Arwah depicts the journey of a Malay man, Pak Usoh, in search of his true self. Embarking on a journey of spiritual and psychological reflection, Pak Usoh evaluates his life in Pekan Temasek and his association with Pak Kasdi, a strong and hot-tempered man, and the
people of Pekan Temasek. Pak Usoh also recalls with fondness the days of yesteryear, during the time when the Bangsawan group, Opera Nong, came to perform during the Japanese Occupation.
However, not all the memories are happy ones. As a result of the conflict between Pak Usoh and Pak Kasdi, Pak Usoh suffers much pain end unhappiness. In his agony, Pak Usoh considers himself ‘spiritually dead"’ even before his actual physical death.
Even Pak Usoh’s physical death fails to eradicate the animosity Pak Kasdi bears towards him. Pekan Temasek soon becomes a battlefield of conflicting principles between different individuals, each in search of his own true self. The antagonists, hopelessly caught in an entangled web of personalities, include Pak Kasdi, and Samad, Pak Usoh’s son.