Hauntings exorcised
Stories by PRISCILLA DIELENBERG
THE phenomenal hype surrounding the spooky tales at a dingy temple behind the dilapidated Relau Villa Mansion in Penang might seem, on the surface, to be a little perplexing.
More visitors and devotees are now flocking to this temple behind the Relau Villa mansion in Penang which has been spruced up and reopened. Yet Master Ong Q Leng — believed to be Penang’s first female ghostbuster — is not the least unnerved.
But when she noticed contract workers clearing the bushes and trimming the trees outside the long unoccupied mansion, her curious was piqued.
Upon learning that the government had hired them to spruce up the area and that the mansion might even be opened up for tourism purposes, she was overcome with a deep sense of foreboding.
“The mansion is ‘unclean’ and visitors might be adversely affected by bad spirits if their luck is low or if they unknowingly provoke the spirits,” she said in an interview.
That day, Ong prayed for guidance and her sixth sense told her to prepare the temple behind the mansion for Thnee Kong (Jade Emperor) to occupy.
According to her, the temple was built for the mansion and had once housed the household’s deity. However, the deity vacated the place when its idol was broken and there was no one left to offer prayers.
Master Ong Q Leng praying at the temple in Relau, Penang. “Initially, I was reluctant to go there as the temple was ‘dirtier’ than the mansion. Evil spirits and the spirits of accident victims, murdered victims, drug addicts, and others who died in the vicinity had ended up at the temple,” she claimed.
Ong finally hired several Bangladeshis to clear the undergrowth and clean up the place a few months ago.
“They worked for 10 days, and one by one fell ill. At first they declined my offer of help but after at least five of them became ill and could not continue with the work, they consented to let me pray for them.
“They also drank some blessed water to cleanse their system, and were all back to work the very next day,” she said.
Ong and her friends then washed the temple and she “communicated” to the spirits that they could no longer live there as the Jade Emperor was taking up abode.
“I helped to pave the way for the non-evil spirits to be reincarnated and helped to find alternative places for those that did not seek reincarnation,” she said, claiming she also “captured and locked up” the evil spirits.
The new temple was opened up before Chinese New Year, and now houses the idols of the Jade Emperor, Mazu (Goddess of the Sea), Hai Loong Ong (Sea Dragon King) and Tua Pek Kong (God of Prosperity).
An image of the Laughing Buddha greets visitors at the roadside of Jalan Paya Terubong near the traffic light junction in Tingkat Bukit Jambul, right beside the stairs that lead down to a newly reopened temple in Relau, Penang. When the temple first opened, many people even struck numbers when the temple’s Tua Pek Kong bestowed blessings on those who had good fortune.
“People who drop by the temple tell me they used to avoid the sinister-looking place but now find it peaceful,” she added.
The temple gained popularity when Ong dispensed healing and cleansing services on the first and 15th day of the lunar calendar in April and May. However, she has stopped doing so, preferring to leave the temple for people to offer their prayers.
So, after years of neglect, the once gloomy-looking temple has been revived and is now seeing scores of curious visitors and some regular devotees.
The temple, located on a slope, is also accessible by stairs off Jalan Paya Terubong near the traffic light junction in Tingkat Bukit Jambul.
Temple now brings good luck and health
CONCERNED about her 11-year-old son who could not speak properly and did not appear to understand anyone, housewife Chew Ah Gow, 45, took him to various temples to offer prayers.
On one such trip to a small Jade Emperor temple in Relau, Penang, on April 1, spiritual healer Master Ong Q Leng happened to be there and offered to “cleanse” the boy Lim Chun Khien.
“It was around the age of two or three that my son only started calling out ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ and learned to stand and walk,” said Chew.
Devotees offering prayers at the temple in Relau, Penang. “Through the years, he could not walk properly and whenever he tried to speak, the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. And all that would come out was ‘eh, eh’ but the doctors could not find what was wrong.
“Master told me that evil spirits had followed me when I was pregnant and entered my son’s body at birth,” she said.
Today, Chew said she was happy that her son was more alert, responsive when she spoke to him and was starting to speak simple words.
Relau residents — despatch rider V. Sudhakar, 48, his wife machine operator S. Suganthi, 41, — were jogging in the area when they saw the temple nicely done up and a small crowd of devotees there.
“We dropped by to offer prayers, and felt very comfortable and at peace there. After that visit, I struck a lottery number for the first time in my life and returned to thank the Tua Pek Kong,” said Sudhakar.
Then Suganthi fell ill in May a day after attending a friend’s funeral.
“I had fever, flu and a bad cough and sought medical treatment four times but could not get better. Even worse, I had nightmares where I dreamt of people I knew who had already died,” she said.
Master Ong Q Leng conducting spiritual cleansing for Lim Chun Khien, 11, at the temple in Relau, Penang. The couple then visited the temple on a day when Master Q Leng was dispensing prayers and healing services.
“I closed my eyes, and saw something like a big, black shadow with a fierce face and red eyes appear right in front of me and then felt it leaving me. Master also placed her hand on my back which had always hurt. I shivered and the pain went off,” she claimed.
After drinking some blessed water, Suganthi’s health returned and her colleagues even remarked that she was more energetic than usual and they could see more liveliness on her face.
Retired seamstress Chin Nyok Lan, 60, broke her right leg when she fell in May last year. She had steel plates fixed and suffered pain ever since.
“I went to the temple just to offer prayers and Master offered healing, saying that the metal plates were pressing against my nerves,” said Chin, adding that her leg no longer hurt.
Supernatural calling
AS a little girl, Ong Q Leng used to be scared out of her wits by ghosts that took delight in disturbing her, knowing that she could see them clearly through what is believed to be her “third eye”.
Her fright even caused her to stutter and by the time she was 11, she was so fed up of being frightened that she started “scolding the spirits and threatening them not to bother her.”
Master Ong Q Leng, 24. “Surprisingly, they could not harm me. I became braver by the day and was so mad that I had spent all those years in fear, that I soon harboured a desire to someday be able to catch the supernatural beings,” said the 34-year-old spiritual healer.
The atheist was working as a sundry goods sales representative in June 2007 when she knew through her sixth sense that she was destined to help people.
“Until then, I knew there were such things as ghosts as I have seen various types of scary looking spirits. But I never believed in God and deities because I had not seen any, and I never prayed,” she said.
By the grace of the Jade Emperor, Ong claimed she was given the ability to heal her 84-year-old grandfather who was suffering from testicle cancer.
“I was sceptical but excited. Imagine, I could heal with only the use of my hands. And I felt amazed that it actually worked and was extremely happy to see my grandfather able to walk again.
“Only then did I believe that God exists,” she said, adding that her grandfather was still alive.
She went on to help more and more people and her enthusiasm grew along with her success.
Then came the knowledge that she could accomplish what she had always wanted — catch ghosts by reciting some prayers and using some hand movements to do so.
Yet despite always wanting to be a ghostbuster, Ong was actually scared when presented with the ability.
“Healing was fine but when it came to catching the spirits, I was really afraid. I sought reassurance from the Jade Emperor and my sixth sense told me that I would be protected and that I could reach out and help even more people with this ability.
“With this new gift, I stopped being able to see the spirits clearly and can now only spot them when I am allowed to,” she said.
Today Ong, known as “Master” Q Leng among her patients and clients, offers services of healing, spiritual cleansing, feng shui tips and general consultation. Her services have taken her all over the country and as far as Singapore, Jakarta and Hong Kong.
Those who wish to engage her services can contact her assistant Jesse at 012-4110499
