TANGKAK – A tragic road crash in Johor has led to a rare and emotional “ghost marriage,” a traditional Chinese ritual meant to unite two lovers in the afterlife after they died before marriage.
The ceremony will be held for Chang Ji Shiang, 20, and Pang Chong Chong, 18, who were killed instantly when their motorcycle collided with another vehicle at Km 32.5 of the Muar–Segamat road, near Bandar Baru Sagil, on Friday night.
The young couple, who had been together for three years, were riding Chang’s recently purchased Yamaha Y15ZR when tragedy struck. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the crash, their families arranged for a joint wake at Chang’s family home in Tangkak, where the couple’s coffins were placed side by side beneath a shared portrait, symbolising their lasting bond.
A funeral service provider confirmed that religious rites will take place today at noon, followed by a simple “Minghun” (ghost marriage) ceremony in the evening.
Ghost marriages, also known as “spirit weddings”, were once a common practice in rural Chinese communities, but are now rarely observed in Malaysia. The ritual aims to provide companionship to the deceased in the spirit world and offer emotional closure to the living.
Chang’s mother, identified only as Chan, was inconsolable when met at the Tangkak Hospital forensics department.
“My only child is gone. I have no one left,” she said, her voice breaking with grief.
The accident involved four vehicles — three motorcycles and a Perodua Myvi — and claimed four lives in total. The other victims were Muhammad Darwish Kamarul Hafiz, 19, a college student and part-time barber, and his close friend Muhammad Alauddin Shah Zulkarnain, 20, who were heading home after work.
Cultural observers note that ghost marriages date back over 3,000 years in Chinese history. While the ritual once involved matchmaking between spirits of strangers, modern practices are acts of love and remembrance.
“It’s less about superstition now — it’s about comfort,” said a Johor-based funeral director familiar with Chinese funeral traditions. “Families find peace knowing their loved ones are together, even if only beyond this world.”
In Malaysia, similar ceremonies have occasionally resurfaced — including one involving a couple in Perak who perished in a car crash and were later “married” posthumously.
For the families in Tangkak, today’s ghost marriage is not about reviving an ancient belief, but fulfilling a heartfelt wish — that two young souls, once inseparable in life, may remain together in death. – NST Online
