STORY AND PIC BY
FARIK ZOLKEPLI
KLUANG:
It looks human but
has fur the shades of dark red and black
covering its face and body, stands about 4m
tall and lets out a loud roar.
That is how the
orang asli villagers from Batu 25, Kampung
Punjat Sungai Nadik, in Kahang, about 190km
from Johor Baru, described a creature known as
siamang or better known as Bigfoot.
One of the
villagers supposedly even had a 15-minute
standoff with the creature and has stopped
going into the jungle alone.
Recalling his
horrifying experience four months ago, Amir Md
Ali said he was catching frogs in the Gunung
Panti jungles to sell when he stumbled upon
the creature.
“I was heading
to my favourite spot when I suddenly saw this
tall creature about 30m away.
“I was
trembling with fear as the creature stared at
me,” he said, adding that he did not move for
about 15 minutes.
Amir, who
initially thought the creature would leave,
decided to run when the creature continued to
stare at him.
“I did not look
back and continued running until I reached my
village,” he said, showing a clearing in the
jungle where the standoff occurred to some 50
people who took part in an expedition to
gather information on the Bigfoot sightings in
the state.
The one-day
expedition, led by Johor National Parks
director Hashim Yusof, comprised park
officials and press members.
Another
villager, Herman Deraman, 21, or better known
as Along, had a closer encounter with the
creature in the woods.
“I was resting
one night in a wooden hut on stilts after a
long day of collecting bamboo strips.
“Suddenly, the
hut started shaking violently,” he said,
adding that soon after that, he heard a loud
roar that sounded like that of a wild beast.
That incident
kept him awake the whole night.
The next day,
he encountered the creature again but this
time at the place he usually gathered bamboo.
“I thought I
saw a tree shaking but after a while, I
realised there was a huge creature sitting
down and rubbing itself against the tree.
“Luckily, the
creature did not see me as its back was facing
me,” he said.
Kampung Punjat
Sungai Nadik is home to about 30 orang asli
families who earn a living by gathering and
selling produce collected from the jungle.
Hashim said the
expedition was aimed at ascertaining the truth
on the existence of the Bigfoot.
“We want to
uncover the truth about this creature and also
quash any rumour that can scare away visitors
to the national park,” he said, adding that
some 124,000 people visited the parks
annually.
Hashim said
they were also compiling a database on Bigfoot
or orang mawas sightings at various
spots.