THE 1991 LITTLE PEOPLE MYSTERY AT KUALA TERENGGANU

The 1991 Kuala Terengganu 'Orang Kenit' Panic: When 990 Students Claimed to See Little People.

On May 15, 1991, the front page of Berita Harian carried a story that would become local legend in Terengganu: "Murid dakwa terserempak 'orang kenit'" — Students claim to have encountered the 'little people'.

It happened at Sekolah Rendah Sultan Sulaiman II in Kuala Terengganu.

According to the report by Hamid Haji Salleh, dozens of students claimed they had a run-in with a group of 'orang kenit' in the school compound on the 12th and 13th of May. The news spread like wildfire, leaving both students and all 41 teachers in the school anxious.

What The Students Claimed

The incident reached its peak during recess, at around 3 PM.

1. The 8-year-old with the scratch

Mohd Izainurie Nor Zaidi, a Year 2 student, claimed he was scratched on the hand after being stabbed by one of the creatures. He said he was walking to school with his brother when he stumbled upon hundreds of them emerging from a hole near a drain at the school.

The students described the orang kenit as being only about six inches tall.Mohd Izainurie added that he saw one of them come out of a hole next to a teak tree.

2. Hafiza Zakaria - Year 2 student

Year 2 student Hafiza Zakaria, 8, who claimed she saw the orang kenit playing by the drain near the school. She was with her friends when they saw the group during recess.

According to Hafiza, she told her teachers and led them to the spot where the little people were gathering and playing.

Another student, Yasmin Hadyaty Yuyri, 10, the daughter of an architect, also claimed to have seen them.

"Only Students Can See Them"

One detail makes this case classic Malaysian school folklore: Yasmin said, "Bagaimanapun, hanya murid saja yang dapat melihat 'orang kenit'." — "However, only students can see the 'orang kenit'."

The school had 990 students in the morning and afternoon sessions. After the first few sightings, many more students claimed they could see the creatures playing at the edge of the drain, the surau (prayer hall) area, and under the teak tree.

The evening supervisor, En. Mohamad Ibrahim, tried to downplay the issue, saying there was nothing to worry about, but he admitted that many students were claiming to have discovered the orang kenit.

So, What is an 'Orang Kenit'?

In Malay folklore, orang kenit or orang kerdil is different from the more famous orang bunian or toyol.

They are described as a miniature human-like community, 6 to 12 inches tall, living in colonies in forests, in bamboo groves, under large trees, or in abandoned holes and mounds. They are not necessarily evil, but they are mischievous. Like the bunian, they are said to exist in a parallel world that occasionally intersects with ours — and children are believed to be more sensitive to seeing them.

The 1980s and 90s were the golden era of these mass hysteria cases in Malaysian schools. Almost every primary school had a version of this story — the orang kenit in the toilet, by the drain, or under the big tree that no one was allowed to cut.

Whether it was mass hysteria, overactive imagination during recess, or something truly unexplained, the 1991 incident at SR Sultan Sulaiman II remains one of the best-documented orang kenit cases because it made it into the national newspaper with names, photos, and teacher testimonies.

Have you ever heard of a similar story in your own school in Malaysia?

Source: Berita Harian, 15 May 1991 - Report by Hamid Haji Salleh, Kuala Terengganu.

Location: Sekolah Rendah Sultan Sulaiman II, Kuala Terengganu.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

5/9/2026: 11.21 p.m