GHOST STORY : KOKLIR

Benedict Sandin - This is one of his most famous — the Kok-lir ghost story.

Benedict Sandin Anak Attat (1918-1982) — grandson of a Native Chief of Lower Paku, first Curator of the Sarawak Museum who was Iban — was the first person to collect and document Iban oral history in English. A lot of it he published in The Sarawak Gazette.

His piece "Ghost Story" was published in The Sarawak Gazette, September 30, 1964.

This is the summary Sandin recorded:

“The indigenous people of Borneo believe that every unfortunate woman who "dies in child-birth," inevitably is converted into the kok-lir. At this sort of death, before any antidote can be applied, the deceased’s nails have already been rapidly growing very sharp and long. The traditional way to prevent this from happening is to prick the soles of the deceased’s feet with thorns of a citrus tree.” — Benedict Sandin, Ghost Story

The kok-lir is the Iban name for what Peninsular Malaysians call Pontianak — so feared that the city of Pontianak in Indonesian Borneo is said to have got its name from her.

The story inside the story

Sandin continues with an account of two of the kok-lir's victims:

A widower and his son had been fishing and took shelter for the night in a hut owned by two beautiful women. The women were perfectly hospitable — they cooked for them, gave them a place to rest.

As the son sat naked on the floor, one of the women suddenly pointed at his testicles and shouted "Haii-waii-wai! It's the sweet stuff!" — and her nails began to grow long and sharp.

The father and son ran for their boat while the two women chased them screaming "kok-kok-kok" — that's where the name comes from.

In desperation the widower overturned their boat and hid underneath it in the water. The two kok-lir jumped on top and started boring through the hull with their nails.

Just before they broke through, the sun rose and the two women vanished. The men survived, badly shocked and cold.

Sandin documented it as an example of Iban adat around death — the citrus-thorn ritual was a real protective practice to stop a woman who died in childbirth from turning.

WADD MEDIA (2023) - LEGEND OF KOKLIR

Here's the Wadd Media (2023) - Borneo's Folklore: Legends of Kok-lir version:

Wadd.asia published it as a modern retelling that directly credits Benedict Sandin's 1964 Ghost Story in The Sarawak Gazette.

"Once upon a time, in the mystical land of Borneo, there existed a legendary female spirit known as Kok-lir. This ghostly entity was notorious for its unsettling act involving men's testicles. The native Borneans had their name for it, Pontianak, which was believed to have influenced the naming of Pontianak in Indonesia."

"It is also known as Antu-anak in Malay folklore; this evil spirit targeted its former husbands or any men it had bewitched during its mortal existence.."

The origin rule:

"According to local folklore, women who died during childbirth were said to transform into Kok-lirs. Their nails would grow sharp and long, an eerie sign of their presence. To prevent this transformation, a traditional method involved pricking the deceased's feet with thorns from a citrus tree.."

Story 1 - The one from Sandin:

"recounts the plight of two victims who fell prey to the Kok-lir. The tale tells of a widower and his son seeking shelter in a hut owned by two beautiful women after a long day of fishing."

"As the widower and his son sat by the fire... Then suddenly, one of the women pointed at his testicles, exclaiming, "Haii-waii-wai! It's the sweet stuff!"

"At that moment, her nails began to grow longer. Filled with terror, the widower swiftly took his son and fled to their boat, with the two women hot on their heels, screaming "kok-kok-kok."

They hid under the overturned boat while the women clawed the hull, until dawn made them vanish

Story 2 - Wadd adds a second tale not in the 1964 Gazette excerpt:

"Another eerie account tells the story of a newly married couple embarking on a customary visit to the bride's ancestral home... Desperate to save himself, the husband swiftly climbed a tree, leaving his breathless wife behind.."

"As she sat in fear at the foot of the tree, a strikingly beautiful young maiden appeared... Engrossed in their conversation, the wife asked the maiden if she could remove lice from her hair.."

"While the wife diligently picked the lice, her husband descended from the tree, clutching a knife. Swiftly and decisively, he severed the maiden's head... In a bizarre twist, she transformed into a creature known as "Enturun," an eerie amalgamation of a bear and a cat.."

Wadd closes with:

"Even today, echoes of this ghostly presence can be heard around Dayak houses, especially at night, as it continues its relentless hunt for male victims.."

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

5/9/2026: 4.47 p.m