Susuk 101

Before plastic surgery, there was 'susuk', otherwise known as charm needles. Dating from the pre-Islamiczation of this regent, the practice of susuk-wearing has prevailed till now, a time with the advent of modern times and technology.

What is susuk? How does it work? And why do people use it?

Awang Mohd Yahya (Bomoh Artis Malaysia) performing a susuk demonstration

Susuk is more commonly known as metal-based needles made of a gold alloy, inserted into the soft tissues underneath the skin. However, there actually are a varieties of susuk that exist, namely:
● jarum mas (gold needle)
● serbuk mas (gold powder)
● perak (silver)
● kayu nibong (wood)
● raksa (mercury)
● bunga melur (jasmine flower)
● wafaq (kalimah in gold ink)
● berlian (diamond - touted to be the strongest one of all)

Depending on an individual's reason for acquiring the susuk, the susuk can be implanted in various parts of the body, including forehead, cheek, chin, lips, breast/chest, genital area and buttocks.

Susuk found in a radiograph, in a patient's lower jaw/chin area

Some of the reasons that would push an individual to seek this mystical solution are:

● beauty enhancement
● an improved aura
● to attract a specific person or the opposite gender
● increased strength
● protection from physical and spiritual harm

Depending on the type of susuk required, and the practitioner's practice, the susuk can be inserted into the human body in a variety of ways. One way would be to make a small incision on the skin, after which the susuk is physically inplanted. Other ways include the non-physical, spiritual transfer including chanting of undisclosed verses or mantra. A flower bath might be necessary for some, to rid the body of negative aura, prior to the insertion.

The effectiveness of wearing susuk is still debated, with some suggesting that the effects are psychological, alike going to a hair saloon and stepping out with more confidence, even with only a minor trim. Regardless, the susuk is sought after by a spectrum of individuals, from school-going youths, to the elderly.

A struggling singer may seek to have susuk placed in his/her lips. An individual seeking sexual prowess may have his/her placed in the genitalia area; susuk bunga melur can also be implanted in breasts (an alternative to breast implants). And a person seeking to have their beauty enhanced usually has susuk implanted in the facial region. Susuk is also known to be worn by persons owning businesses, as a means to attract more customers.

But this method of attaining beauty, strength and wealth comes with prohibitions, such as:
● no consumption of a certain type of banana
● no consumption of meat from sticks (satay)
● no walking under a clothesline

Going against the prohibitions, whether on purpose or not, will cause the susuk to lose its function, or even drop out from the bodily tissues.

Though this practice is rife in Indonesia, Malaysia and even Singapore, it is not unique to the Malays or people of this region. A quick seacrch on the internet reveals that there are Chinese, Indians and even Caucasians who are susuk-wearers and are believers of its powers.





Reference:
Balasundram, S. , Yee, S. and Shanmuhasuntharam, P. (2013) Susuk: Charm needles in orofacial soft tissues. Open Journal of Stomatology, 3, 155-162. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2013.3202

Susuk: A True Story

(As encountered and narrated by Abg Man, a healer and member of Destinasi Kebenaran. Translated and edited by me)

Susuk

"This was my experience in 2013, when I was called to help a patient who had been critically ill for almost 2 months...

I met up with a friend, Sufie (name has been changed to protect the identity of persons involved), who said to me, "Bro, I need your help". I responded, "What kind of help do you need?". Sufie then told me of his relative who is 'nazak' (on the verge of death), but could not pass on. The family had engaged the help of several ustaz and alternative healers, however, none were successful. Upon hearing this, I made the decision to visit the patient together with Sufie.

Upon my arrival at the patient's residence, I said my greetings, "Assalammualaikum!", and as I took my first step into the house, I felt a negative aura coming at me. 

I met with the patient's parents and husband and asked them a few questions, before I proceeded with the healing session. The husband, Rashid, came forth and told me, "We had been married for 3 years before she confessed... that she has had 'susuk' (charm needles) placed in various parts of her body, before we were married. She did it for the sake of beauty".

"Astaghfirullah... why didn't she get them removed?", I responded. The weary husband replied, "I have advised her to get them removed. Unfortunately, the person who had placed the 'susuk' in for her, has passed away... I told her not to worry, as we'd persevere to look for someone who could remove them for her...".

But days passed, turning into weeks, and then years. Soon, 10 years have gone, and the wife fell ill. After a check-up at the hospital, they discovered that the wife had Stage 3 breast cancer. There was no hope, and very little time.

Upon hearing this, I was determined to help the patient. Together with Rashid, I entered the bedroom where she was in, and when I saw her, I was overcome with sadness and sympathy.

The wife, Suriana, was skinny to the bone, and yelling. As if in fear... of something that we could not see.

I began my session by 'scanning' to see where the various 'susuk' were placed in her body. Once done, I communicated with the 'khodam' (guardian) of the susuk, requesting that they leave the body. However, my request was refused. It was also to my knowledge that Suriana had, in her healthier times, tried to remove the 'susuk' by going against the conditions for a wearer, however, to no avail. The 'susuk' refused to be expelled from her body.

I negotiated with the 'khodam', and read a few verses from the Holy Quran, to agitate it. Finally, it agreed to accede to my request, but on a few conditions. It asked for a bunch of bananas, 7 different types of flowers, and some scented joss sticks.

I informed Rashid of the 'khodam's request, to which he agreed. I also told him to accept whatever comes, after the removal of the 'susuk' was completed; I reminded him that everything happens at God's will. I took my leave and told him I would be back with the necessary items the next day.

As promised, I returned the following day with the items requested by the 'khodam'. Before I proceeded with the session, I told Rashid to snap a photo of Suriana, before and after the removal of the 'susuk'.

I 'surrendered' the items I had brought along to the 'khodam' and successfully transferred it from Suriana's body, into a bottle.  Immediately, her face became extremely sunken, and she was not yelling anymore. I turned to Rashid and informed him that the 'susuk' has been removed from her body, and to be resigned to whatever fate the Almighty had planned for her, and them.

Two days later, I received a call from Rashid, informing that Suriana had just passed away. I offered him my condolences and told him to have strength and patience in accepting God's will. For He is the best Provider and Planner. Amin.

The moral of this story is:

1. Do not be obssessed with the mystical.

2. Be thankful with what you have.

Midnight Cadet: A True Story

The following is based on true events, as experienced by Naz DK Sergeant, a senior member of Destinasi Kebenaran.

(Narrated by Naz, edited by me)

○●○●○●○

"It was 1996, I was serving National Service. My BMT training was in Nee Soon Camp, Echo Company, with my bunk located on the 4th floor of the Echo Company Building.

It is common knowledge that in the army, we have to switch off the lights at 23:59, after which, we lay in our bunks in total darkness. The first week passed, followed by the second. Nothing happened.

However, on the third week of my BMT, my bunkmates and me were sound asleep when I was awoken by the sound of someone running along the corridor. I did a timecheck, it was past 2 in the morning. As my bed was located by the window overlooking the corridor, I could see if anyone was walking or loitering outside. Curious to find out the source of the sounds, I slowly peeked through the window...

... I saw the figure of a man dressed in Full Battle Order (full Army equipment), running from end of the corridor, to the other end. I wondered, who could this be?? And why was he doing this, because no one is supposed to be up and about after 23:59!!

I could not tell if it was one of my platoon mates. In the darkness, I could only make out the body. As I watched him run towards the other end of the corridor... he suddenly CLIMBED OVER THE PARAPET AND JUMPED DOWN!!

"Oh my God!!!" Thinking I may have just witnessed a suicide, I quickly got up from bed and ran to the spot I last saw the figure, and looked down to where he would have landed from the jump.

THERE WAS NO ONE.

By now, I could feel the perspiration on my forehead and goosebumps all over my body.

Without a second thought, I rushed back to my bed and covered myself with the blanket. I could not sleep a wink after that, that night.

Till today, I do not know if it was a ghostly apparition, or my imagination. Only God knows."

Pulau Ubin: Joint Expedition

Last Saturday, the 13th of June 2015, saw the coming together of a few local paranomal groups as they took on Pulau Ubin in a joint overnight expedition. Groups in participation are: Destinasi Kebenaran, Sumpahan MJ12, KMS and D'Unknown.

(Pulau Ubin is an island off eastern Singapore, and considered the last kampung in Singapore. The setting here is akin that of 1960s mainland Singapore.)

With a combined group of 36 men and women, we set off on the trail at approximately 9pm.

A stark difference between Pulau Ubin and mainland Singapore was the non-existence of street lights or lamp posts. As seen from the photos on this post, our source of light were torchlights and handphone camera flashes.

In the darkness, the human eye sees very little. But combined with intuition, sometimes you may get a lucky shot, as follows:

We stopped a little while in a open, water catchment area for the DK crew to film the introduction segment of this trip. Save for the voices of the emcees, guest participants and cameraman, the air was still and silent.

After about half an hour here, we moved along, back on trail. Ten minutes into the walk, I noticed that the people immediately in front of me had stopped walking. Those on the very front, however, was seen rushing forward and checking both sides of the intersection that was ahead of us.

Apparently, what had happened was that while walking, the team members in front had spotted a 'penunggu', or a spiritual entity that guards a place. Abang Man, a DK member, had then moved forward and performed the necessary, in seeking the penunggu's permission for the group to proceed on with the trail.

Following which, Arif managed to capture a pocong on camera:

This took place near here:

As we passed this intersection and back into the forest, I noticed that despite the path being wider and hence the trees further from us, the temperature had taken a plunge. There was a chill I felt as I walked down this path.

About 300m away, we came to another intersection and a resting hut. Here, emcee Arif conducts an interview with Pak Wari, an esteemed healer with over 20 years' experience. 

In the photo below, two entities were captured in the background, observing our activities.

By now, we had walked an estimated 2-3km.

What now laid ahead in our route was a Muslim Cemetery, which was one of the hotspots of fierce spiritual activities. For safety, we walked in a formation where females walked in the middle, while males walked in front, behind and to our sides.

Unknownst to me while I took the photo at this location, an entity watches us as we explored this first cemetery for the night.

(Do you see a face with two eyes on the top left hand corner of the photo? Not edited as editing somehow makes the face disappear)

What we discovered, however, was a grave freshly dugged.

Partially visible is a batu nisan, or tombstone, as seen above. It is not known if the corpse has been removed or is still in the grave, however bits of white cloth can be seen peeking out from the soil.

From here, we walked to the second, larger cemetery with visibly more graves. The air was tense, not sure if it was the atmospheric energy, or the energies of nervous, anxious women in the group.

Here, Abang An, from DK, performed a 'tarikan', where he retrieved the below tool from beneath the soil -- much to the amazement and awe of others present. It is believed to be hundreds of years old and used for protection. It is now in the possession of DK.

It was the first time I witnessed such an event, and I know it was not going to be the last.

After covering an approximate 6-7 km in 5 hours, we finally concluded the expedition at 230am, with sore feet, aching muscles and a desperate need for shower, hydration and sleep.

Nevertheless, if indeed there was a need called the need for spiritual exploration, it was not satiated, but instead, grew, that night.

Looking forward to the next one!

Possessed: A True Story

The following is based on true events, as encountered by Abang Man, a member of Destinasi Kebenaran. He is also a healer with 20 years' experience. May his efforts in healing those in need of spiritual help be rewarded with abundance by the greatest Creator of all. Amin.

Bismillah.

(Original account by Abang Man, translated into English by me)

"Not too long ago, I received a call to help a man who had been possessed. On arriving at the patient's residence, I saw that many of the man's relatives were already there. After talking to them and asking a few questions, I asked to see the patient, who was in the bedroom.

As I made my way to the bedroom, I was stopped by the patient's mother, who called me over to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she asked, "How much is your payment?", to which I countered, "Makcik, why are you asking about payment?". She then explained that prior to my arrival, they had seeked help from four other spiritual healers. The first healer had requested $10,000 for payment. The second had asked for $8,000, the third, $6,000, and the fourth, $3,000. I was the fifth. To her question, I responded, "Makcik, I'm not here for the money, and if God wills, I will help you heal your son". Hearing this, she agreed to allow me to proceed.

As I arrived at the door to the bedroom where the patient was, I was shocked to see the state that he was in. The patient had both legs and arms bent, postured like a frog, and mouth that could not say anything except, "Auuungg... auuungg..". I supplicated silently and wondered, "Ya Allah, what is wrong with this servant of yours?"

I began my healing session with a process called 'scanning' to find out what had happened. What I saw was that the patient had gone fishing with his friends and relatives. However, during fishing, the patient's fishing bait had gotten stuck in between some corals. To free his line, he had forcefully tugged on his equipment, and took a step back for balance. While doing so, he had unintentionally stepped on a frog. Annoyed with its presence, the patient had cussed the frog and kicked it away. After which, he continued fishing. However, upon reaching home, he had collapsed and fell chronically ill.

I continued with the 'scanning', wondering why one simple incident with a frog would cause the patient such an extent of illness. It was then it came to me that the unfortunate frog that the patient had stepped on and cussed, was the beloved animal of an otherwordly Princess of the sea that they had gone fishing in. Therefore I tried to spiritually reach the mentioned Princess, to request that she remove the illness that she had cast over the patient.

She replied, "As long as my pet frog is not healed, the patient will suffer". I urged her to forgive the patient for his actions towards the frog. After much negotiation, she finally agreed, with (undisclosed) conditions. I proceeded to accede to her given conditions and with God's grace, the patiently immediately rose from bed and announced, "I'm hungry". To this, I asked him, "What's your name, and what's your mother's name?". He responded correctly, in a weak voice. The patient's brother and I then helped him to the living area, where he was given food, as he had not ingested any food for close to a month. In the period he had been ill, he had only consumed milk for sustenance.

A few of the patient's relatives asked me, "What happened? What had happened to him and what had caused him to be possessed?". To which I replied that it does not matter, and what matters is that the patient is healed and well. It is all in God's plans.

I then informed only the patient's mother of what had actually happened. With praises to Allah, the patient has now fully healed and does not go fishing anymore.

The moral of this story is:

1. Be careful what you say - do not be a loose canon.

2. Money is not, and cannot get you everything.

Allah commands, and it is.

Kun fa ya kun."

Virgin Investigation with Destinasi Kebenaran (Marang)

After the conclusion of the investigation of the suicide in Eastern Singapore, we headed to South of Singapore, to recce a certain trail that has been reported to freak out joggers, regardless of time of day.

The main road, located approximately 30 metres away from this trail, was still lightly buzzing with traffic at 3am. However, as we took our first steps upslope, I became conscious of the sinister, unwelcoming atmosphere. In comparison, the earlier location, though I was fully aware of its hauntedness, did not give me a threatened feeling as did this trail.

About a 100m climb upslope later, we came across a colonial building in the darkness of the surrounding trees.

Said building is standing behind the guys in the above photo, but infortunately not visible in the photo. It is unknown if the building has living occupants.

Moving on from this spot, we climbed another approximate 100m, before we arrived at a spot that according to Abang An, was most rife with spiritual activity.

We stopped for the crew to film, hovering around closely, watching. During the shooting, someone suddenly called out a DK team member, "Boy!". I turned around to where I recalled Boy standing, somewhere a mere 5m behind me and saw Boy's form writhing while standing. Apparently an entity was trying to enter his body, and the member who shouted out for him was now at his side, aiding in the removal of the unwelcomed spirit and discarding it into the forest below us.

Upon completion of the shooting on location, we turned back and went down the trail, back to our starting point. It is here that Abang An told me how on a previous trip here, they had met with a guardian of the location, or a "penunggu", who had denied them entry into the trail. When pressed further, all the trees in the surrounding area, started shaking violently. The only thing was, it was a still, humid night and there was no wind.

According to Abang An, the encounter took place approximately 2 in the morning. This time, however, we did not experience as violent a reaction from the spiritual entities dwelling the area as unfortunately we had arrived a little too late, at almost 4 in the morning.

Perhaps next time, we might get lucky.

*Edit: After publishing this entry, I went through the photos taken at this location and found this:

What do you see? What do you think it is?

Wallahu alam.

Virgin Investigation with Destinasi Kebenaran (Pasir Ris Tower)

My interest in the otherworldly started as soon as I knew how to read. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were alright, but I obssessed over Russell Lee. He made my hair stand, and expanded my imagination to near-paranoia, but still, I continued reading.

It's been a long while since I held any of his books, but my affinity for the paranormal has led me to search every avenue, from movies to libraries to Youtube, to maintain my regular dose of the other dimension.

Last Saturday night, I met with an old friend, Arif, who brought me to meet with local paranormal group, Destinasi Kebenaran (referred to as DK henceforth). A little backstory, DK was founded approximately 10 years ago, with the vision to investigate places involved with paranormal mysteries, and to rake the truth, separating man-made fiction from events that truly happened.

We convened with the team slightly before midnight at Pasir Ris Park. After introductions were made and a short briefing by the founder, Abang An, we set off for the Pasir Ris Swamp at 12.03am.

As we approached the entrance to the swamp trail, I had a brief flashback of my last walk here with the Singapore Paranormal Investigators in conjunction with Republic Polytechnic's Halloween Night programme, in 2006. I remembered being thoroughly freaked out, or maybe I was just feeling the energies of everyone else.

The darkness beckoned, and entered the trail we did. The air was still, the only sounds were of our footsteps and the occasional low-voiced chatter among the group. I did not come prepared with a torchlight, but was offered one by a member of DK. Unfortunately, barely minutes into the walk, it stopped working. My vision, from then on, was aided only by the light from others' behind, who were occasionally flashing their lights in the swamps, and at the trees on both sides of the swamp, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of an otherworldly being.

Truth be told, I do not know how much we walked or how much time passed till we came to our first destination, the infamous Pasir Ris Park Look-out Tower. Here, it was just as dark, if not even darker than the route leading to it, as not a single lamp post was in sight. The only light was the moonlight and the quick flashes of light from the team's cameraphones.

There are variations to the story of the tower, first being of a jilted, heartbroken female who took her own life from the top story of the tower, and another, of a murder of a couple. Both versions are available online. But more importantly, are the many accounts of hauntings at this spot.

I was intimidated by the fact that a suicide had possibly taken place at the very place I was standing, it gave me the creeps. I mean, it takes a lot of rage or sadness for someone to inflict violence upon themselves. You don't expect a soul with that much negative energy in life, to be cordial in death. Right?

Fortunately, my ego refused to let me be a wuss surrounded by the team of 13 men. Furthermore, I was not really feeling anything, I was frightened only by imagined possibilities and not what was in actual. So up the tower I went, an estimated 4-storeys in height. As the crew discussed the footage they would take, I snapped away on my phone, hoping to capture something, anything, on screen.

From the standing area in the middle of the top floor of the tower, I walked towards the area to the right of the staircase, and this was where I felt the hair on my legs stand. Strange, because I was dressed in long pants, and if I was feeling cold, I would have goosebumps on an exposed part of my body, which in this case, should be my hands, should it not?

At this point, the team's cameraperson captured a lady entity on screen, right behind the area behind me and Arif. Was the entity the lady who ended her life by leaping off this tower? We had to find out.

(Paragraphs here onwards have been typed 3 times, as the words kept on disappearing after every save. Freaky? Maybe. Annoying? Very.)

We came down from the tower and headed towards an area to the right of the tower which Abang An pointed out to us as feeling rampant with energies, also the same area from which the female entity was captured on our cameraman's screen. It led to yet another path into the swamp area, and we sauntered again into the forested darkness.

After a few hundreds of metres, we came to a resting point, at approximately 1am, which was to be where the presences were summoned. 

A hush fell over the group as Abang Man proceeded to walk a little further from us, and began chanting a mantra, calling on present entities to come forward.

A few minutes later, an entity entered the body of Wan, apparent as he started clawing at the wooden flooring, on his knees. He did not respond as another team member greeted, "Assalamualaikum". This is indication of a non-Muslim entity in possesion of the human body, as a Muslim entity would not fail to respond with "Waalaikumsalam".

Arif stepped in to enquire if the entity knew of the tale of the female who lost her life from the tower, to which it hissed, "Kenapa kau tanya aku? / Why are you asking me?"

Prodding further, Arif asked of the mystical happenings in the vicinity, to which the entity replied "Sundel bolong". The entity in possession of Wan's body claimed to be a sundel bolong, only one of the many present with us at the moment. When asked where were the rest, the entity turned 45 degrees toward its left, indicating that the rest were at the back, on the roof of the resting point.

As for the story of the girl who jumped to her death from the look-out tower, the entity offered, "She had problems, so we influenced her to jump".

Wallahu alam.

(Next post: Marang Trail, Singapore)

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