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  Malays consider this to be a good omen.

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MELAKA: If ripe coconuts aren’t cut open and eaten, then an embryo (referred to locally as “tumbung”) will begin to grow inside them. As this embryo grows larger, the radicle emerges and forces its way out of the coconut shell.

Most coconuts only have a single embryo within them. Twin embryos are rare and are considered to be a sign of good fortune by Malays.

One such twin embryo was discovered at a sundry shop in Jasin. The coconut in question had been cut open in preparation for grinding up the meat inside, revealing the twin embryo nestled inside.

A 70-year-old Malay man said that it was the first time he had seen a twin “tumbung”. He believes that if the embryo were permitted to continue growing and developing, it would become a pair of coconut trees with conjoined trunks and root systems.