SEGAMAT: A durian farmer in Kampung Tengah, here, took to "employing" some otherworldly help in trying to ward off thieves.
Rosman Budiman, 61, who has had enough of thieves making off with his durians, resorted to purchasing several metres of white cloth and fashioning them into two "pocong" entities.
"Pocong" is a ghostly entity popular in local folklore as a spirit that is shrouded in white cloth.
"The two adult size 'pocong' are 1.5m in height and shaped using cardboard boxes, wrapped in white cloth and weigh about 450g. They have succeeded in reducing the disappearance of my durians from 10 trees this season.
"Before this, if I am a bit late in picking up the fallen durians, thieves will make off with it," he said when met at his farm, here.
He said the figures were placed in some bushes and at an empty hut around the farm and it proved sufficient in warding off intruders, particularly at night.
"I also took to burning incense to enhance the scary effect before I return home every evening.
"Sometimes I even scare myself when I return alone to pick up the durians, thanks to the smell of the burning incense."
All in all, Rosman said he only spent about RM8 for his "security system".
Previously, Rosman said he placed two tiger dolls to scare thieves but the method was not effective.
"I spent RM350 for each of the tiger doll but the durian thieves stole them," he said, adding that he has had to devise various methods to ward off thieves every durian season.
"If the thieves just want to eat the durians, I don't mind, but the fact that I lost so many shows that they are stealing it to sell," he remarked.