27/04/2025

theSunday Special VIII ON SUNDAY APRIL 27, 2025 Half truths, misquotes & other myths we love to repeat I N today’s age of social media and instant in

RWKHU QLFNQDPHV IRU GL̆ HUHQW ODQJXDJHV DQG dialects. The Pontianak is known to be the spirit of a woman who died during childbirth, often described as wearing a white cloth with long black hair and clinging to banana trees or dark paths to haunt villagers. Pop culture and old wives’ tales commonly claim she appears during full moons; a myth likely blends Malay beliefs ZLWK :HVWHUQ KRUURU WURSHV OLNH ZHUHZROYHV and vampires. Evidence: I Q FODVVLFDO 0DOD\ WH[WV OLNH Hikayat Abdullah , there is no mention of lunar phases. The full moon association appears to be a later DGGLWLRQ LQÀXHQFHG E\ :HVWHUQ KRUURU PHGLD

formation, myths and misinformation spread like wildfire, shaping beliefs and influencing decisions. But what if everything you thought you NQHZ ZDV ZURQJ" /HW¶V VHW WKH UHFRUG VWUDLJKW RQ ¿YH widely believed myths. MYTH 1: The Pontianak only appears on full moons THE TRUTH: The Pontianak’s appearance is not tied to lunar cycles The Pontianak is a staple of Malay ghost stories. Many Malaysians and Southeast Asians have heard of this folklore growing up, which may appear in

MYTH 2: A JLUD̆ H¶V QHFN KDV PRUH ERQHV WKDQ D KXPDQ¶V THE TRUTH: G LUD̆ HV DQG KXPDQV ERWK KDYH WKH VDPH QHFN ERQHV A W ¿UVW JODQFH LW VHHPV ORJLFDO ± JLUD̆ HV KDYH long, towering necks, while humans have relatively short ones. But in reality, both species share the same number of cervical YHUWHEUDH VHYHQ 7KH GL̆ HUHQFH OLHV LQ WKH VL]H RI HDFK YHUWHEUD ± D JLUD̆ H¶V FDQ H[FHHG 25cm, whereas a human’s is only a few centimetres. Evidence : X-rays, veterinary studies, and museum skeletons confirm this identical count, even if the scale varies dramatically.

MYTH 4: L LJKWQLQJ QHYHU VWULNHV WZLFH LQ WKH same place THE TRUTH: L LJKWQLQJ VWULNHV WKH VDPH SODFH repeatedly Despite the saying, ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice,” in reality, lightning does strike the same spot over again, especially if it is a tall, pointy and isolated object. )RU H[DPSOH WKH (PSLUH 6WDWH %XLOGLQJ LV KLW DERXW times annually and Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC is equipped with lightning rods due to frequent hits. These structures reach high into the sky, aligning them as the perfect conductors for electrical discharges. Evidence: Lightning seeks the path of least resistance. ,I D EXLOGLQJ WUHH RU SHDN R̆ HUV D GLUHFW XQREVWUXFWHG route to the ground, it becomes a regular target.

MYTH 3: E DWLQJ GXULDQ ZLWK &RNH FDQ FDXVH death THE TRUTH: E DWLQJ GXULDQ ZLWK &RNH GRHV QRW cause fatality This myth is so common in Malaysia and Singapore that PDQ\ UHIXVH WR PL[ WKH WZR 7KH FODLP LV WKDW LW FUHDWHV D deadly chemical reaction in the stomach. Linguistically, it is repeated as panas dalam (internal heat), tied to WUDGLWLRQDO &KLQHVH PHGLFLQH EHOLHIV 'XULDQ LV FODVVL¿HG as a “heaty” food and carbonated and sugary Coke is thought to amplify it. Evidence: Laboratory tests on animals and anecdotal UHSRUWV VKRZ QR OHWKDO H̆ HFW :KLOH FRQVXPLQJ ERWK PD\ cause discomfort, such as indigestion or bloating due to WKHLU ULFKQHVV WKHUH LV QR VFLHQWL¿F EDVLV IRU D GHDGO\ reaction.

MYTH 5: You must wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming THE TRUTH: Swimming after eating will not cause cramps or drown you This long-held belief comes from a cautious place, voiced concerns over digestion diverts blood from muscles, giving you cramps while in the water, thus drowning. In many cultures, it has been

SDVVHG GRZQ DV ¿UP DGYLFH HVSHFLDOO\ to kids at the beach. But biology says GL̆ HUHQWO\ Evidence: Reviews by groups such as the International Life Saving Fed eration found no evidence linking post-meal swimming to increased GURZQLQJ ULVN :KLOH KHDY\ PHDOV PD\ cause sluggishness, light to moderate activity, such as swimming, is gener ally safe.