PETALING JAYA: To the locals in Sabah, the imposing Mount Kinabalu has its aki (mountain protectors) who were angered that the peak was desecrated by tourists who stripped there.
One may dismiss this as a superstitious way to explain the earthquake, but the hundreds of postings on The Star Online’s Facebook page called for greater understanding of different cultures.
Referring to the May 30 incident where 10 tourists posed naked on the mountain, Ong Chongfen in a posting held the nudists responsible for the earthquake.
Belinda Audrey said Sabahans believed that Mount Kinabalu had a penjaga (keeper) and holy creatures, and that people should stop dismissing it as mere superstition.
“We have our reasons why we say the mountain is angry.
“If you were one of us, you would know why we feel like that,” she said.
Suresh Kumar Gopalan also believed that every mountain had its guardian.
“When I was a kid, my family used to go up Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang).
“We always paid our respects to the keeper before we started our climb up. My dad always told us not to ease ourselves anywhere we liked,” he said.
To Cecilia Thomas, it was as simple as respecting one’s surroundings.
“For many there, it’s their livelihood. I have done the climb and I have seen how much they care for the environment.
“People in the surroundings believe that Mount Kinabalu is alive. Nothing to laugh about or joke,” she said.
Mohd Nasyaruddin also called upon fellow Malaysians to respect the beliefs of the Sabah community.
“Maybe for you guys it is a lame joke and old fashioned but for them it is a big thing to deal with.”
Manniseh Yakun recalled how she was advised by her elders to “behave” if she chose to climb Mount Kinabalu.
“All the spirits are watching. Do not disturb or annoy them,” she said.
Mountaineer James Hong BK said he believed in the spirits of mountains and jungles.
“Mountaineers always respect mountains. We are obliged to the laws of it,” he said, referring to the dos and don’ts about the peak.
Victor James said the nudists should apologise to Aki Nabalu (which means “revered abode of the dead” in the Kadazandusun) and other spirits of the mountain.
As for Ida Bakar, she wrote:
“The mountain is sacred to the local people; these tourists were guests who should learn to behave.”
However, some commentators such as Aaron Lee said more research should be done as “supernaturalism” had nothing to do with natural disasters.
