Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

A shop in Johor Bahru, Malaysia is selling the Covid-19 vaccine -- in incense paper form for those who have already passed on.

The paper vaccines are handmade and are sold for RM30 (S$10), according to The Star.

The prayer paraphernalia shop made the vaccine offering to cater to the spirits in the afterlife, so that they can be part of the “vaccination” process too, according to the report.

Many accounts of those who died without getting vaccinated

The shop owner, Raymond Shieh, said he came up with the idea after reading many heart-wrenching accounts of those who lost their loved ones before they had a chance to be inoculated.

Some customers also approached him to make paper vaccines as they want to burn them as offerings to their deceased loved ones, as well as wandering spirits, for the current Hungry Ghost Festival.

His shop is in Taman Ehsan Jaya.

Shieh used to work as a graphic designer in Singapore before returning to Johor Baru to start his prayer paraphernalia business about seven years ago.

Customisable set

The set, made from joss paper and other paper materials, can be customised according to the customer’s preference.

They are to be burnt alongside hell bank notes to be received by those in the afterlife.

Shieh said: “I felt bad for my customers, who told me that they wanted to fulfil their deceased loved ones’ wishes of getting the Covid-19 vaccine."

“I decided to give it a go since I specialise in handmade prayer paraphernalia."

“It initially took me about two days to make a set with a large syringe and vaccine bottles to mimic the real items."

“After sharing the finished product on my Facebook page last week, I received a good response and orders for the ‘Hell Covid-19 Vaccine’ from customers in and outside of Johor.”

“I hope that my product can provide some peace of mind to my customers and help them fulfil their loved ones’ wishes,” Shieh added.

Keeping up with the times

Shieh said his business had only dropped by about 10 per cent during the pandemic.

He added that he tries to keep up with the times by updating his product designs according to trends and occasions so that customers will not get bored.

He said: “There are many prayer paraphernalia shops in Johor Baru, so my products have to stand out from the competition."

“My customers usually appreciate my products, which gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.”

Shieh also said he supplies his handmade prayer items to other shops.

Malaysia reported 22,242 Covid-19 cases on Aug. 18, setting a new daily record.

Follow and listen to our podcast here

Top photo via The Star