Editor’s note: This is the last of a two-part series dedicated to some of the most famous Malaysian urban legends. We’d recommend reading Part One, too. It’s the month of Halloween, you won’t want to miss it. Enjoy!
Despite its name, an urban legend does not necessarily originate in an urban area. Rather, the term is used to differentiate modern legends from traditional folklore. And just like the old tales, they are passed on by word of mouth, often with the story tellers’ own gleeful embellishments, resulting in numerous versions floating around in popular consciousness.
Perhaps what makes urban legends so juicily share-able is that there is always an element of believability in the stories. It could involve a real location or person, it could be tied to an existing superstition or belief, or it could simply be a believable scenario.
The rise of communications technology and social media has enabled urban legends to be shared at lightning speed. That’s why your Facebook, Whatsapp and SMS are constantly being bombarded by “Please share this warning” messages. Yup, they’re most likely all urban legends.
The juiciest Malaysian urban legends are perhaps those with a supernatural flavour. Here’s our second list of Malaysia’s creepiest urban legends. We can’t present all the different versions of these stories that are out there. So, as before, we’re presenting the most compelling version we know.
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1. THE HORROR ON KARAK HIGHWAY
Once, a couple had to travel back to their hometown for a relative’s wedding. They decided to travel late at night to avoid the heavy daytime traffic on the infamous Karak highway. They were enjoying the smooth drive along the deserted stretches of highway when their car suddenly started showing signs of trouble.
Their trusty Proton Wira started to jerk wildly. Finally, the engine gave a last cough and died. The husband was very surprised as the car had just been serviced the day before.
They were at a loss on what to do, as the highway was deserted at that ungodly hour and they were only about halfway to their destination.
Around them was only the hills and jungle and they were far away from the nearest town. He turned the ignition again and again, but to no avail. So they had no choice but to wait for some kind fellow traveller to stop by and help them. (This happened in the days before everyone had a mobile phone.)
After waiting for about an hour, the frustrated husband decided to search for the nearest highway emergency phone kiosk. The wife disagreed because she was afraid that he might get knocked down walking on the dark, lonely highway.
But the husband insisted, telling his wife to stay inside the car keep the doors locked. He got down from the car and walked away quickly, disappearing into the night.
The wife waited nervously. As she looked out the window, the jungle foliage seemed to shift and move in the heavy darkness.
Suddenly, she heard a loud thump on the roof of the car, followed by a rustling sound. She was too afraid to get down and check what made the sounds, thinking that some wild animals might have decided to rest there for the night.
Just at that moment, she saw the headlights of a car approaching from behind. The car slowed down as it passed but quickly sped off again. As she waited for what seemed like hours, a couple of other cars also did the same.
The wife grew increasingly nervous as the rustling sounds continued on the car’s roof. She was also very worried of what may have happened to her husband.
Finally, a police car approached and suddenly began to speed past her car as well. However, the police car stopped a few meters away and a policeman got out with a loud hailer. He shouted for her to get down, walk towards him and not look back. She wondered about the strange instructions, but she obeyed the orders of the policeman anyway.
As she reached the police car, she looked back out of curiosity. What she saw filled her entire being with horror – her husband’s body was on the roof of the car and a creature was feasting on his blood. The police bundled her into the car and sped away.
2. ORANG MINYAK
In traditional Malay folklore, the Orang Minyak (or Oily Man) was a supernatural being called into being and controlled by evil bomoh or witch doctors. The Orang Minyak’s duty was to cause all kinds of mischief and crimes. But this legend has continually evolved over time.
Another origin of this legend was popularised by a classic P. Ramlee film. In this version, the Orang Minyak was a wronged man who accepted the help of the Devil to exact vengeance.
To seal the deal, he had to worship the devil and rape 21 virgins within a week. In the end, the Orang Minyak was cursed to live forever in this supernatural form.
In the 1960s, sightings of Orang Minyak were reported in several Malaysian towns. This Orang Minyak was described as a human with impure intentions towards virgins. He stalked his victims while naked and covered with oil (supposedly to make him difficult to catch).
The Orang Minyak terror led to unmarried women, especially in student dormitories, resorting to constantly wearing sweaty clothes to give the creature the impression that they had just got it on with a man.
The Orang Minyak legend has continued to terrorise young women well into the new millennium. In 2005, there was a report of a knife-wielding Orang Minyak roaming around Kuala Lumpur Hospital, attempting to rape the nurses.
In 2012, the residents of a village in Gombak, Selangor claim to have seen and heard the Orang Minyak skulking around the area.
3. THE BLACK MERCEDES OF TAWAU
This story began circulating in the late 90s. At that time, the roads around the east side of Tawau were still very quiet as there was not much development in that area.
One day, a family travelling in a black Mercedes Benz met with an accident in that lonely area. The car flipped over and caught fire. The entire family was trapped, and because there was no one around to help, they all perished in the flames. Since the incident, numerous strange events have been reported in the area.
The most common story is that all car accidents in the area end up with the vehicles being flipped over, with all four wheels are in the air. Just like the tragic Mercedes Benz.
At first, the residents of Tawau didn’t give these incidents a second thought. But when report after report of cars flipping over began to pile up, people began to wonder if it had anything to do with the Black Mercedes Benz.
Many accident victims reported being suddenly overtaken by a speeding black Mercedes Benz at night before they lost control of their vehicles. Many also noticed that the black Mercedes did not have a driver.
According to popular lore, if anyone wanted to see the phantom car overtaking their vehicle, they must drive around the Sin Onn roundabout three times, then drive at high speed down the road heading towards the east. Would you dare to try it?
4. CREEPY MIDNIGHT CALL TO RADIO DJ
A well-known Malaysian radio DJ had a late night show in the 90s where listeners could call in to share their ghost stories. This was a live radio show and was very popular at the time.
One night, the DJ received a call from a listener who shared his creepy experience. He was driving along a highway late one night with his parents, his wife, and their little baby. They were all asleep, and he himself was feeling very sleepy in the quietness.
Suddenly, he saw a large lorry with only one light coming from the opposite direction. The lorry flashed by his car, its slipstream rocking his vehicle. He was shaken because the lorry was driving against traffic on his side of the highway! Before he had time to collect his thoughts, the lorry appeared in front of him again.
He watched in amazement as the lorry sped past his car again. A short while later, he was shocked to see one bright light speeding past him – again.
This happened several times and before the lorry stopped appearing in front of him. Suddenly, he was blinded by a single headlight reflected in his rear view mirror. The caller said he was terrified by the mysterious lorry chasing him and began to panic. He sped up, trying to get as far away from the lorry as possible.
As he drove over the crest of a hill, he suddenly saw a single headlight heading towards him. He swerved violently to avoid it but lost control of the car, crashing through the highway barrier and into a deep gulley.
After relating the story, the caller said that he was very depressed because his parents, wife and baby were all killed in the accident. In a sad voice, the caller said that he, too, lost his life the accident. Then he hung up.
The DJ thought he had been pranked on live radio and laughed it off before carrying on with the show. However, the next day’s newspaper carried the story of an accident that happened along the highway described by the previous night’s caller.
A car had crashed into a gulley the previous night, killing an elderly couple, a husband and wife and their baby.
Shocked, the radio DJ rushed back to the office to listen to the recording of the previous night’s mystery caller but there was only silence on the tape!
