To her friends and neighbours, Madam Aminah (not her real name) is a freelance masseuse who is married with three children. She lives in an HDB flat in Sembawang and the family has regular karaoke sessions.
What they do not know is that the 45-year-old is also what is known as a 'spiritual healer', or tukang ubat in Malay. She claims to be able to chase away evil spirits which disturb people and haunt homes.
Her tools are a broom made of coconut leaves and a packet of salt. She sweeps the air using the broom and sprinkles some salt around the client, who will be lying down. Then, reciting some Arabic phrases, Madam Aminah claims she can scare spirits into submission and imprison them.
