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TV Smith's Dua Sen. The politically incorrect irregular columnist combines
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MALAYSIAN
URBAN LEGENDS
by
TV Smith
14/05/04
Are local urban legends elaborate
hoaxes or some form of rumour mongering taken
to the extreme? Most appear, or began as exaggerated
anecdotes mixed with myths and folklore. Others
are simply localised versions of popular urban
legends originating from the West. Irregardless
of its origin or authenticity, Malaysian urban
legends spread through a network that's considered
more efficient than the Internet. They propagate
via mamak stalls and kopitiams...
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Legend:
An Indian man fell unnoticed into a large syrup
tank in a local cola drink factory. By the time
the tragedy was discovered, the body was already
badly decomposed and millions of bottles were
already shipped.
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Untrue.
A creative adaptation of the foreign urban legend
in which a man was found decomposing in a vat
of beer. The only difference is that the local
version has a racist twist to it, invariably.
It first appeared during the mid-80s. There is
a local variation where an Indonesian construction
worker's skeletons were purportedly found in a
large water storage tank that supplies an entire
housing estate.
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Legend:
A female worker at a local semiconductor factory
was sent to an emergency ward with the broken
half of a brinjal (eggplant) stuck in her private
part. She later committed suicide as a result
of the embarrassment.
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Untrue.
After a spat with her lover, the woman was overheard
telling her colleagues that she rather make do
with an organic dildo. The distorted version soon
spread beyond the factory grounds and she left
her job subsequently. The legend was so popular
at one time, that one could actually substitute
the name of the vegetable with that of the factory
when ordering or paying for that dish in the Sungei
Way area.
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Legend:
Some satay stalls recycle their gravy.
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Not
sure. I do know of several stalls that recycle
the sticks. It is not as worrisome as it sounds,
as the fire would have killed any hitch-hiking
germs. The gravy stories are probably a mutation
of the stories about some mamak restaurants leaving
a perpetual layer of curry (or kuah) in the bottom
of the trays from day one as a tradition. Popular
food outlets are sometimes targeted due to business
rivalry or some dissatisfied customers. There's
the persistent but untrue story of a famous Penang
assam laksa stall using shredded newspaper as
a prime ingredient. Blogger Pick
Yin warns us about a popular iced longan
drink stall in Petaling Street which allegedly
collects and recycles the leftover from the bowls.
Fortunately, they now serve the drink in disposable
paper cups but somehow it seems not as tasty as
the metal bowl days.
Legend:
Several people died after consuming durians together
with alcohol.
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Not
true. The evidence is at best anecdotal and the
fatal correlation was never really proven (scientifically).
Some suggest that the high protein in durians
reacts with alcohol to form dangerous yeast. Others
believe that the 'heatiness' of durians when combined
with 'heaty' drinks such as stouts can induce
a stroke. If it's true, it's a great way to die
compared to jumping off a high-rise building.
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Legend:
A Chinese coffin shop moved into a trendy shopping
mall in Kuala Lumpur upsetting superstitious tenants
and visitors.
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True.
Some Hongkees rented a ground floor shop lot on
a long-term tenancy agreement professing to sell
wood-based products. When they started moving
caskets into their showroom, the landlord had
no other choice but to compensate them (substantially)
in order to get them to vacate the premises. To
its credit, the complex management warned other
property owners about the scam and was the only
victim as a result. It was a brilliant 'con' nonetheless.
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Legend:
A person with a stye (small swelling or nodule)
on the eyelid or eyelash follicle is probably
a peeping tom.
True:
Not so much an urban legend but a myth (or so
I thought). According to blogger Dr
Liew, the connection is not as inexplicable
as it seems. Holes in bathrooms are usually moist
and filled with bacteria. Furthermore, during
peeping, the eye is kept continuously open for
a longer period, thereby reducing the natural
cleansing action (which occurs during blinking).
The local remedy is to poke the pus-ridden stye
ripe with a grain of uncooked rice.
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Legend:
Some RTM newsreaders wear a sarong underneath
the jacket and tie.
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Not
true. I believe it came about because most viewers
imagine a newsreader driving to the studio doorsteps
at the last minute, reads and leaves. This is
quite understandable, given the nonchalant and
bumbling actions of a few of the newsreaders.
In reality, they are required to arrive at a much
earlier time for preparatory work, pre-recorded
voice-over, make-up, etc. There's also a long
walk from the car park to the studios.
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To
be continued.....
©
2004 TV SMITH
Link to this article: http://www.tvsmith.net.my/duasen/140504_urbanlegends.html
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