Pouring of holy water over burial sites
Photos: NAJ

During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims pay their respects to their loved ones who have passed away by visiting the cemetery and reading the Surah Yassin and Doa. For Brunei Malays, "Ayeng asah-asahan" is one of the items to bring when visiting the cemetery.

After reciting the Doa, it is customary to pour the "Ayeng asah-asahan" over the burial sites, which is made from the "Asah-Asahan" wood and sometimes accompanied by chempaka flowers.

This will then have the desired effect of a fragrant smell around the area. Photos show the bottles of water being left at the Kuala Belait Muslim Cemetery for sale without any supervision from the vendors. But some kind of "tabung" is being left there for buyers to put in the amount of money.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin