Orang Mawas

Residents of the Orang Asli in Johor are said to know a big secret hidden behind the lush Equatorial forests in the country for decades. During that period, the secret was simply kept and made into gossip in their tribe without the knowledge of much of modern society in the city. Until around the beginning of 2006, the secret story began to be reported in the local press and quickly triggered a shocking phenomenon, not only in Malaysia but also internationally.

The Orang Mawas or Mawas (also known as the Orang Dalam) is a Malaysian folklore creature said to live in the jungles of Johor. It stands around 10 feet (2.4–3 meters) tall, is bipedal, and has black fur. It has been seen preying on fish and invading crops. Many people have seen the creature, which the local Orang Asli call “hantu jarang gigi”, which translates as snaggle-toothed Ghost.' Mawas sightings have been reported since 1871. Some argue that the creature is a living Gigantopithecus (or at least a folk memory of the animal), while scientists reject the sightings as sun bears mistaken. Other Southeast Asian nations have reported similar species, such as the Muwa in the Philippines and the Butnak (Thai: บดนาก) in southern Thailand.