SMS on giant python draws crowd to Muar
BY HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAHMUAR: Rumours of a giant python, with the girth the size of a car tyre, living under the market here brought the town to almost a standstill yesterday.
The crowd, some came from as far as Malacca, Segamat and even from Kuala Lumpur, including a TV3 crew, thronged the jetty area behind the market waiting for the snake to appear.
According to rumours, spread by SMS, a team, comprising of bomoh from Thailand and Indonesia, would try to capture the giant snake and that the market would be closed to enable them to act.
And yesterday, the residents and outsiders came in the thousands and filled the market area, congesting the jetty to wait for the team to arrive.
Besides congesting the market area, the crowd also caused a massive traffic jam stretching from the market to the town bridge, and up to Parit Bunga across Sungai Muar.
Laham Samah said he had been living and working at the market for decades and this was the first time he heard such a rumour.
He said there could be some pythons under the market, which was located next to Sungai Muar.
“I won’t be surprised if there are some big snakes behind the market, but not a giant with belly the size of a car tyre.
“If there is, the fish cages in the river near the market would had long ago been destroyed and the oyster gatherers who dive daily into the river near the market would have spotted it,” he said.
District Officer Datuk Naim Nassir, on returning from Kuala Lumpur yesterday, was shocked to see the massive traffic jam.
He said he had checked with the Muar Fire and Rescue Department, the municipal council, the Wildlife Department and even police asking them about the snake.
“No one seems to know anything about a giant python under the market and none of departments are involved in any capture operation,” he said.
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