where I doubted his sincerity to the extent that when he left home each morning I was unsure whether he was on his way to the office or to meet a secret lover! I was becoming paranoid'.
Tengku Hamidah had so far recounted her unhappiness in a calm, steady voice but now her mood become aggressive. "He had always returned home after work or would call me on the phone to tell me he would be a little late if he was going to the club with some friends. But when he began returning late almost every night, I began to worry myself sick. He always had some excuse. One night I lost control of myself. I angrily confronted him and asked him if he was having an affair. He tried to laugh off my suspicions at first but when I persisted and demanded to know who the woman was, he became angry. We had a heated argument. He put some of his clothes into a travelling bag and drove away in his car. I was devastated but I decided I would face the problem alone. This happened about five months ago. It almost drove me out of my mind and that's when I began to drink heavily.
'He returned home after two days. During his absence and after some down to earth thinking, I accepted the fact that this could be the beginning of the end of our marriage. I was a fool in love and I was paying for my stupidity! I was being hurt badly and had a final stab in my heart was not going to make much difference to the pain I was already suffering! 'I had no idea at that time who the other young woman was until he returned home two days later. On seeing each other, we were both very calm. He came up to me and said, 'I think you should know i have fallen in love. Her name is Shuri. You have seen her once, I think. She was the leading dancer in the troupe that performed at the polo club's anniversary dinner. I am very sorry to have hurt your feelings. As difficult as it may be, please try and forgive me. I didn't expect this to happen'.
'He went immediately to our bedroom and removed his belongings to a spare room. Shortly afterwards I saw him leaving the house carrying a suitcase. 'I was in a daze for some time after he left. When I regained my composure I decided to find out more about this woman. I was told she was living with my husband in an apartment beside the beach at Tanjung Bungah. She had arrived in Penang from southern Thailand with a group of dancers. She was of Thai-Malay parentage. That was all I was able to find out about her'. Tengku Hamidah paused to light a cigarette and said, 'I hope I haven't bored you, Inspector. The reason for me telling you all this is because I feel my life is in danger. I think she wants to kill me and is using my husband for that purpose!' I said, 'If matters are as bad as you have described them and if there isn't any hope of a reconciliation, perhaps it would be better to seek a divorce and settle the matter amicably'.
She smiled. 'My husband wouldn't agree to a divorce because it would mean that my father would withdraw the money he had invested in my husband property company and influence the other investors to do the same! It could force my husband's company into bankruptcy. When my father came to hear about my husband's illicit love affair he phoned me and insisted that i divorced him right away, despite the bad publicity it would create in the newspapers. But how could I make my family suffer for my defiance and stupidity for marrying a man whom I had heard described as a playboy and a womanizer?'
I thought she had come to the end of her story when she suddenly asked, 'Do you believe in black magic and that there are such things as sundal bolong and pontianaks?' I was taken aback by her question. Before I could reply she went on, 'Do you believe pontianaks can become human?' But before I could reply again, Sgt. Arif said, 'Oh yes! It's quite true!' I saw her eyes widen, 'Oh? What makes you say that?' 'It's because I have personal knowledge of such a case. It happened a couple of years ago.' 'How interesting! Please tell me about it.' I interrupt ed to ask her the reason why she had suddenly switched from telling us about her husband's affair, to the subject of pontianaks and witchcraft.
It's because some of my friends suspect my husband is the victim of black magic or it could be that this mysterious and beautiful dancer is a sundal bolong, since it is believed that these demons are semi human.' Sgt. Arif said, 'I remember a young and beautiful woman by the name of Yati. She appeared mysteriously one evening in my kampung many years ago and joined a group of women and girls who were bathing in the river. Nobody had seen her before. Since she was a newcomer, questions were asked about her but nobody was able to provide any answers. She lived in a hut near the jungle with an old woman whom she said was her guardian. Each morning she sold cakes made by the old woman.
'Yati's charm and beauty soon endeared her to the villagers and not long afterwards she married the son of the rich trader. In time to come she had a daughter who was named Biru and who grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. One day while Biru was combing Yati's tresses, she noticed a tiny lump at the back of her head. It turned out to be the head of a tiny nail which Biru immediately extracted. As soon as she had done so, she was shocked to see her mother transform into large, black bird. It had the wrinkled face of an old woman and long, sharp claws. Biru's startled cries brought her father to her side and he was just in time to see the creature flying out of the bedroom window! To prevent a scandal, Biru and her father decided not to tell anybody what had happened. Those who inquired about her mother's absence were informed that she had gone on a long journey to visit relatives in Borneo and wouldn't return for some time. So, the secret about Yati was kept for many years.
'However, one moonlit night while Biru was asleep, Yati appeared to her looking as beautiful as she was before. There were tears of joy as they were reunited. 'I have come to take you away to be with me because the time has come for us to share our lives together', she said to Biru. 'They disappeared in the moonlight and were not seen again'. Tengku Hamidah was deep in thought for a while after hearing Sgt. Arif's story. 'So, it was because Biru had removed the nail she found embedded in her mother's head that caused her to revert to being a pontianak?' Turning to me, she said, 'I have been having frightening dreams in which I see the face of this woman. She looks evil and I have a feeling she wants to harm or kill me!' I saw her hands tremble slightly as she lit another cigarette.
I said, 'I understand you are under a lot of stress but you must not allow your imagination to run wild.' Sgt. Arif and I decided there was nothing much else we could do to relieve her for her anxiety and decided to take our leave. She was most grateful for the interest we had shown. I gave her our phone numbers and told her to get in touch if we could be of any assistance. I felt sorry for her, a young, attractive and intelligent woman whose short married life was on the verge of being wrecked. Three years passed, during which time I had been away in England to study criminology. One day after my return, I read a newspaper report of Tengku Hamidah was going to hold a party for handicapped children at her home the following week.
Since we had not met her all this time, Sgt. Arif and I decided to pay her a visit. I phoned her and she was delighted to hear from me and invited us to her home. We sat on the veranda where three years before we had listened to the sad story of her broken marriage. But now we were pleased to see she was in a very much happier state of mind. 'You're looking extremely well and cheerful', I remarked. 'I managed to survive a terrible period of my life. It was a tough battle, but I won in the end! Maybe you both would like to hear about it?' 'Oh, indeed!' I said as Sgt. Arif and we sat back in our chairs. 'I had never believed in black magic, ghosts and demons', she began, 'but my friends told me my husband could be he victim of witchcraft, that's why he had left me for this other woman, the exotic dancer. I made a few inquiries and was given the name of a well known bomoh. He lived on an isolated stretch of beach on the northern side of the island that could only be reached on foot.
'I found his small house after much difficulty. When I knocked on his front door that afternoon, he opened it immediately as though he was expecting me. He was an old man with piercing eyes and before I could introduce myself and explain the reason for my visit, he said, 'You have arrived in time. Please come in.' 'Indicating a mat on the cement floor he said, 'Please sit down.' On the mat was a clay urn containing burning incense from which emerged a thin spiral of smoke. I was quite tired and thirsty having walked for almost two hours in the scorching sun while searching for his house. he offered me a refreshing glass of coconut juice.'
'He sat cross legged in front of me and shut his eyes, muttering incantations. Although it was a very hot day, what he said to me caused a cold shiver to run down my spine. 'She plans to kill you because she is afraid you will seek help to break the spell she has put on your husband! She fears he will return to you!' 'I was speechless! How did he know about her?' 'He sprinkled more incense over the hot coals in the clay urn and the small room was soon filled with smoke. He shut his eyes again and began to recite incantations. After some time he opened his eyes wide and pointing to the wall opposite him shouted, 'Look!'
'I saw the dark, evil face of my husband's lover pictured on the wall! She was smiling and her eyes were fixed on me! The next moment it disappeared. The bomoh chanted more incantations and after some time said to me, 'You shall have to be very brave if you wish to defeat this woman because she is a pontianak. Have you heard of pontianaks?' I was still in state of chock but I managed to say, 'A pontianak is supposed to be a half human demon who can appear as a beautiful woman or a black bird with a woman's hideous face and long claws'. 'I was in a cold sweat and I thought I was going to faint. I think he realized this and poured some water from a clay goblet into a cup, below on it three times, chanted some words and made me sip some. Amazingly, I felt immediately relieved.
'He went inside the house and returned holding a kris in an old wooden sheath that was wrapped in yellow cloth. He sat down again in front of me, the kris beside him. He looked steadily at me with his piercing eyes and said, 'I shall have to make you mentally strong very quickly1 There is no time to be lost because she intends to kill you tomorrow.' 'I felt suddenly sick in my stomach and I wanted to throw up.' 'You must do exactly as I say if you wish me to help you!' he said. 'You may have to spend the night here! My wife will attend you to your requirements.' 'Yes, of course! I will do anything you say!' I said nervously.
He got up and I saw him go outside into the small garden and stared at the sun and said, 'I have exactly twenty one hours to prepare you for the battle to save your life and your husband's!' 'At the mention of my husband, I held my breath momentarily. He noticed my reaction and said, 'Your husband is in her power! You may hate him for deserting you but I know you still love him despite his faults. If you are able to save his life he will become a devoted husband because he loves you', he said. 'Through my tears I saw him remove the yellow cloth covering the kris and with draw it from its sheath. He held it up in his right hand, then tip of the wavy blade pointing downwards. And, then something incredible happened. He released his hold on it and it floated in mid air, rising to the ceiling before it hovered in front of my face. 'Do not be afraid!' he said to me. 'Open your mouth and stick out your tongue!'
'As I did, I saw a drop of water emerge from the tip of the blade. It fell on to my tongue. It was boiling hot but turned icy cold the next second. Amazingly, the kris reentered its sheath without his help! I had remembered reading stories that certain kris had magical powers. Some were said to float on top water! I thought there were fairy tales until now!' she went on. 'Some of the stories said a kris could fly long distances at the command of its owner to kill an enemy! The blade of a kris could also be used to cure serious illnesses caused by witchcraft or suffered the bites of venomous snakes!' She paused to catch her breath before continuing.
'I spent the rest of that day and night at the bomoh's house going through a series of what he called 'cleansing rituals' in which I was assisted by his wife who is also a bomoh. The final test of what he called my 'inner strength' came at midnight after I was bathed with water scented by seven different kinds of flowers. I was taken into the garden and told to stand beneath a tall coconut tree. he said to me, 'When I command you to climb the tree, do so without hesitation! Do you understand?' As he said, 'Climb!' I began to walk, not climb, up the tree in the same way that I would walked normally and reached the top! He then commanded me to descend and I walked down as easily as I walked up the tree! It was quite amazing that I never had any of falling from the tree, although if I did, I would have been seriously injured or even killed myself! I suppose it was because the bomoh had helped me to conquer my fears and had created a powerful 'inner strength' within me!
'I was awakened before daybreak by the bomoh's wife the following morning. I bathed in water mixed with seven different kinds of flowers. He gave me a small bottle of red liquid and tied a talisman around my left arm. 'Return to your home and wait for her to visit you. She will come at midday and will be dressed like a beggar, carrying a basket of fruit for sale. her face will be hidden behind a veil. You will noticed that her body did not cast a shadow on the ground. She will try to sell you a papaya and will cut open the fruit with a knife, offering you a slice. Be careful, because she would have already smeared the blade of the knife with a mixture of honey and deadly poison made from the bark of the ipoh tree. It is a poison that Sakai and other aborigines dipped their blowpipe darts when hunting. You must insist that she shared the slice of papaya with you. She will try and avoid doing so since the poison from the knife would have been absorbed in the fruit. At the moment you must point a finger at her and shout; 'In the name of Allah the Compassionate, the Beneficent! I know who you are! You are Shuri the accursed whore of Satan! The pontianak! You have cast a spell on my husband and have come here to kill me by offering me fruit that you have poisoned!'
'The you must quickly take a sip of the liquid in the bottle i gave you! Spit in into her face! She will scream in agony because her face will instantly be covered in warts and wrinkles revealing her true age which is two hundred and fourteen! She will run from your house screaming and you shall never see her again! The same day, your husband will return to you!' Tengku Hamidah had come to the end of her story. 'Of course, everything happened exactly as the bomoh had predicted!' she said.
I had wanted to ask Tengku Hamidah about her husband when a chauffeur driven Mercedes came up the driveway. It stopped in front of the house and a tall, handsome man emerged from the rear door carrying a little boy. I recognized him immediately as her husband, although his hair had turned completely white. 'My husband has no recollection whatsoever of that woman!' she said to me quickly and I realized she was trying to tell me that we should not discuss the affair any further. I said, 'I understand. Case closed'. 'Thank you, Inspector', she said and ran up to kiss him and the child. 'This is my husband Rahim and our son, Aziz,' she announced happily as though we were meeting her husband for the first time. She told him we were 'old friends'. He shook our hands warmly and it was plain to see he had no recollection of having met us previously.
Before we left he invited us to visit the greenhouse where he kept his prize winning orchids. He took particular pride in showing us a gorgeous yellow hybrid he had named 'Hamidah' after his wife.
A minute later, a bungalow situated in a large and beautiful garden came into view and we increased our speed because we saw a rather attractive woman waving a meat chopper menacingly at a man who was apparently the cause of her distress. We also noticed there was blood around her mouth. Sgt. Arif who was younger and more athletic than me was able to wrest the chopper from the woman and as soon as she was disarmed, she burst into tears and ran a short distance before she fell. The man rushed up to us and I quickly informed him we were police officers. I showed him my identification card. 'I am Inspector Zain', I said 'and this is Sergeant Arif'. 'I can explain', he said, 'I am her husband'. Ignoring him, Sgt. Arif and I went to assist his wife. I got the smell of liquor on her breath. I quickly told her who we were and offered her a small towel from my haversack with which to wipe the blood from her lip.
'Arrest him! He came up here to kill me!' she screamed. I glanced at her husband. He was frowning with his hands buried inside the pockets of his trousers and staring blankly at the ground, slowly shaking his head from side to side. Tengku Hamidah, was in her late twenties and one of Penang's leading socialites. Her family was wealthy and distantly related to the royal family of one of the northern state of Malaysia. I recalled a newspaper article about her that was written on her return from England where she had spent the war years and attended a well known girls boarding school. Back home again, her vibrant personality and the fact that she had a good education made her instantly popular with 'progressive minded' woman. She was a talented horsewoman and tennis player. She was concerned with welfare work among underprivileged children and spent her free time at the riding club where she had meet her husband Abdul Rahim. He was a tall, good looking man and a prominent polo player who was slightly older that her and the only son of a senior government official. They were married in a ceremony that was described as 'the wedding of the year'. That was three years ago.
Later that morning, after she had made herself presentable and appeared to have her emotions under control, she sat in a comfy cane chair on the veranda of her home sipping a cup of a black coffee. There was a small cut on her bottom lip. Her husband stood on the veranda staring at the rose bushes in the garden, deep in thought. Sgt. Arif and I sat facing his wife sipping glasses of iced tea. We had accepted the fact that our hopes of climbing to the top of Penang Hill were now very remote following the unexpected interruption. Tengku Hamidah looked steadily at me and said, 'I would be most grateful if you took no official action in this matter', her eyes suddenly filled with tears, 'Any publicity would bring unbearable shame to my family'.
I had no intention to show interest in what was obviously a squabble between a husband and wife. I said, 'It's up to you, really. You could make a police report claiming you were assaulted. Your husband, the other hand, could make a report that you had threatened to attack him with a knife'. 'I am not going to do anything of the kind', said Abdul Rahim from where he was standing. 'Very well, I'm glad that's settled', I said and was about to take my leave with Sgt. Arif when she said, 'Please don't go. I would like police protection because I know my husband came here with the intention to kill me!' Glaring at him she said, 'That bitch sent you to kill me! Don't deny it! You're under her evil control!' Her husband turned to face us angrily, 'I am not going to listen to her lies and ridiculous accusations! Should you require me for anything, please get in touch'. He handed me his business card, ran down the veranda steps, jumped into the driving seat of a sport car parked in the driveway and roared away.
According to his card, he was a 'director' of a real estate company. Tengku Hamidah lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke deeply. 'You must know who his lover is, of course?' she said to me. 'I don't', I replied. She raised her eyebrows, surprised. 'Everybody seems to know about his affair. It's been going on for the past six month's. She stubbed out her cigarette in an ashtray and stared at the ceiling with her large, black eyes. In a steady voice she said, 'I shall be most grateful if you would listen to what I have to tell you after which you could decide whether or not they are ridiculous accusations, as my husband would describe them'. I found myself in an awkward situation. I realised she was in need of someone to talk to about her problems and not wishing to further upset her, I reluctantly acceded to her request.
'I suppose you know all about our marriage? she said. 'It was on the front pages of the newspaper that said it was 'love at first sight' and that we were 'made for each other'. There were a thousand guest at our wedding and we spent a 'dream' honeymoon in Japan, never imagining for a moment that the 'dream' would turn into a nightmare!' There was bitterness in her voice and her pretty face soured slightly. 'Two years and seven months, that's how long it lasted!' she said. 'I saw her, his lover for the first time when she was among a group of spectators watching a match at the polo club in which my husband was playing. I had wondered who the beautiful young woman was. I watched her for some time and suddenly discovered her eyes were following my husband around the field and not the other players! I consoled myself with the thought that it was something to be expected since, besides being handsome, he was the best polo player in Penang. I had no idea she was a member of a dancing troupe that specialized in Malay classical dances that was going to perform at the club's anniversary dinner that night.
'My husband and I were among the large crowd of guest that included many well known Penang personalities to watch the performances by the troupe in which this most attractive young woman was the principal dancer. her gorgeous costume and make up made he look even more radiant than when i first saw her earlier that day. All eyes were focused on her also because of her graceful and expressive movements to the music. 'There was sustained applause at the end of the performance and as she was leaving the stage with the other dancers, I saw her look in the direction where my husband and I were seated. She was looking directly at him! and, then I saw her smile and I noticed he had a strange look in his eyes. I decided to ignore what I had seen. Perhaps I was over reacting. I told myself. But, there are certain signs that only a woman can detect in another's behavior towards a man that betrays her hidden feelings and I knew at once that she had her eyes on my husband!'
She lit another cigarette and continued, 'I had realized before we were married there was quite a few woman, including some whose husband were friends of ours and who were attracted to him. I suppose it was his good looks and charm, like those dashing heroes one sees in romantic Hollywood films. I knew he had been unfaithful to me a few times after we were married, but I was willing to overlook these quick 'flings' because I was deeply in love with him, as I believed he was with me. His problem was that he couldn't resist a pretty woman, although I must say that when we were alone he made me feel that there was no other woman in the world whom he loved! I was a queen and he was a slave!
'By pretending to everybody that I was happily married wasn't the best way to deal with the problem, but I found I had no alternative. I was afraid a confrontation with him would seriously affect our marriage and I was determined not to let that happen! It meant that I would be forced to conceal my feelings as best I could. I turned to drink, hoping that alcohol would dull the pain in my heart that was becoming more severe as the days passed. I had reached a stage where I doubted his sincerity to the extent that when he left home each morning I was unsure whether he was on his way to the office or to meet a secret lover! I was becoming paranoid'.
Tengku Hamidah had so far recounted her unhappiness in a calm, steady voice but now her mood become aggressive. "He had always returned home after work or would call me on the phone to tell me he would be a little late if he was going to the club with some friends. But when he began returning late almost every night, I began to worry myself sick. He always had some excuse. One night I lost control of myself. I angrily confronted him and asked him if he was having an affair. He tried to laugh off my suspicions at first but when I persisted and demanded to know who the woman was, he became angry. We had a heated argument. He put some of his clothes into a travelling bag and drove away in his car. I was devastated but I decided I would face the problem alone. This happened about five months ago. It almost drove me out of my mind and that's when I began to drink heavily.
'He returned home after two days. During his absence and after some down to earth thinking, I accepted the fact that this could be the beginning of the end of our marriage. I was a fool in love and I was paying for my stupidity! I was being hurt badly and had a final stab in my heart was not going to make much difference to the pain I was already suffering! 'I had no idea at that time who the other young woman was until he returned home two days later. On seeing each other, we were both very calm. He came up to me and said, 'I think you should know i have fallen in love. Her name is Shuri. You have seen her once, I think. She was the leading dancer in the troupe that performed at the polo club's anniversary dinner. I am very sorry to have hurt your feelings. As difficult as it may be, please try and forgive me. I didn't expect this to happen'.
'He went immediately to our bedroom and removed his belongings to a spare room. Shortly afterwards I saw him leaving the house carrying a suitcase. 'I was in a daze for some time after he left. When I regained my composure I decided to find out more about this woman. I was told she was living with my husband in an apartment beside the beach at Tanjung Bungah. She had arrived in Penang from southern Thailand with a group of dancers. She was of Thai-Malay parentage. That was all I was able to find out about her'. Tengku Hamidah paused to light a cigarette and said, 'I hope I haven't bored you, Inspector. The reason for me telling you all this is because I feel my life is in danger. I think she wants to kill me and is using my husband for that purpose!' I said, 'If matters are as bad as you have described them and if there isn't any hope of a reconciliation, perhaps it would be better to seek a divorce and settle the matter amicably'.
She smiled. 'My husband wouldn't agree to a divorce because it would mean that my father would withdraw the money he had invested in my husband property company and influence the other investors to do the same! It could force my husband's company into bankruptcy. When my father came to hear about my husband's illicit love affair he phoned me and insisted that i divorced him right away, despite the bad publicity it would create in the newspapers. But how could I make my family suffer for my defiance and stupidity for marrying a man whom I had heard described as a playboy and a womanizer?'
I thought she had come to the end of her story when she suddenly asked, 'Do you believe in black magic and that there are such things as sundal bolong and pontianaks?' I was taken aback by her question. Before I could reply she went on, 'Do you believe pontianaks can become human?' But before I could reply again, Sgt. Arif said, 'Oh yes! It's quite true!' I saw her eyes widen, 'Oh? What makes you say that?' 'It's because I have personal knowledge of such a case. It happened a couple of years ago.' 'How interesting! Please tell me about it.' I interrupt ed to ask her the reason why she had suddenly switched from telling us about her husband's affair, to the subject of pontianaks and witchcraft.
It's because some of my friends suspect my husband is the victim of black magic or it could be that this mysterious and beautiful dancer is a sundal bolong, since it is believed that these demons are semi human.' Sgt. Arif said, 'I remember a young and beautiful woman by the name of Yati. She appeared mysteriously one evening in my kampung many years ago and joined a group of women and girls who were bathing in the river. Nobody had seen her before. Since she was a newcomer, questions were asked about her but nobody was able to provide any answers. She lived in a hut near the jungle with an old woman whom she said was her guardian. Each morning she sold cakes made by the old woman.
'Yati's charm and beauty soon endeared her to the villagers and not long afterwards she married the son of the rich trader. In time to come she had a daughter who was named Biru and who grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. One day while Biru was combing Yati's tresses, she noticed a tiny lump at the back of her head. It turned out to be the head of a tiny nail which Biru immediately extracted. As soon as she had done so, she was shocked to see her mother transform into large, black bird. It had the wrinkled face of an old woman and long, sharp claws. Biru's startled cries brought her father to her side and he was just in time to see the creature flying out of the bedroom window! To prevent a scandal, Biru and her father decided not to tell anybody what had happened. Those who inquired about her mother's absence were informed that she had gone on a long journey to visit relatives in Borneo and wouldn't return for some time. So, the secret about Yati was kept for many years.
'However, one moonlit night while Biru was asleep, Yati appeared to her looking as beautiful as she was before. There were tears of joy as they were reunited. 'I have come to take you away to be with me because the time has come for us to share our lives together', she said to Biru. 'They disappeared in the moonlight and were not seen again'. Tengku Hamidah was deep in thought for a while after hearing Sgt. Arif's story. 'So, it was because Biru had removed the nail she found embedded in her mother's head that caused her to revert to being a pontianak?' Turning to me, she said, 'I have been having frightening dreams in which I see the face of this woman. She looks evil and I have a feeling she wants to harm or kill me!' I saw her hands tremble slightly as she lit another cigarette.
I said, 'I understand you are under a lot of stress but you must not allow your imagination to run wild.' Sgt. Arif and I decided there was nothing much else we could do to relieve her for her anxiety and decided to take our leave. She was most grateful for the interest we had shown. I gave her our phone numbers and told her to get in touch if we could be of any assistance. I felt sorry for her, a young, attractive and intelligent woman whose short married life was on the verge of being wrecked. Three years passed, during which time I had been away in England to study criminology. One day after my return, I read a newspaper report of Tengku Hamidah was going to hold a party for handicapped children at her home the following week.
Since we had not met her all this time, Sgt. Arif and I decided to pay her a visit. I phoned her and she was delighted to hear from me and invited us to her home. We sat on the veranda where three years before we had listened to the sad story of her broken marriage. But now we were pleased to see she was in a very much happier state of mind. 'You're looking extremely well and cheerful', I remarked. 'I managed to survive a terrible period of my life. It was a tough battle, but I won in the end! Maybe you both would like to hear about it?' 'Oh, indeed!' I said as Sgt. Arif and we sat back in our chairs. 'I had never believed in black magic, ghosts and demons', she began, 'but my friends told me my husband could be he victim of witchcraft, that's why he had left me for this other woman, the exotic dancer. I made a few inquiries and was given the name of a well known bomoh. He lived on an isolated stretch of beach on the northern side of the island that could only be reached on foot.
'I found his small house after much difficulty. When I knocked on his front door that afternoon, he opened it immediately as though he was expecting me. He was an old man with piercing eyes and before I could introduce myself and explain the reason for my visit, he said, 'You have arrived in time. Please come in.' 'Indicating a mat on the cement floor he said, 'Please sit down.' On the mat was a clay urn containing burning incense from which emerged a thin spiral of smoke. I was quite tired and thirsty having walked for almost two hours in the scorching sun while searching for his house. he offered me a refreshing glass of coconut juice.'
'He sat cross legged in front of me and shut his eyes, muttering incantations. Although it was a very hot day, what he said to me caused a cold shiver to run down my spine. 'She plans to kill you because she is afraid you will seek help to break the spell she has put on your husband! She fears he will return to you!' 'I was speechless! How did he know about her?' 'He sprinkled more incense over the hot coals in the clay urn and the small room was soon filled with smoke. He shut his eyes again and began to recite incantations. After some time he opened his eyes wide and pointing to the wall opposite him shouted, 'Look!'
'I saw the dark, evil face of my husband's lover pictured on the wall! She was smiling and her eyes were fixed on me! The next moment it disappeared. The bomoh chanted more incantations and after some time said to me, 'You shall have to be very brave if you wish to defeat this woman because she is a pontianak. Have you heard of pontianaks?' I was still in state of chock but I managed to say, 'A pontianak is supposed to be a half human demon who can appear as a beautiful woman or a black bird with a woman's hideous face and long claws'. 'I was in a cold sweat and I thought I was going to faint. I think he realized this and poured some water from a clay goblet into a cup, below on it three times, chanted some words and made me sip some. Amazingly, I felt immediately relieved.
'He went inside the house and returned holding a kris in an old wooden sheath that was wrapped in yellow cloth. He sat down again in front of me, the kris beside him. He looked steadily at me with his piercing eyes and said, 'I shall have to make you mentally strong very quickly1 There is no time to be lost because she intends to kill you tomorrow.' 'I felt suddenly sick in my stomach and I wanted to throw up.' 'You must do exactly as I say if you wish me to help you!' he said. 'You may have to spend the night here! My wife will attend you to your requirements.' 'Yes, of course! I will do anything you say!' I said nervously.
He got up and I saw him go outside into the small garden and stared at the sun and said, 'I have exactly twenty one hours to prepare you for the battle to save your life and your husband's!' 'At the mention of my husband, I held my breath momentarily. He noticed my reaction and said, 'Your husband is in her power! You may hate him for deserting you but I know you still love him despite his faults. If you are able to save his life he will become a devoted husband because he loves you', he said. 'Through my tears I saw him remove the yellow cloth covering the kris and with draw it from its sheath. He held it up in his right hand, then tip of the wavy blade pointing downwards. And, then something incredible happened. He released his hold on it and it floated in mid air, rising to the ceiling before it hovered in front of my face. 'Do not be afraid!' he said to me. 'Open your mouth and stick out your tongue!'
'As I did, I saw a drop of water emerge from the tip of the blade. It fell on to my tongue. It was boiling hot but turned icy cold the next second. Amazingly, the kris reentered its sheath without his help! I had remembered reading stories that certain kris had magical powers. Some were said to float on top water! I thought there were fairy tales until now!' she went on. 'Some of the stories said a kris could fly long distances at the command of its owner to kill an enemy! The blade of a kris could also be used to cure serious illnesses caused by witchcraft or suffered the bites of venomous snakes!' She paused to catch her breath before continuing.
'I spent the rest of that day and night at the bomoh's house going through a series of what he called 'cleansing rituals' in which I was assisted by his wife who is also a bomoh. The final test of what he called my 'inner strength' came at midnight after I was bathed with water scented by seven different kinds of flowers. I was taken into the garden and told to stand beneath a tall coconut tree. he said to me, 'When I command you to climb the tree, do so without hesitation! Do you understand?' As he said, 'Climb!' I began to walk, not climb, up the tree in the same way that I would walked normally and reached the top! He then commanded me to descend and I walked down as easily as I walked up the tree! It was quite amazing that I never had any of falling from the tree, although if I did, I would have been seriously injured or even killed myself! I suppose it was because the bomoh had helped me to conquer my fears and had created a powerful 'inner strength' within me!
'I was awakened before daybreak by the bomoh's wife the following morning. I bathed in water mixed with seven different kinds of flowers. He gave me a small bottle of red liquid and tied a talisman around my left arm. 'Return to your home and wait for her to visit you. She will come at midday and will be dressed like a beggar, carrying a basket of fruit for sale. her face will be hidden behind a veil. You will noticed that her body did not cast a shadow on the ground. She will try to sell you a papaya and will cut open the fruit with a knife, offering you a slice. Be careful, because she would have already smeared the blade of the knife with a mixture of honey and deadly poison made from the bark of the ipoh tree. It is a poison that Sakai and other aborigines dipped their blowpipe darts when hunting. You must insist that she shared the slice of papaya with you. She will try and avoid doing so since the poison from the knife would have been absorbed in the fruit. At the moment you must point a finger at her and shout; 'In the name of Allah the Compassionate, the Beneficent! I know who you are! You are Shuri the accursed whore of Satan! The pontianak! You have cast a spell on my husband and have come here to kill me by offering me fruit that you have poisoned!'
'The you must quickly take a sip of the liquid in the bottle i gave you! Spit in into her face! She will scream in agony because her face will instantly be covered in warts and wrinkles revealing her true age which is two hundred and fourteen! She will run from your house screaming and you shall never see her again! The same day, your husband will return to you!' Tengku Hamidah had come to the end of her story. 'Of course, everything happened exactly as the bomoh had predicted!' she said.
I had wanted to ask Tengku Hamidah about her husband when a chauffeur driven Mercedes came up the driveway. It stopped in front of the house and a tall, handsome man emerged from the rear door carrying a little boy. I recognized him immediately as her husband, although his hair had turned completely white. 'My husband has no recollection whatsoever of that woman!' she said to me quickly and I realized she was trying to tell me that we should not discuss the affair any further. I said, 'I understand. Case closed'. 'Thank you, Inspector', she said and ran up to kiss him and the child. 'This is my husband Rahim and our son, Aziz,' she announced happily as though we were meeting her husband for the first time. She told him we were 'old friends'. He shook our hands warmly and it was plain to see he had no recollection of having met us previously.
Before we left he invited us to visit the greenhouse where he kept his prize winning orchids. He took particular pride in showing us a gorgeous yellow hybrid he had named 'Hamidah' after his wife.
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