Article/Document:

Tales from Malaysia

Ahmad Jamaludin, Fortean Times, No. 35, 1981 (UK)

original source | fair use notice

Summary: We welcome to our pages another of our Special correspondents, Ahmad Jamaludin, from Kuantan, in Pahang, Malaysia, whose UFO bulletins from that country have appeared in FSR. Ahmad’s interest include Fortean phenomena, and we hope to hear more from him from time to time. This article has been compiled from two items he sent us: the first summarizing events of note from 1979, and the second on events in the first quarter of 1981.

Ahmad Jamaludin

author's bio

We welcome to our pages another of our Special correspondents, Ahmad Jamaludin, from Kuantan, in Pahang, Malaysia, whose UFO bulletins from that country have appeared in FSR. Ahmad’s interest include Fortean phenomena, and we hope to hear more from him from time to time. This article has been compiled from two items he sent us: the first summarizing events of note from 1979, and the second on events in the first quarter of 1981. Ahmad points out that UFO sightings are quite rare in Malaysia, and earth tremors rarer still, so that to have so many in such proximity to each other in 1979 was quite remarkable.

FORTEAN IN 1979

1:- Butterworth

On Jan. 2, a RAAF serviceman coming out of a supermarket sighted a round silvery object in the sky at 6.15 pm. The object was described as glowing in bright orange colour and had several portholes lining the edge. The witness took 12 shots with his camera but when the film was developed only two shots showing the object came out. The UFO hovered for about 20 minutes before it disappeared.
The National Echo, 4 Jan. 1979

2:- Jitra

Four farmers going to their rice field at 6.45 in the morning of Jan. 5 sighted a small glittering ball floating in the sky. They claimed that the object appeared suddenly before them and they stopped to watch it. No sound was coming from the object but it was moving. The sighting lasted for about 20 minutes.
The New Straits Times, 6 Jan. 1979.

3:- Penang Island

On 7th Feb. at 10.30 am. two construction workers were resting under a tree when suddenly both of them caught a glimpse of a round shiny object flying towards the mainland.
Berita Harian, 9 Feb. 1979

4:- Penang Island

An earth tremor was felt in Penang Island at 11.10 pm. on March 16. The tremor which occurred twice within a few seconds went unaware by most people.
The New Straits Times, 18 March 1979.

5:- Penang Island

In March a 3-inch nail appearing from nowhere smashed through a window pane of an institute, whizzed past three members of the teaching staff, hit an iron railing inside the institute office and ricocheted into the arm of a laboratory assistant. The nail made a hole an inch long in the glass pane. The incident occurred at 11.45 am.
The New Straits Times (date uncertain)

6:- Kampung Pertama

Starting from April 20, a display of aerial lights took place near the village for 5 consecutive nights. The strange brightly lit object was elliptical in shape and sparkled like a star. It landed in the rice field which was several miles deep inside the village perimeter. As the UFO landed at about 7 pm, it began to get smaller and then the light split into three smaller UFOs. About 20 villagers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The New Straits Times, 25 April 1979.

7:- Kuala Lumpur

On 27 April, a slight earth tremor was felt by a few people, at 11 am sending people on the top floor of at least one building scrambling out. However the tremor went unnoticed in other high-rise building in the city.
The New Straits Times, 29 April 1979.

8:- Semenyeh

In early May a farmer left a buffalo near a disused tin-mining pool and while he was resting under a tree he heard a splash. He ran to the pool but the animal had disappeared. He saw only a whirlpool in the pond. Another farmer had also lost his buffalo there and reported to police that he saw a ‘large snake’ in the water. Residents there also reported that the 'monster ‘ was spotted at least three times on May 19.
The New Straits Times, 21 May 1979.

9:- Bukit Mertajam

On 19 May, at 3 pm, six schoolchildren encountered a landed UFO and four 3-inch-tall entities near it. One of the students, it was reported, tried to catch one of the creatures but was shot in the hand. The creature then fired another shot at a brick breaking it into two. After the shooting, the creatures scurried back into the tiny object. Another pupil grabbed the UFO with both hands but had to let it go when he felt what seemed like an electric current passing through his hands. The object then took off leaving in its wake a shower of falling leaves. A 21-year-old youth playing nearby came to the scene after hearing the commotion just in time to see the shooting and the object taking off.
The Daily Star, 29 May 1979.

10:- Kampung Nagalilit.

On 26 May, between 8-9 am, three students were playing in the clearing of a rubber plantation when suddenly they heard a droning sound and turning saw a tiny object coming in slowly for a landing. The UFO appeared to land and the student rushed to touch it. As they were about to touch the object which was luminous, an intense beam of light shot out from its outer rim into their eyes, temporarily blinding them. They immediately cried for help which drew the attention of two adults nearby, who rushed to the scene and managed to see the UFO moving slowly into the jungle. The cattle in a nearby shed were very restless and were trying to break away from the posts to which they were tied.
The Daily Star, 30 May 1979, and The New Thrill, 1979.

11:- Tepoh

Several students going to school in the morning saw three mysterious footprints near a bridge. According to the police there were three foot-prints of various sizes. One measured 3 ft long, the other 2 ft. and the third a little smaller. Hundreds of people have crowded to the bridge to see the prints which were believed to have been made by mysterious entities.
Berita Harian, 9 July 1979.

12:- Lumut

Since 11 August students of a Vocational Institute have reported that they have been disturbed by three 10-ft-tall hairy creatures. These strange happenings occurred between 10pm and 5am. Several of the students reported that they have seen the entities with their own eyes. These entities have red eyes and they usually disappeared mysteriously into thin air. The Institute was later temporarily closed and all the students instructed to go home.
Utusan Malaysia, 18 Aug. 1970.

13:- Pekan

Several cases of an encounter with a man with a dog’s head were reported in this town. A local resident reported that he had chased a man carrying something in his hands behind his house. The man suddenly vanished when he put the thing that he was carrying on his head. Residents of this small town lived in fear of this mysterious dog-headed phantom for some time until all the excitement died down.
Berita Harian, 6 Oct. 1979.

14:- Melaka

During the month of October, a similar case of a were-dog was reported from this town. But this time a dog was caught and taken to the Veterinary Office to determine what it could be. The animal was tied and locked in a room pending investigation, but the next morning it was found missing. The rope with which it had been tied was not undone, and the lock of the door had not been disturbed. Following the mysterious disappearance of this animal, fear once again gripped the local community. Whatever it was, it was never seen again.
Berita Harian, 22 Oct. 1979.

FORTEANA IN 1981 (SO FAR) IN MALAYSIA

On 13 Feb. 1981, at about 9.30am, 20 students out of 100 taking part in a cross-country run suddenly went into hysteria. The incident began with one of the girls started screaming claiming she saw a dark figure in front of her, then she fainted. This was followed by a few more of the students falling to the ground. Things became worst when many more began to faint and they all had to be taken to the hospital.

Utusan Malaysia, 15 Feb. 1981.

Sometime in March a rubber tapper was mysteriously killed when a tree he was cutting pushed him several feet into the swamp. His friend nearby reported that he saw the tree falling at an odd angle on the victim. The police and the fire brigade tried for two days to pull the tree out but the cable of the crane snapped. Only after several medicine men chanted prayers could the huge tree-trunk, which had buried itself and the victim, be moved.

New Straits Times, March 1981.

Some time in March a baby buffalo with eight legs was born at Kampung Pondok Bharu. The baby buffalo was already dead when the owner found it. It was described as a ‘Siamese twin’ in nature with two bodies joined and had two tails but only one head. The day-old baby buffalo had the size of a two-year old calf.

Utusan Malaysia, 11 March 1981.

For two nights in mid-April, near Kuantan, many girl students attending an animal husbandry course went into hysteria after allegedly seeing a disembodied black hand waving at them. Its waving seemed to mysteriously draw the students towards it. In an effort to resist the mysterious pull they went into hysteria.

(From a witness).

On 10 April, there was some excitement near Kota Baru when a chicken that was slaughtered twice, by two different people, refused to die. The villagers believed that it was something abnormal and many visited the owner’s home to see the strange chicken. The following day after the neck of the chicken was stitched back, the chicken appeared stronger and was able to walk. (Berita Harian, 19 April 1981). The sad news came a week later when the chicken finally gave up – not that it’s ready to go to the dinner table – but it died. This was due to the swelling at the site of the slaughter which did not receive any treatment. (Mingguan Malaysia, 26 April 1981).

As if there is no justice or to see some justice, hundreds of caterpillars swarmed the local courthouse in Bentong in April. The spokesman for the court said that this was the second such invasion: the first was in 1979.

Mingguan Malaysia, 26 April 1981.

A 30-year old man was attacked by a tiger in the jungles of Bukit Ibam while searching for firewood on 21st April. He was attacked from behind and was badly wounded. He nearly died during the struggle with the tiger but his three dogs put up a fight and the tiger ran away. He quickly climbed a tree fearing the tiger might return but in his shock fell down. Although bleeding and in pain, he walked about 8 miles to his village. From there he was taken to the hospital 60 miles away.

Berita Minggu, 26 April 1981.
….AND IN INDONESIA

Two gamblers were set on by armed thugs soon after leaving the Jakarta casino and robbed of more than 100 million rupiahs. The two were thinking of buying a house and while driving looking for one, were jumped by seven knife-weilding bandits who made off with their winnings. The men have two weeks to try to recoup their losses. The casino will be closed from April 1, 1981 under an Indonesian Government ban on gambling.

The Straits Times, March 1981.

A 41-year old medicine-seller was imprisoned for five-and-a-half months for marrying a girl less than 15 years old. When he was released, his youngest wife and 14 others were happy to receive him at the prison gate. All of his 15 wives live in harmony with him in one house. Now here is one man who may be selling some wonderful medicine!

Berita Harian, 17 April 1981.