JULY 1 — Congratulations, Malaysians. Some of you have uncovered the great mystery of where our common sense and reason have disappeared.

The toyol took them.

Of course I am referring to the recent incident of a weeping two-year-old, abandoned near a petrol station, who was shunned by passersby who were convinced the child was not human.

In a rational world, a child left alone and crying would be rescued and comforted. Instead, what did some special Malaysians do? They took pictures, circulated them on WhatsApp and declared the child a toyol, a nefarious little creature known for stealing money and, apparently, Malaysian brains.

Fortunately a kind soul who still had both his brain and a heart took the child to the nearest police station, after giving him food and water. Obviously we must write and ask him his tips for keeping the toyol away.

It flummoxes me, though, this turn of events. This is the 21st century, people. Why are we still behaving as though we lived in caves and attributed strange sounds to hantu (ghosts) that want to eat us?

In a country so obsessed with God that we go to court over who gets to call Him what name, it is amazing the level of tahyul (superstitiousness) that still abounds in this country.

After all, it is obvious our bomohs must be rich since they can sell expensive exorcism kits that cost about twice my salary.

Yet anyone whose knowledge of theology is sound would know that God (apparently) is far more powerful than any creature of the dark, and that faith is the best shield against demons and spirits.

So I conclude that people with ridiculous notions about toyols and other things that go bump in the night are deficient in that thing we call faith.

Why do we need intermediaries to save us from toyols, pontianaks and MLM recruiters? Why are people still so gullible in believing spirits can give us lotto numbers, that mediums can hook us up with dead relatives and that bomohs can use coconut GPS devices to hunt down missing planes?

To be honest, the only people benefiting from belief in the supernatural are the ones writing horror stories or duping the gullible.

Ridiculous beliefs can be harmful. A child, who should have been protected and rescued, was ignored because some people chose to believe in toyol instead of using their eyes, their ears and their brains.

It's a stupid and shockingly awful incident; try as I might not to judge those who ignored the wee child, I can't help but feel angry.

Still, what can you expect in a country so diseased by magical thinking. Oh, we'll trust the government to look after us. Oh, we're sure our money is safe in the Cayman Islands. Oh, Tabung Haji knows what it's doing with real estate.

Oh, Malaysians, why are you so un-endearingly gullible? I have a Parliament building I would like to sell you.

I suggest that we should just vote for toyols in the next election. At least we won't be too surprised about them being very bad with money. Missing a brain? YB Toyol will just go steal one, no problem.

Next time, dear people, if you see a child weeping alone, talk to it. A real toyol wouldn't be crying, it would be rifling for spare change in your glove compartment. Please think of the children and for God's sake, stop thinking about toyol.

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.