Indonesian Pocong Talk (印尼僵尸)

Pocong is actually a type of ghost similar to the Egyptian mummy. Pocong is actually dead body wrapped in white cloth. Locals believe a dead body must be wrapped with white cloth and that it must be buried and undisturbed for 40 days otherwise not only the dead soul cannot rest-in-peace; the deceased might become a 'pocong'.

It is believed that if you are travelling in Malaysian or Indonesian isolated locations after dark, and that you heard some noises at your back; it is best just to step aside and give whatever it might be its way.

This is because that noisy 'thing' might just be the notorious 'pocong' and it will attack whoever is in its way. A special trait of Indonesian pocong is that it is passive and it normally does not attack people. But when it sets its eyes on you, then it will follow you anywhere you go.

Some Indonesian believe that if a person is brave enough, he can hug a pocong and untie the white cloth wrapping it. By unwrapping this pocong, its soul shall be delivered. And this saved pocong shall reward its savier by rewarding him handsomely. Someone said that the corpse shall turn into gold equivalent of its body weight!

Of course, first, you must catch hold of one pocong before you can claim your wealth!
During the Chinese New Year gathering, my cousin brought his Indonesian maid to help out in cuisine preparation. After the dinner, I started to chat with this maid whom I called her as Kak (sister).

I asked Kak have you seen a 'pocong' while passing my phone to her. On hearing the word 'pocong', Kak's face shown some sense of fear and she said that before she came to Singapore, she has seen pocong in her Indonesian home...

According to Kak, pocong are plentiful in cemeteries and they would be observed to jump at night in those cemeteries. Once, Kaw was chatting with her friends in front of her house at night, she saw a pocong stood by the back of her friends. But before Kak got a chance to tell her friends, the pocong has vanished.

Later, Kak said that she has seen a pocong in a hospital in Singapore at the beginning of that year... 
Kak was suffering from stomachache in the middle of the night. My cousin sent her to the hospital for treatment. It was just past midnight and when Kak was passing through one of special care wards, she saw a 'pocong' stoodby the entrance.

Kak was extremely frightened and she fainted. A passerby doctor on duty revived Kak. As soon as Kak opened her eyes, she said to the doctor: "I have seen a pocong staring evilly at me in the ward!"
Calmly, the good doc said: "Don't worry! That good old Mr. Lim cannot hurt you. He can barely move!"

Kak still believed that she had seen a pocong in that hospital. But I think what Kak saw was just someone wrapped as if a 'pocong' and nothing too supernatural about it... but I will just leave it for your imaginations run wild!