She was a temple medium for 40 years until she was set free from a snake spirit
By
Michelle Chun
, 7 February 2025
However, the power Linda Khoo had came at great physical and mental cost. Would she be able to break free from this destiny? All photos courtesy of Linda Khoo.
In the 1900s, Linda Khoo’s grandparents moved from China to Malaysia in search of tin ore.
They purchased a piece of land and settled in Taiping, Perak.
“He had to cleanse the land, then build a temple on the grounds for a deity. Otherwise, every son he had would die.”
Over the years, they noticed that whenever her grandmother gave birth to a son, the infant would not survive. It happened several times.
Desperate for a male heir, Linda’s grandfather travelled back to China to seek out a famous medium.
“My grandfather was told that the land he had bought was a cemetery. He had to cleanse the land, then build a temple on the grounds for a deity. Otherwise, every son he had would die,” Linda said.
Upon his return, her grandfather dug up all the human bones he could find. He built a temple as instructed.
Soon, his wife became pregnant again. This time, the baby survived.
“That son was my father,” Linda, now 83, said. “And it was only natural for him to take over the position as a temple medium.”
Rising up the ranks of the spirit world
When Linda graduated from school, she became a clerk in an insurance company, and subsequently, a certified claims adjuster in Kuala Lumpur. She got married and had four children.
Linda with her husband, David, in 2011 – seven years before a profound change in their life.
Then one day, her aunt phoned her. The time had come: Linda was chosen to take over as the temple medium.
She would hold the position for more than 40 years.
“I had been dedicated to a deity as a teenager, but taking up the post meant I now had a very different kind of authority,” said Linda.
Her connection to the spirit world grew stronger as devotees consulted her in soothsaying, seeking healing, exorcism or advice.
“I always had to please my deity. If he was not happy, I would be in torment.”
She entered into trances and often spent many hours at night in deep meditation to re-energise herself after consultations throughout the day.
“My strength and unique area was finding lost girls. Desperate families would come to me and I would pray over the photograph, and they would soon be found,” she said.
Every year, Linda led a ceremony where she would enter into a deep trance. In that state, the deity would “take over” and other mediums of lower ranks would bow to her.
This power came at a cost.
After consultations, Linda was physically and mentally exhausted. She also had to go through rigid cleansing rituals regularly.
“I always had to please my deity,” she said.
“If he was not happy, I would be in torment. I would not be able to sleep or eat,” she said.
“You are ready”
Even though Linda was born and bred on temple grounds, her parents, for some reason, had sent her to a Methodist girls’ school.
At age 15, she was intrigued by the Christian faith.
However, a cousin threatened to tell her family about it. So she let go of the desire to invite Jesus into her life.
Decades later, one of Linda’s daughters – Ai Lin – became a Christian. Whenever she tried to talk to Linda about Jesus, Linda would tell her gently: “You have your way, I have my way.”
For 10 years, Ai Lin prayed for her parents to come to know Jesus.
One day, when Linda was 77, she and her husband, David, accompanied their daughter to church.
After service, they were having lunch with other church members when suddenly, one of them pointed a finger at David and said: “You are ready.”
Linda said: “My husband somehow knew she was talking about accepting Jesus and without hesitation answered: ‘Yes.’
“Then Evelynn, a church leader, came over to me and told me that God loves me very much.”
Linda and David with (from left to right), their leader Evelynn Tan and their daughter, Ai Lin.
Evelynn shared that she had a vision of gold dust falling all over David, and a burning flame radiating around his heart.
He was astonished. Just two nights earlier, he had seen gold dust falling on him in a dream.
“After that, Evelynn quietly told me things I had kept in my heart about my son. She couldn’t have known all these,” said Linda.
“So I started asking my deity to release me,” said Linda.
“I had served him loyally for 40 years.”
“But my deity was reluctant to free me,” she said.
The battle for her soul
A wrestle in the spirit realm ensued, and Linda became hysterical and entered into a trance.
In the physical world, she was screaming, writhing and thumping the table to the point that teacups flew and cutlery clattered to the floor.
“They said it was impossible for us to be saved. Even I never thought it possible. But God did it.”
When she regained consciousness, she realised that everyone in the restaurant had witnessed the entire episode.
Meanwhile, Evelynn and other church members were praying for her.
Eventually the deity gave in.
“Evelynn then saw a spiritual python resting on the back of my head. It slid to the floor and slithered out of the restaurant,” said Linda.
At that point, Linda fainted and slumped onto the chairs.
When she regained consciousness, she realised that everyone in the restaurant had witnessed the entire episode.
“Nine restaurant staff members then approached us to ask to invite Jesus into their lives.
“It was a beautiful scene as 11 of us (including my husband and I) gave our lives to Jesus that day,” Linda said.
No one God can’t reach
After accepting Christ, Linda went through several deliverance sessions to be fully freed from her spiritual past.
“For the first two to three days, I went through so much anxiety and confusion.
“I could feel my deity holding on to me. But I belonged to God now,” she said.
“Today, David and I are so happy and at peace.
“We’re in love with reading the Bible, and have no time to argue because we’re praying all the time,” she said.
No longer living at the behest of the deity she once served, Linda enjoys teatime conversations about God with David, and (from right to left) Evelynn and Ai Lin.
The couple, who are now in their 80s, share their story freely to encourage others.
Linda even carries printed copies of their story of change to give away when the opportunity arises.
“They said it was impossible for us to be saved. Even I never thought it possible. But God did it.”
This story was adapted from an article that was first published in Salt&Light.
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