Local Tribes Hope to Appease Spirits After Tourists Strip Naked on Malaysias Sacred Peak
Did a group of foreigners who took their clothes off at the summit of Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu cause an earthquake? It's up to the spirits to decide, according to the Lotud tribe of Sabah state. The Malay Mail reports that some of the area's indigenous tribes believe the spirits of their ancestors inhabit Mount Kinabalu. They are worried that the June 5 magnitude-6.0 quake that killed 18 is the result of the spirits' anger at the tourists' nudity. The paper reports that the tribe will carry out a religious ceremony to speak with spirits, on Saturday in Sabah's Tuaran district. The tribes will see if a sogit, or placatory offering, is necessary, says the Mail. The Malaysian courts have already charged some of the nudist tourists, according to Malaysian newspaper the Star. Two Canadians, a Briton and a Dutchman have been remanded by a magistrate's court in Sabah and may have to serve three months in jail if found guilty of obscenity and public nudity. At least one of the tourists is unrepentant. Hong Kong resident Emil Kaminski, who claims he was one of the tourists who exposed himself on the mountain, has publicly panned them. "Some deranged pk has linked earthquakes and mountaintop nudity," Kaminski posted on Facebook. "Well, apparently I am responsible for the 2015 Nepal quake, and whatever incoming quakes in Canada.", He also posted a rambling video on YouTube justifying his actions. Contains expletives.