Kelantan school mass hysteria: 'I saw a big, black figure'

KOTA BHARU — Students overtaken by bouts of hysteria during a school assembly in Kelantan on Wednesday (July 18) spoke of their experience, with some stating that they saw a mysterious figure while others said it continued even at home.  

"I saw a big, black figure behind one of the students who was hysterical, and I just started crying without realising it," a student afflicted with hysteria at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Ketereh said.

The student who only wanted to be identified as Ina, 18, said initially, all the students were gathered at the assembly before one Form Two student known as Anis started screaming.

She said Anis was then taken to a classroom before several other students began acting the same way, until things became chaotic at the assembly.

"When the hysteria hit, my friends and I were about to make our way to our classroom before another student started screaming in front of me. Suddenly I felt really tired and fainted, my friends said I was crying non-stop," she said when met at her home in Kampung Pasir.

In the incident on Wednesday, 39 students were overtaken by bouts of hysteria during a school assembly session at 7.30am.

The episode lasted for some 40 minutes before the students were treated by members of the Darul Syifa centre as directed by the state education department (JPN).

Ina said the school then contacted the students' parents, after which the students were allowed to return home.

For Ina, the hysteria did not end in school when it affected her mother, Fatimah, 50, and her pregnant sister Siti, 21, in their home later.

She said last night at about 9.30pm, Siti went berserk and started laughing hysterically before sticking her tongue out as though she was being choked by something.

"She also threatened to go to the jungle before my brother-in-law called an ustaz. When the ustaz was treating my sister, my mother suddenly became hysterical and started screaming," Ina said.

Meanwhile, Fatimah said she was not aware of what happened to her.

The New Straits Times visited the school on Thursday and found that many students had opted to not come in.

The school session, however, went on as per normal and no disturbances took place this morning. NEW STRAITS TIMES