Kampung Buau

This is the main kampung (village) where the first settlers made home. A clinic ,a mosque,a police outpost and a school form the backbone of the community. The school is made up of only 15 students with ages ranging from 5 to 12years. One of the reasons many families have moved away from the island is the need to pursue further education for their children. The population of the island has now dwindled to a mere 40 villagers and continues to drop as younger folk leave in search of their destinies.

Kampung Pontianak

In the early days, there lived a 'Pontianak', a banshee who fed on newborn babies. This particular breed of banshee, the one found on the island, is also known as 'Hantu Langsuir' . The Langsuir can detach her head from the body in times of attacks. What is normally reported of the Langsuir is a flying head with entrails attached and of course the earpiercing screeches and wails.

This resident banshee had a palatable fancy for male babies- waiting eagerly for new-borns but only attacking at night. One night, she heared the groans of a villager in labour, in the nearby village. Having been waiting for months now for a newborn, her thirst for young blood was insatiable.

She hastily detached her head from her body and flew off to the house unaware of the villagers lying in wait to ambush her. On arrival at the house, she noticed that all the doors and windows to the house were barred from within. In desperation, she decided to enter from under the house, through the cracks of the floorboards. The villagers, in position for the attack, threw a net over her.

Her wails from the surprise of the ambush alerted her body but before the body could be reunited with the head, another group of villagers infiltrated the Pontianak's house and put flames to body. Without a body to return to, the Pontianak was finally destroyed.The village has still retained the name 'pontianak' but is now a quiet, serene beach. The villagers there go about their daily chores of salting fish, repairing nets and taking coffee breaks. And there's a great snorkelling patch just in front of the jetty.

Kampung Pak Kaleh

The village is where Pak Mazlan and a few other families

settled after moving from Pulau Aur. Now, the village houses only a few families. In the old days, the village was situated up on the hill. As villagers started moving out, the remaining ones moved down to the beachfront. If you're interested, ask the local boys to take you up to the old settlement.

However, only foundations of the settlement and graves of their loved ones remain as milestones of the living history on the island.

 

 

 

 

More on Pemanggil's story - snorkelling

 

Accommodation and Holiday Packages to Pulau Pemanggil

Pak Mazlan's Chalet | Lanting Resort