He said some families were fond of doing this and this resulted in the children having that fear in them even when they grew up and attended school.

“Children from these families will be afraid of ghosts and spirits to the extent that they become hysterical,” he told reporters here today.

He said this when asked on a hysteria incident which occurred at a school here last week.

Mohamad Shukri said hysteria often occurred in the Muslim Malay community, especially in schools.

He said the surrounding environment could also be a factor resulting in hysteria, like the El Nino phenomenon.

“The hot weather can also influence a person’s psychology, especially if the person is not well, unhappy or upset,” he added.

– BERNAMA