'Ghosts' have been jumping out at unsuspecting passersby in dark streets, standing on top of vehicles in car parks and sitting on benches in public spaces in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Volunteers are dressing up as ghosts and lurking at night to scare people into sticking to coronavirus lockdowns in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Wearing white bed sheets, the 'ghosts' have been seen jumping out at unsuspecting passersby in dark streets, standing on top of vehicles in deserted car parks and sitting on benches in public spaces.

It is one of the most bizarre measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, but it reflects an age-old superstition in parts of Southeast Asia.

Known as "pocong", the ghostly figures are typically wrapped in white shrouds with powdered faces and kohl-rimmed eyes, and they represent the trapped souls of the dead.