Corner Staircase

Rahim is the kind of guy, as we say…..big ego with no sense of fear around him…………he’s kind of wild & even now at his age, he’s still wild!!

Anyway, here the story goes: He was around his early 20’s in the late 70’s. As i said, he is wild now, so he’s even wilder then!

One night, after going out with his group of friends, he came back feeling kind of drowsey (i think, he either took drugs or went drinking) and according to him it was around 1 or 2 am.

As he was walking and went up the stairs (he lived in the 3rd storey), he saw something at the corner staircase on the other side(as you know, in those days the staircase is only at the corner)……and as he moved in closer to take a look, he realised a woman was sitting there. The woman had long hair(the nice type we mostly see in beautiful women) and was facing the other side……my uncle, being the terror type thought that maybe this woman was just a runaway girl and having her own problems, so decided to go up to her and talk to her(you know, his type).

Just as he was walking, the woman suddenly stand up and then he stop in his tracks……..he claimed he saw something that probably most of us would faint seeing……..he looked down and he realised the woman had no legs!!! He quickly ran back for his home feeling really scared! The woman laughed loudly from the back…………it was actually a pontianak that was disturbing him……!!!

From then on, he says he no longer wants to stay back too late outside (dont know if that’s true!) but anyway the incident does make him realise he’s only human………..

This thing happened in the late 70’s at Tanglin Halt area…..and i think the pontianak is still there like they are in any other areas now!!! So be careful, residents there!

House Agent Encounter

The story the agent told me was quite spooky and it goes like this.

She was marketing a bungalow for sale at Swiss Club Road. It was a Tuesday evening and as the house PUB was not turn on, she had to conduct the viewing before it got too dark. Her client arrived punctually at 6.30pm and happily proceeded with the viewing. At about 7.30pm as it got quite dark the client decided to leave. So she walk her client to their car park on the roadside. As she was about to go back to the house to close all the windows, a lady pushing a baby in a pram call out to her and asked is the house for sale. Of course she was glad that someone living around the area got interest on this house. She mentioned that it might be too dark to see properly inside but the client said it is ok for her. So she lead the way inside with her client carrying her baby in arm.

After completing showing the ground floor as she proceeded up to the second level, she was mentioning about the designer decor in the bedrooms. When she was at the second level, as she turn back to face her client, she got a shock that her client had not follow her up to the second level. She quickly went downstair & called out to her client name introduced to her as Mrs Humprey. There was no one around so she guess the client must have left for whatever reasons. Cursing to herself, she proceeded upstair to close up the premises.

As she was about to close the window facing the road, she saw Mrs Humprey pushing her baby in the pram. And suddenly, she realise this Mrs Humprey got no legs from her knee down and she was infact floating. She said she got blackout and does’nt know she fainted on the floor until she heard her mobile ringing. She quickly rush out of the house without closing the windows. Obviously she asked her colleague to take over the marketing. What an experience!.

The Ghost Of Madam Wong

For those who party alot …. read on Really very good guide for those who cheong a lot. My friend was at Mdm Wong over the weekend and it’s just another usual nitespot…. crowded, loud and…. yeah, pretty happening. The place is short of nothing but traditional chinese decors with walls painted red everywhere. It was until when he go to the backyard that he saw a very old and eerie staircase that leads up to darkness.

He couldn’t care then, but the following day, he received the below attached mail. Real coincidence……and if u want to find out how the Mdm Wong used to look like, just walk over to the other end of the row of houses (towards Wong San) and you’ll know what I meant……. For those who cheong a lot…Read on…

The following story is complied with no exaggeration from the words of mouth of my friend’s parents staying around River Valley road.

Along the now Mohd Sultan Rd lived a rich Chinese family during the pre-war period. During the Japanese Occupation, the stretch of houses along the road was seized by the Japanese soldiers and was used as their bunks, since the Japanese had set up a check-point at the junction of the roads.

Their house, in particular, being the last house along that road then, was used as a mortuary to the victims of massacre happened at the River Valley Road area.

After WWII, a rice merchant bought over the house and his mistress shifted in, since it was near to his office around Singapore River and their rendezvous would be made convenient. Two days later, the mistress was found dead with eyes wide-opened and white foams around her mouth. No signs of human inflicted or self-inflicted injuries were found and no trace of forced entry into the house. Police suggested no foul play. Her death was recorded as a result of acute heart attack although doctors were not able to determine the cause of death. This also marked the downfall of the rice merchant. His partner in business bought over this house and his whole family shifted in.

A month later, the partner and his family decided to shift out of the house and wished they had nothing to do with it any longer.. It was said that eerie noises were heard around the house every single night after mid-night throughout their entire one- month stay. Of which included weeping of women, noises produced by sudden shifting of furniture, cries of human, male or female, as if their tongues were being forcefully pulled up etc. What was more intolerable was that stench that smelled like dead rats, which filled the entire house before every daybreak. He sold the house to his friend, who were also in the rice business, at a very cheap price but by goodwill also made known to his friend that the house was haunted. The friend bought the house, noted that it was haunted, decided to use it as a rice warehouse. Coincidentally, for the first 2 consecutive years thereafter on the Lunar Seventh Month, deaths occurred. One coolie died of instant death as two 50kg rice sacks fell upon him. Another dead as a fellow coolie had the rice-sack hook punctured through across his body from his back by accident. Rumors described the coolie’s death as being possessed. Moreover, many sighted headless souls floating about the ceilings. After these accounts, the towkay decided that no works be done around the warehouse for the entire Seventh Month thereon.

When rice business stopped around Singapore River in the 80’s, the warehouse changed hands several times and for almost a decade, it had not been occupied until Mdm Wong took over. The warehouse was deliberately converted to a pub because the owner thought that with crowds of human occupying the place every night will hopefully ward away evil spirits for good. Besides, any eerie noises will be well covered by the loud music and human voices. Anyone ever felt that Mdm Wong’s has something not in the right place, or something of eerie nature/feelings? The ceilings? The toilets? The backyard? Anyone who carries a mobile phone would have noticed that reception is impossible at Mdm Wong’s. Ever wonder why? Leave this to your imagination. When you wish to make a call there. Please, do not walk out to the backyard of Mdm Wong’s (near and accessible via > the male toilet) and climb up the twisted stairs to improve your reception. Because you may not like what you will see, especially during the Lunar Seventh Month….! ….

Hotel Secrets

I used to work as a singer in a local hotel located around City Hall. Things were pretty cool in the beginning until my 6th month of working, I encountered some things not quite normal. This is gonna be pretty long but I hope you read on……

I have a couple regular guests who would step into the lounge and have a couple of drinks before setting home. I would describe this particular group of guests as a very noisy bunch and can be irritating sometimes. Night was pretty normal, and they were making lotsa noise, teasing us and singing along loudly. But moments after that, they kept quiet and looked kinda dumbstrucked. I sang as usual but was pretty uncomforatble with their silence(which is TOTALLY not them!). After a while, they left one by one, looking pretty sick.

I ask the band members what made them leave early. They said that the guests felt a strong gust of wind across them..something that would make you hair stand. I believed them because I know such things exist. But I haven’t experienced any until it was my 6 mths of working….the shadow that staffs and even my band members were talking about.

I was singing when I noticed a dark shadow from one side of the small dancefloor in front of the stage. It moved smoothly to the centre then just vanished. I swear I could’ve have choked but I wasn’t too sure so I continued singing and my thoughts were already going totally bonkers!!! And some of my friends laugh at me when I told them about this…they think the ghost wanna have some fun!

The truth is, the shadow exists…always found in the corners of the lounge. Once, a security officer was doing a night duty, going around the hotel and decided to take a short nap in the lounge( no one goes inside there after midnight!!). He said that he managed to close his eyes only for a short while until he felt he was being watched. He opened his eyes and saw an exact reflection of him across the lounge where the stage is…..except there wasn’t any facial features…

My keyboardist once went to gents and caught a glimpse of a figure sitting on the basin top with hair covering the face. When he shouted, “OI!”, the figure just disappeared.

There’s been fresh candle wax at the staircases when the security officers were on night duty..these were unexplained….a few floors of the hotel were also haunted….one with a strong smell of cigar, and it was told that a man died in one of the rooms on that floor and he loves to smoke cigars…at another level, the doors of the lifts just go open and shut…..

There’s definitely more than just guests in that hotel…….

The Apartment

After I wrote my first story, suddenly I remembered the name of the apartment that I was telling you about. If I’m not mistaken, the apartment’s name is Leonnie Hill, located at River Valley. The next story that I’m going to tell you is also located at the same apartment. It was told by one of the security guards that used to work there (I’m not sure if he’s still around as my friend moved out from the apartment long time ago)

The security post was located on the first floor outside of the apartment. The guard has control of letting cars in and out by pushing the button on his counter. So one night, while this guard was on his duty (it was pretty late at night, not quite sure what time was that but probably around 3 something) he saw that the metal bar that blocked the cars from coming in and out slowly went up. He was puzzled as he knew that it was impossible since he was the only person who could control it. He thought that it might be a short circuit or something and he waited for the supposingly to be a car to come in to pass by him for a check. After a whole minute of waiting, he didn’t see any car so he went out to check the cableing. After fiddling with them for a while he was sure that nothing was wrong as he needed to report to his supervisor in case there was any short circuit. However, a few minutes later, the same thing happened. At this point he was sure that it wasn’t the circuit at all but by some unseen hands. He was pretty scared at first and started to pray. Finally, the naughty spirit left him alone for the rest of the night all scared and stiff.

The next story happened to another security guard that was also on a night duty. Behind the guard’s counter were glass sliding doors that had censor to open and close the door automatically once someone came out from the elevator. For the elevator itself, it has a typical sound “ting” that’s made by most elevator. So one night he was on his duty, and again it was pretty late, he heard the glass doors slided open but no one came out. After waiting for a while, he decided to check who was that but there wasn’t anyone. The two elevators had always been on the other floors and not the first. Eventhough if someone tried was downstairs or got to the wrong floor and decided to go back to their floors he should be able to hear the “ting” sound.

Later, someone told my friend that actually that apartment was build on a used to be cemetery ground.

Rafflec Place Office Building

This incident happenned when I was on maternity leave. My colleagues relate this story on the first day I got back to work. Our office building is somewhere in Raffles Place so can’t mention…

This incident happened to the Chinese maintenance guy(Ah Tan) whom we know quite well. He was on a night shift that particular day with another malay guy. So, on their normal rounds, Ah Tan goes storey by storey to check on spoilt lights and happened to see one that need to be repaired on the sixth floor. He reached the staicase of the six floor when he saw this lady squatting facing the wall(couldn’t see the face)..as he was ignorant of these things as it was only 7pm, he goes to the lady and ask what was she doing there. She replied saying her son was playing hide n seek in the wall n refuse to come out. She brought him there to visit her office. She then stand up and ask for a cigarrette without turning back.

Blurred of what she just said, he passes her one stick and she asked him to light it up for her. Soon as he lit it up, the lady turned around slowly only to his shocked that the lady face changed to the worst and in seconds he collapsed after hearing her shrieking laughter….

He got a terrible shock and got fever after that..He resigned soon after..

Hotel Incident

This incident happened to me 2 years ago when i was doing my industry attachment in one of the 5 stars hotels in Orchard Road (clue: very near to Takashimaya)

As there was a VIP event in the hotel, most of the floors are closed for “Spring Cleaning”, as a trainee of Houskeeping Department, i was told to open all the doors for guest roooms from 9th storey to 11 storey….

Black carpet, dim lighting and soft instrumental music…..I went to every door from the 11th storey… at last the 9th floor, i open the 1st door near the lift landing, then the second, the third …….BUT!!!! This door can’t be opened!!! The key card machine displayed ” YELLOW” light which mean the door is double locked from inside!!!

“Can’t be rite?” I was thinking as the housekeeping clerk told me the 3 floors are empty and i did go thru the occupancy report before i came up!!! Why is room 942 double locked? By right there shouldn’t be any more guest occupying the room????

Well, i ignore room 942 and proceed with others rooms, but i’m not convinced so i went back again to room 942 trying to open the dooor again… Well, it is again “yellow light”. I tried again telling myself this would be the last attempt, at last …this time is “green light” !!! Just as i want to open the door, there was a pungent smell and the room was very warm…

I was so scared, so i ran all the way down to staff canteen for a drink looking very pale…. so one of the aunties asked me.” Hey wynee, y u look so pale?”

I related my incident word by word to them…. GUESS WHAT? Their faces turn green too…

One of aunties turned n told me. Remember a murder case (that shaken all Singaporens) that about the lady who was killed in the hotel room…. it happened at ROOM 942!!!

Haunted Buildings

Many high rising buildings are favourite haunts for spirits. Why? I believe this is due to the fact that there are many dark corners turning around especially the back routes connecting the back stairways or lifts for goods. These structures of buildings are normally well hidden from the walking path of the public. Not forgetting the storerooms that probably wouldn’t see light for many hours a day! Another i believe is this, high buildings like shopping malls or hotels usually from the time the building is up to the time it is ready for operation takes a while because of many finer details inside the building that needs to be sorted out. This gives wandering spirits ample opportunity to make any dark part of the building their home!

According to experts, whether a building is haunted or not, at times you can find out by looking at the main entrance. If the entrance consist of some very weird or strange structures, something more than what we would call art, then the building probably had some history of hauntings. Normally management side of buildings take rumours of haunting very seriously because it indirectly affects the fengshui of the business, heck even rumours going around would ruin your business.

When i was younger at around 18-20, the mini cinemas had just hit the local scene. It used to be that cinemas are huge theatres until the idea of dividing the space up into smaller theatres were considered to be more viable as they could attact different spectrum of audiences. So in the early 1990s, new mini cinemas started to hit the local market and everywhere we get to watch films in new cinemas, for eg Tampines Mall, Century Squares, basically all the GVs. It was then that the famous gossips about new cinemas started spreading. According to believers, watching movies in new cinemas are not healthy. This is because they believe that when a cinema just opened, the first few weeks are basically shown for our good brothers. As such, new cinemas often had very very bad business at the start.

Another favourite haunt for spirits were said to be basement carparks. Like many of the other haunting places, carpark is one of the places where people usually doesn’t stay very long. You either walk from your car to the lift or walk from the paying machine to your car, other than that, you would be out of it. Moreover there are no carpark attendants working in basement carparks as nowadays payment for tickets are done through machines. If you are observant enough, you can find many spooky altars setup in little corner of carparks praying to something. The most eerie ones i’ve seen was in Takashimaya shopping centre as they had a gigantic altar setup in the furthest corner diagonally from the main entrance and the strange part is this, the entire altar is locked behind a makeshift gate. Why is there a need to conceal spaces around an altar? I don’t know but it does gives me creeps just by looking at it. So do you think your car is safe in the carpark?

Hotel Hauntings

Many a time, we have heard of stories of hotels being haunted. I had worked in the hotel industry for many years and I would like to share with you some of the cultures practiced by many superstitious guest.

It is believed that if you respect the unknown enough, then you will have lesser chance of a disturbance by them. Many guest believed that sprinkling of salt around the room helps them to blend into the spiritual environment quicker. And when one walks into a room, make sure that you give whatever that might exist there a bit of respect by not shouting or walking on places that should not be walked on because you never know what might be lying there.

Run the taps once the first time you’re in toilet. This is believed to provide a better YIN YANG energy for the toilet. And lastly make sure your sleeping shoes are both facing different direction so as to make it difficult for them to don your equipment.

From my work experiences, more complains tend to come from corner rooms. It is believed that the good brother prefers to occupy areas where it is away from the crowd.

Many hotels are as superstitious as its customers. They would take consistent complains from different customers at different time to determine exact point of a problem. I have heard hotels in Taiwan where they place big ‘FU’ inbetween its 2 lift in order to rid evil forces.

Some of the common complains from customers are knockings on walls, keep receiving calls from unknown, lights and tv turned on by itself and the most famous one is sound in cupboards.

Hotel’s Unwritten Rule

If you ever been told there is no room available in a hotel, don’t ever try to force or beg for a room. Now the thing is this, no matter how full a hotel is, there will always be room because hotels do make up their own reservation whereby they will keep a few rooms “just in case”.

Now here’s the problem. Most of those rooms they reserved are kept in reservation for a long time. Maybe chambermaids would visit once every week but thats about it. It is kept empty for as long as they wouldn’t need to dig into those reserves. Well there are 2 theories as to why these rooms should not be taken. Not even if you need a bloodie place to stay for the night.

First, because these rooms were very seldom utilized, you can almost expect something to lurk in there. Second, every hotels will have stories. Stories about rooms. Now how do they figure out which room are kept for reserves? I’m sure you wouldn’t need to be half intelligent to keep the lousy ones for reserves right? Fact is most of these rooms that are kept in reservation are more or less having incidents in the past as spooky as it can gets. Therefore if a receptionist ever told you there’s no more room, don’t ever try to bribe her or do whatever to ask, because chances are they can give it to you!

This is my practice, before I enter a room, i always knock on the door first even if i know the room is vacant. This is to kindly “inform” any stayers or “illegal” occupants or perhaps “rightful” owners of it to acknowledge my arrival. Once i’m in the room, whenever i feel not right, like the color is strange or weird or the lights are not bright enough or anything, i will walk out straight away and request a change of room. Most of the time, the receptionist will understand.

After entering the room, always switch on all the lights to ensure the lights are working, and pull in the curtains to let the entire room rained with a flood of fresh shines. This will get rid of any harmful forces that is lurking and waiting to pounce.

The next thing i’ll do is to check for any bibles or qurans or sutras in the drawers. Most hotel rooms would have a bible somewhere in the drawer. But if the bible is on the table and opened up, trust me, get out of that place as soon as you can.

Once i’m in the room, turn on the TV or radio or whatever, and this is to make the environment feel louder so as to keep the YIN QI away. Remember, anywhere that is dark and quiet is very YIN. YIN QI is strong at a place like a jungle in the middle of the night. Its where our brothers loves lurking.

Before i go to bed, i always make sure my shoes are not lying side by side. It is always good to separate them in such a way that one is on top of each other or upside down or anyhow as long it is not in a position where you are ready to wear them. This is to protect any spirits jumping into them and possess you in the process or in another explanation, to represent the YIN and YANG energy so as to strike a balance in the environment.

While i’m asleep i always leave a lamp on, and preferably the toilet lamp because that is the place where chances of something lurking is very high as toilet is a place where people dont spend a lot of time in except for shower and some other businesses.

If I’m staying alone and given a twin bed, i will never leave the other bed vacant. I will put some of my clothes of my luggage or anything on it and mess it up before i sleep. This is to prevent the misunderstanding of something sleeping on it and frighten me in the process.