【Writer: Lee Eng Kew】
In the 7th lunar month, during the Ghost Festival Pudu Ceremony, the Chinese people of Sarawak engage in a practice known as "Ghost Grappling", which is believed to feed the lost spirits and ghosts of the underworld. Ghost Grappling is observed in Teochew and Hokkien communities, where offerings are placed on a platform or the ground and made available for public consumption after the rituals are over.
The specific methodology of Ghost Grappling varies slightly across different regions of Sarawak. In the Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Peh Kong Temple, the offerings are referred to as “ground offerings”. The offerings are opened individually and scattered on a plastic sheet on the ground. The offerings include a variety of food items, such as biscuits, cakes, taro, golden melons, yellow pears, watermelons, sugarcane, potatoes, soft drinks, wine, mineral water, candies, instant noodles, salt, sugar, rice, charcoal, rice porridge, paste, and so forth. The offerings above are affixed with incense sticks and positioned on the table. The offerings are draped in incense and paper flags, with some displaying small sheets of red paper. One of the offerings is a cake, known as “zai” or “feast”, which is made from glutinous and sticky rice and decorated with red dots. It is specifically prepared as a food offering for departed spirits. A Fuzhou Taoist priest is invited to preside over the chanting ceremony. Once the ceremony has concluded, members of the public hasten to grab the offerings.
The practice of Ghost Grappling at the Kuching Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple has a relatively new style. The offerings are packed in buckets or baskets and presented at the temple as sacrifices, which are of significant value and intricately prepared. Once the rituals of chanting and burning of incense and joss papers are completed, the directors will stand on a chair and throw numbered pieces of paper to the public. The public will then have 20 seconds to grab the pieces of paper, after which the directors will announce the corresponding numbers. Individuals bearing the corresponding number may take the offerings, which include foodstuffs or daily necessities.
Maruti Tua Pek Gong Temple's Ghost Grappling is done traditionally, with a platform set up in front of the temple, roasted chickens and ducks hung all over the platform under the eaves, a pig's head with its tail in the middle, and a kerosene lamp. The table is filled with all kinds of offerings, and there is another low table underneath, which is the sacrificial table for children who died young to enjoy the offerings. The table was a place for adult souls to eat and drink, while the low table was a place for children to eat and drink. The time for Ghost Grappling is at 11.30 pm, and the offerings begin to be laid out in the afternoon when people flock to the temple to worship with incense and burn paper money. Traditional rituals are followed, with no monks or Taoist priests reciting sutras, just worshipping until the time of the Ghost Grappling. The most critical is the lamp, which is treasured by many ship owners; they believe that the kerosene lamp can ensure safe sailing and business prosperity, so they pay people to seize the lamp. All the ceremonial work is done by the Censer Master, including deciding whether to snatch the lamp or make a bid.
Serian's Ghost Grappling is on a larger scale, with more offerings, in addition to the usual ones, there are cooking oil, rice (cooked), eggs, baskets, coconuts, etc., all in boxes, baskets, tubs or buckets. Although Ghost Grappling is not permitted, the practice of queuing to receive offerings is observed to avoid unpleasant incidents. Individuals of Chinese and indigenous descent from throughout the region gather to participate in this ritual, with each person receiving an offering.
In Sarawak, the majority of Ghost Grappling ceremonies do not involve the chanting of sutras. Instead, they typically comprise the burning of incense and paper money. Furthermore, many of these ceremonies do not use papier-mâché Ghost Kings. Even when they do, the representation differs from that observed in West Malaysia. The ceremonies exhibit several characteristics. Firstly, they are characterised by multi-ethnic participation, including indigenous and non-Chinese religious friends and compatriots. Secondly, the offerings are believed to benefit both the living and the lost spirits. The food offerings allow the lonely souls and hungry ghosts in the netherworld to eat and collect their rewards, while also allowing the living people to grab the offerings. Thirdly, the ceremonies facilitate inter-ethnic bonding activities. The significance behind this is mainly community fellowship activities
In the past, Ghost Grappling often led to fights, but it has been improved and these problems have been solved. One of the things they steal is an oil lamp, which is a sacred treasure to fishermen and boatmen. They say that whoever takes it will have smooth sailing, peace at sea and a good catch of fish. Oil lamps are usually hung on bamboo poles at the site of the Ghost Grappling. People climb up to grab them, often causing conflict or accidents. In most places the ceremony is forbidden, but the censer master can take the lamp home or open the bidding. The highest bidder wins.