Malaysian Ghostbusters

Malaysians are a very superstitious lot. The major races Malays, Chinese and Indians each have their own ghosts, not to mention the ghosts of our East Malaysian brethren and brethrenees.

Sketch By Ordinary Malaysian

So it is not uncommon to hear stories and sightings of pontianaks (screeching banshees) who swoop down from shaking branches of tall dark trees on unsuspecting victims to snatch away babies. Or hear, especially from the Chinese, of flying coffins on dark, lonely roads or on dark, lonely highways.

But the ghosts all Malaysians are afraid of are the election ghosts - phantom voters. These pop up now and then, here and there, without being invited and without any regard as whether it is the hungry ghost month or not.

(The Chinese have a festival called the Hungry Ghost Festival that lasts a month when the Chinese pray and make offerings to the departed who are released from hades to roam the world of the living for a summer vacation of sorts)

Apparently, the Barisan government is also afraid of these election ghosts, but in a rather different sense. It does not want to stir the ire of these ghosts, so it has warned would-be ghostbusters in yellow (Bersih2 Rally) participants not to cause trouble on July 9th.

I was afraid that Malaysian ghostbusters might be out of a job. Now it appears they are effectively out of a job.

If there's something strange in the electoral roll
Whom ya gonna call (Malaysian ghostbusters)

If there's something weird an won't go
Whom ya gonna call.....