JASIN: Touchy taboos are brushed aside through a whisk of humble coconut leaves as 65-year old Othman Dol provides an intriguing twist to traditional massage at his home in Umbai near here.
People from all walks of life have sought Othman's services to heal those with slipped discs and broken bones, while also aiding recovery of those who had suffered strokes.
The peculiar massage procedure, in which Othman runs coconut leaves instead of his hands over parts of the body, also provides a sense of relief for those, particularly women, who may be uncomfortable with their bodies being touched by masseurs.
He said the method was also very helpful for those who cannot withstand the pain if being massaged directly.
“Those who seek treatment come from various parts of Malaysia. Most of them are slipped disc patients," said Othman.
“Specialist doctors and foreigners have also come to receive treatment here," he said when met at his house.
Othman has been offering his services since 1991, charging just RM20 per visit for each patient.
He claimed that previously, two hospitals in Singapore and Japan had offered him a place to provide his expertise at their premises, to which he declined as he did not want to be bound when providing his services.
“I decided to decline both offers as the Singapore hospital had requested me to be on a 24-hour on-call duty while the second offer from Japan was rejected due to difficulties for me in getting halal food there,” said Othman.
He claimed that both hospitals were offering him a monthly salary of almost RM70,000.
Those who wish to seek treatment for their problems can come direct to Othman's house at Km13.5 of the Malacca-Muar Road, from 10am to 4.30pm, except on Fridays.