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Tuesday 16 August 2011

ALL SET FOR ONE HELLUVA TOUR

GEORGE TOWN: The first ever outdoor ‘Netherworld Tour’ (a trip to hell) in Malaysia would be held here in conjunction with the ongoing Phor Thor (Hungry Ghost Festival).
For believers of the spiritual world, this tour is organised for them to ‘interact’ with their loved ones and friends who have passed on.

It is jointly organised by the Penang Teong Guan Association and the state government.

Tze Bei Guan Yin Centre leader Master Kek Eng Seng, who would lead the tour, said participants would experience different scenarios in ‘hell’.

“Some of them would be able to meet their loved ones who have passed on; some might be able to tour the streets of hell while some would be able to witness how torture is conducted in hell.

“We cannot guarantee though, that all participants are able to experience the tour successfully. Deterrent factors include their suffering from anxiety attack or failure to travel into the netherworld altogether,” he told a press conference on Carnarvon Street yesterday.

To prepare for the tour, the participants will be asked to close their eyes and listen to Master Kek’s instructions.

“They must listen attentively and heed every instruction issued, as it is crucial to avoid antagonising the wandering spirits,” he said.

He said this would be his first effort to attempt an outdoor ‘tour’.

Previously, he only conducted such ‘trips’ within the confines of a temple.

The ‘tour’ will be held at Padang Brown on Jalan Datuk Keramat from 8.30pm to 10.30pm on Aug 27.

It will be conducted by Master Kek with help from more than 10 of his assistants.

He has 28 years of experience in dealing with spiritual matters and had studied Taoism and Tibetan Buddhism as well as fortune tell-ing.

State Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said the event had the potential to attract tourists .

He said: “We would like to thank the organisers of the Phor Thor for continuously organising this religious festival for over 100 years. The Netherworld Tour was famous in Taiwan but this would be the first in Malaysia.”

For now, Master Kek has fielded more than 200 participants but only about 100 can join the tour.

“We would screen the participants to see if they are fit to join the tour,” he said.

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