The Balan-balan is a notorious and evil entity in the Sabahan folklore, which is also known as the Penanggal (demon with a detached-body) in Peninsular Malaysia. However, the Balan-balan is not like what it seems it is to people living in the Peninsular. Is the Balan-balan real? Is it the same creature as the Penanggal as it is known in Peninsular Malaysia? Is it a disease? Is it an entity for good or evil? Li Kim travels to Sabah to find out more about the Balan-balan, leaving her and the audience pondering over the true existence of the Balan-balan.
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TVTranscript
00:00 My adventures in Sabah continue as I learned about a type of sorcery
00:04 that creates a dangerous being known as the Balan Balan.
00:07 She is seen roaming at night seeking for blood and flesh,
00:10 although she is still quite human during the day.
00:13 So, come with me to Kota Belut in Sabah to meet with the Balan Balan.
00:21 [MUSIC]
00:25 [MUSIC]
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00:57 Many natives of Sabah were strong believers of paganism
01:00 and its influences are visible today
01:03 as the acceptance of supernatural beings is still very common.
01:07 One such creature is the Balan Balan,
01:09 who is said to be the product of dark magic
01:12 that is brought to life by the practitioner to steal,
01:15 protect their farm, and for the women, it gives them beauty and immortality.
01:20 After chanting the mantra of the Balan Balan for 40 days and nights,
01:24 it is claimed that the practitioner will be possessed by this unnatural energy
01:29 where evil takes over her soul.
01:31 To the Bajau tribe in Kota Belut,
01:37 the Balan Balan is generally a bad omen
01:39 as it feeds on the blood of women who just gave birth,
01:42 newborn babies, and dead bodies.
01:53 What is the story, culture, or the belief in Kota Belut
01:58 about this entity, Balan Balan?
02:02 Actually, my grandparents would know more about it.
02:07 As for me, I have only heard of these stories from them.
02:11 Maybe about 100 years ago,
02:13 when they only used oil lamp, they probably existed then.
02:17 Well, he is a Dusun and I am a Bajau.
02:22 From the Bajau's point of view,
02:24 it comes all of a sudden when someone is pregnant, sick, or about to pass away.
02:30 We don't know where it comes from.
02:33 When someone is giving birth, it is attracted by the smell and it will just appear.
02:38 That is why we must be cautious.
02:41 Don't let it take the child away.
02:43 We must watch out every night.
02:46 This thing rarely exists.
02:48 Some say it can fly and some say it walks.
02:52 No matter where it is located, no matter how far it is,
02:57 it can only know that there is a pregnant lady over here and a dead over there.
03:03 Just imagine how powerful it is.
03:06 From my research, I found out that in Sabah, there are two types of Balan Balan.
03:12 One that flies by detaching its head from the body with hanging entrails
03:16 and the other type that resembles a human form that walks in the night hunting for its victims.
03:22 But my question remains,
03:24 why would a normal human being want to practise this witchcraft
03:28 and be transformed into a living monster feeding on dead bodies?
03:33 Pak Jamanto, what is your views on the Balan Balan?
03:43 In the olden times, Balan Balan was an act of worship.
03:46 It was worshipped as a form of black magic.
03:49 This means a person would raise this dark art and call upon the Balan Balan to enter her body.
03:55 What's the purpose when you say that people would invite a Balan Balan or call on a Balan Balan?
04:01 Why would somebody do that?
04:03 When men started to worship the Balan Balan, it was because it made them feel proud.
04:09 Once it is in our body, we can fly anywhere we want.
04:13 And when it possesses our body, it craves for a certain type of human flesh,
04:18 that of a dead person.
04:20 And this will add power to the Balan Balan.
04:23 What I have gathered so far is that the sorcery of Balan Balan started quite some time ago.
04:30 But its fears and beliefs are still lingering until now.
04:35 In today's context, it is deemed as a disease that is inherited or transmitted, some say,
04:41 through the leftover food eaten by the Balan Balan.
04:44 I am travelling to meet with a lady who was once a Balan Balan.
04:48 What is her story?
04:50 When did you realise that you were Balan Balan?
04:54 I was 18 and just finished high school.
04:58 I was walking home from work one night.
05:01 Along the way, I suddenly felt two women were following me from behind.
05:05 I thought it was my sister.
05:07 I turned around and heard this terrible hysterical laughter.
05:11 It was like, "Ki ki ki ki ki."
05:14 When I looked behind me, I saw two women, but I couldn't see their faces.
05:20 They were dark.
05:22 Before I reached home, the tip of my head felt cold.
05:28 I wanted to see who touched my head.
05:31 When I went into my house, I called for my sister.
05:35 I told her there were ghosts.
05:38 They were behind me over there.
05:40 The next morning, I went to work as usual.
05:47 But my parents sensed something changed in me as I kept away from everyone.
05:52 But I noticed that something was inside of me.
05:55 One night, I woke up with mud on my feet, but I did not go anywhere.
06:00 This continued for a week.
06:04 Then I noticed blood stains on my lips.
06:07 I was worried.
06:09 So I have to tell my parents about the strange things that happened at night.
06:14 I know that something went inside of me.
06:17 Was Kak Samsia really infected by a Balan Balan or was it just a dream?
06:24 Was she being attacked by a Balan Balan or was she just suffering from a serious case of sleepwalking?
06:29 I looked up and saw a shadow.
06:31 It was scary.
06:33 Do you now realise that in the night, you had actually gone to eat dead bodies?
06:38 They forced me to eat and told me it was tasty.
06:42 The next day, I was asked to go to the police station.
06:46 I was told that I was being attacked by a Balan Balan.
06:51 I remember this incident happened more than 10 years ago.
06:58 This incident happened 10 years ago in Kota Belut during a filming session in the forest.
07:04 It was late and I was assigned to do a final check before we leave.
07:10 As I was walking in, I started to feel frightened.
07:14 I looked around and noticed that I was alone in the deep jungle.
07:19 I looked up and saw a shadow.
07:22 It was scary.
07:24 What I saw was a woman, but just her head without a body.
07:30 She had long hair.
07:32 She was looking at me from the top of the tree with piercing eyes.
07:38 I was scared.
07:40 As I continued to learn more about Kak Sang Sia's condition,
07:45 I wondered if the Balan Balan plague was a psychological comfort
07:49 that hinged on a mythical explanation for the high death rates involving a newborn and their mothers
07:54 back in the days when medical treatment was lacking.
07:57 An answer needs to be given as to why the mother was bleeding continuously
08:01 and the blame was shifted to the invisible Balan Balan who was drinking her blood.
08:06 What was life like in those four years?
08:10 I had no friends and always kept to myself.
08:15 I didn't like to go out and only stayed home after work.
08:19 Everyone was shocked by my behaviour.
08:22 I was bad-tempered.
08:24 You said that when you wake up in the morning, you have blood once coming out of your mouth.
08:30 Do you now realise that in the night, you had actually gone to eat dead bodies?
08:36 Do you see that?
08:37 Whenever I was angry, that night when I slept, my soul would roam, leaving my body behind.
08:43 During the day, I was human, while at night, I was a ghost.
08:47 During the four years when you were a Balan Balan, you followed them at night?
08:52 My soul would follow them and my body was left behind at home.
08:56 That time, they brought me to a funeral.
09:00 I didn't know what they would do, so I watched them.
09:03 They waited for the body on the rooftop.
09:06 When everyone was asleep, they would take the body away.
09:09 I felt at that time, they forced me to eat and told it was tasty.
09:15 I was uncertain if they were right.
09:18 Sometimes, I didn't follow what they taught me.
09:21 When I was awake, I didn't follow, but when I was asleep, they would come again.
09:26 Anything else you want to say or is there any advice you would like to tell the people who are watching this programme?
09:34 Be close to God, that is crucial.
09:37 And next, don't let anger take over your emotions because they feed on anger.
09:42 That's my advice to all of you.
09:46 As I continued my research, I also learnt about a cure for the Balan Balan plague
09:51 using ingredients that are easily available as administered by a shaman.
09:55 In my experience, three items are needed to heal the patient.
10:01 We need lime and tobacco water.
10:03 And we also use young coconut juice to shower the patient to weaken her inner strength.
10:08 She will automatically be unconscious and then we will feed her with tobacco water.
10:14 After that, we will sway her body until the disease is expelled from her body.
10:19 We will do this process for seven days.
10:21 We will cleanse her body so that the disease will not return to her physically.
10:26 For the final stage, we will clean her body with lime water and also feed her with the same.
10:33 This is a deterrent to prevent the Balan Balan from coming back.
10:38 Perhaps it is a fair statement to make that the Balan Balan, like any art of magic and sorcery,
10:44 is used for protection, to increase our power to get the things we want, to feel special,
10:50 and it could simply be an addiction that is normal within a community.
10:54 But there is no practice of witchcraft that does not come with consequences.
10:58 And there is always a price to pay, either by us or our future generations.
11:04 The Balan Balan is... Is it a man-made hail?
11:09 Or is it a supernatural element?
11:13 Or is it a ghost?
11:15 Based on my knowledge, Balan Balan can be a type of practice or it could be inherited.
11:22 For example, if someone in the family practiced the Balan Balan sorcery,
11:26 it will pass on to one person in the next generation and be passed on to the next generation.
11:31 It will pass on to one person in the next generation and it continues to go down the bloodline similarly.
11:37 The Balan Balan exists because people use it wrongly.
11:43 Then they become infected with the Balan Balan disease, so to speak.
11:49 When we eat together with the Balan Balan, one can get infected through that.
11:53 It can infect anyone regardless of race and gender.
11:57 Another thing about the Balan Balan is that it is secretive.
12:00 Even his friends do not know that he is one.
12:03 Some say it is just a mythology, but within this myth, it has become a legend to the people in Kota Belut.
12:13 The younger generation today does not believe in this thing, but they must beware.
12:17 Because whether they believe it or not, the Balan Balan does exist.
12:22 It's really interesting what Pak Nandra has shared with me.
12:27 What leaves me thinking and really curious is the fact that it actually can be categorised as an infection, as a disease, as opposed to some people believing it's a ghost.
12:40 Balan Balan is a type of practice that passes on from one generation to another.
12:48 When I feel that my family is in need, I can fly to help them.
12:53 Assalamualaikum.
12:55 The Balan Balan is a supernatural element, or is it a ghost?
13:13 During the day, I was human, while at night, I was a ghost.
13:19 What I saw was a woman, but just her head without a body.
13:22 This thing really exists.
13:24 In this segment, I have requested to Pak Jamanto that I wish to see a Balan Balan, or even listen to its screeching laughter.
13:35 But before that, I was introduced to a family who still observes the practice of Balan Balan until today.
13:43 Let's find out more.
13:46 Based on your research, can you tell me what is Balan Balan?
13:52 From my perspective, and based on my research and my family's experiences, Balan Balan is a type of practice that passes on from one generation to another.
14:02 It doesn't enter into just anyone from the next generation, but they will find a suitable candidate.
14:08 Like for me, I'm not suitable because I live nearer to the city, but it chose to enter into my elder sister.
14:15 From the cultural point of view, the practice of Balan Balan is meant for good, but at the same time, there are those who are evil, that will use Balan Balan for the wrong reasons.
14:24 What was the original purpose? You mentioned it was for a good cause. What was that good cause?
14:30 For a community of fishermen, if someone is missing in the sea, the Balan Balan practitioner in the family will search for the lost person through mystical ways.
14:40 He may say that he is fine and return within a week, and he did come back in a week's time.
14:46 The Balan Balan also assists in looking for other missing things.
14:49 As for me, if I paint until late at night, I get a little nudge from it, asking me to stop, go to sleep. So that's my point of view.
15:03 I requested to meet with Mr Zaini's sister and wanted to hear from her about the positive sides of the Balan Balan.
15:10 When did you realise that you had the powers of the Balan Balan?
15:24 When I was 19, after I was married, the Balan Balan entered into my body. After that, my second child passed away.
15:31 At that time, my husband told me to get rid of the Balan Balan. He asked me to get healed, but I couldn't find the right healer.
15:38 Because I know that even my father had it, as it was part of the family heritage.
15:43 So based on what you are telling me, they come and you feel that they are helping you.
15:49 What other ways and what other powers did they give you that you feel could be used to help?
15:55 When I feel that my family is in need, I can fly to help them, even if it is as far as Sandakan.
16:02 I can reach that place but in an unconscious state.
16:06 Recently, my younger brother was missing for nine days in the sea.
16:10 I went to look for him. It was like I was asleep and then I realised that I was flying.
16:16 I was up in the sky. I flew to an island and saw my brother and his boat, but no one else could see.
16:23 This story is rather interesting because you can see an example of someone who inherited Balan Balan.
16:32 And it sounds as though from this lady's sharing of her personal experience, that the Balan Balan is actually something that's helpful.
16:39 And it has helped her in many occasions to save herself and to also find people who are lost at sea.
16:47 Assure families that their loved ones are safe and that they will return.
16:52 Whether the Balan Balan is practised for good or evil, it has become a common feature of Kota Belud, forming part of its cultural background.
17:03 I wonder if the Balan Balan has been misunderstood. Perhaps, from the way it appeared to the people and its choice of sustenance of dead bodies and pregnant mothers, it can give many the wrong impression.
17:15 I am now back with Pak Jamanto and we are preparing for a ritual to call upon a Balan Balan to make an appearance.
17:28 We can burn the chicken feather but I am not confident that it will appear. It did not look like a human but can appear like a shadow.
17:36 There are not many Balan Balan around. It is almost extinct now, unlike before.
17:41 Okay, so we will run a risk whether or not they will appear, even if we do something that they are attracted to. It really, really depends.
17:55 It can come in three forms. First, through sounds. Second, like fireflies and thirdly, like a ghostly shadow.
18:03 Now, it is not manifesting physically but it is only coming through as a sound.
18:09 Peace be upon you.
18:35 Peace be upon you.
18:38 Peace be upon you.
19:04 Peace be upon you.
19:26 I heard a sound which was the same, but only once, which was behind me.
19:33 And then after that, there was a loud thud or a loud bang onto the roof, which I am not sure if it was a sign from them.
19:45 It falls like a dark shadow but it can be as heavy as a cow or a goat.
19:54 Two loud sounds that you heard on the roof is basically what he is explaining to me.
20:00 Because they are slightly agitated and of course they do take a form of an animal, either a bird or whatever it is.
20:09 The sound is like that and it just kind of symbolises a sound from them.
20:14 So, he said that they will not appear for us to see a visual image but through sound.
20:21 With respect to them, calling them twice would be sufficient for tonight and not to further aggravate them.
20:29 The crew and I heard the sinister sounds of the balan-balan but we didn't see her appear.
20:37 I was told that if the laughter is loud, it means she is far away.
20:42 But if the laughter is faint, then she is actually very nearby.
20:48 (Cow mooing)
20:50 We are here right now because earlier when Pak Jaman Toh was doing the ritual over there and we were trying to pick up the sound,
21:03 we found out that something happened here. So, I am going to find out what happened here with this lady over here.
21:08 What happened?
21:09 When I was facing that side, I didn't see what was happening here.
21:14 Then I looked again at the two swimming woods and heard the sound again.
21:18 And I quickly ran upstairs.
21:21 Are you sweating?
21:24 Yes, I was afraid.
21:26 In my pursuit of understanding this flying female spirit, now called balan-balan,
21:42 I realised it is predominantly a story that is commonly told in South East Asia.
21:47 Some say she is good and she is helpful and some say she is the result of dark magic.
21:53 I felt her presence. I heard her laugh but I could not see her.
21:59 The stories of this flying female spirit has mutated through time.
22:05 Is it just a folk tale to scare people? Is it a folk tale to keep people safe?
22:10 All I know is this, perhaps she is told to suit what we insist we want to understand.
22:19 Like I always say, what we see may not be real and what is real, we may not see.
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