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| All images by Supian Ahmad and copyright to The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad |
AN OLD RITUAL LIVES ON
“Puja Pantai” has been practised by the Mah Meri tribe for about 300 years. It is celebrated to heal the shores. Villagers gather at low tide on the beach to honour their protector spirits. At daybreak, they cast rice into the sea as an offering.
The story goes that a long time ago, a jong (ship) carrying passengers and supplies was caught in a big storm off Carey Island, near Tanjung Rhu, which faces the Straits of Malacca. None of the islanders thought that the ship would survive the storm. To their surprise, the ship appeared to have been dragged to the shores by an unknown force during the storm.
Following that incident, the villagers believed that “Moyang Getah” (Rubber Spirit) had saved the ship and its passengers.
The Mah Meri tribe believe that there exists another world or world of spirits, parallel to the world we live in. On Puja Pantai day, which falls after the Chinese Lunar New Year, the door to the other world opens.
Believers may seek protection, information, wealth and special wishes from inhabitants of the other world on this day.
The only other way to communicate with inhabitants of the other world is through dreams. They believe that dreams are real and contain messages from the other world. The time cycle for each day of the spirit world is half that of our world. One spirit day is 12 hours, which explains why most spirit-related rituals or feasts must end at noon.
Note: This article was published in New Sunday Times, 17 Februari 2019, page 50–51.
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