Malaysian Cerita Hantu: Intersections of Race, Religiosity, Class, Gender, and Sexuality

Abstract

Malay(sian) cerita hantu (ghost stories) are not merely innocuous renderings meant to entertain or instill fear—they are places where socio-cultural worldviews are constituted. We use ethnographic observations to explore how cerita hantu are also reflections of interconnected cultural perspectives around race, class, religiosity, sexuality, and gender. Such intercultural workings are maintained and perpetuated in complex cultural processes, which we call “hauntings,” that negotiate group identification, solidarity and separation, social hierarchies, and that situate normative order.

Keywords:

• Storytelling
• Malaysia
• Intersectionality
• Ghosts
• Ethnography

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the editorial staff of JIIC and anonymous reviewers for their contributions to this piece.

Notes

1. We draw our citations from both Malaysian and Western sources in an attempt to address the politics of citation. While we strive towards a Malaysian ethos in the “grounded” approach of this ethnography, we also rely on Western perspectives. This is due to a lack of scholarship from an exclusively Malaysian standpoint that addresses the topics we cover in this paper. We also recognize a (largely) Western readership for this article.

2. Cheryl is Malaysian of Indian-Eurasian parentage. She lived in Malaysia for over 20 years before moving to the United States. Currently a permanent resident in the United States, she travels to Malaysia every summer to pursue research and visit family.

3. Radhica is South Asian with a research background in performative storytelling and theatre. Heidi, who is a U.S. citizen of German descent, has assisted Cheryl since the project's inception.

4. Malaysian scholars use both terms in their writings; some scholars contended that ethnicity is the more appropriate label since the various groups in Malaysia tend to belong to the same race-category (Ali, 2008).

5. All participants are in their 60s and 70s. Kris is Eurasian. Naga is South Indian. Their friend Elyse and her husband Lee are Chinese-Malaysian. These participants claim to be very familiar with Malay culture. Kris has relatives who are Malay.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cheryl L. Nicholas

Cheryl L. Nicholas is at Pennsylvania State University—Berks

Radhica Ganapathy

Radhica Ganapathy is at Pennsylvania State University—Berks

Heidi Mau

Heidi Mau is at Temple University