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The infamous Malaysian “King of Shamans” Raja Bomoh has appeared again, offering to help locate the missing Indian woman who fell into a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur.
In response, the authorities have denied the bomoh access to the sinkhole, and now Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar has summoned him to explain his actions.
But this is not the first time that Raja Bomoh – real name Ibrahim Mat Zin – has appeared in the news.
According to an older article in NST, he first gained popularity as early as the 90s, during the 1993 Highland Towers disaster and even the infamous Mona Fendy case.
For the next 20 years, he stayed out of the spotlight, then resurfaced again in 2014 when he staged a couple of rituals using coconuts and bamboo to locate the missing Flight MH370.
If you aren’t in the loop about who Raja Bomoh is, here’s the 4-part saga of his appearances in the last 10 years:
Part 1: Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
Image via NST
During the frantic search for the missing MH370 flight, Raja Bomoh arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and conducted a ritual using a pair of binoculars made of bamboo and a fish-trap hook.
He then performed a 2nd session some time later, using ‘holy water’, two coconuts, a ‘magical’ walking stick and a carpet. The ritual went viral, catching the attention of international media and sparking many online spoofs.
Immediately, Malaysia’s department of Islamic development Jakim issued a statement that the bomoh’s actions contradict Islamic practices.
The move was widely considered to be an insensitive act towards the families of the victims. Many netizens called the move a publicity stunt, while Malaysians felt ashamed to be associated with this guy, saying he “doesn’t represent” all Malaysians.
Part 2: Indonesia Haze
A year later, Raja Bomoh came back to perform another ritual – this time to battle Malaysia’s ongoing haze problem. He claimed that the ritual is a traditional method that has been used for hundreds of years.
Persistent haze was a huge problem at the time, arising from smoke particles carried over by wind currents from the unchecked open burning of jungles from Indonesia.
In the video posted by Suara TV, the 81-year-old self-styled faith healer could be seen reading prayers over an ice block set on top of a steel pot. The bamboo binoculars also made an appearance, cementing its presence as an important part of the ritual.
“We pray that with the ice block placed on this pot, this ritual will help the people in Malaysia receive light and clean air,” chanted Raja Bomoh, while surrounded by 10 of his assistants.
Malaysians wasted no time in ridiculing his actions, with many pointing out the lack of logic in using an ice block to remove a global atmospheric phenomenon.
Part 3: North Korea Nuclear Strike
In 2017, Mr Ibrahim was again in the spotlight for performing a ritual to protect Malaysia from a North Korean nuclear attack.
This came after the souring of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea following the assassination of Mr Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport that year. Interestingly, Malaysian citizens are now banned from visiting North Korea partially due to this incident.
Dressed in a sharp business suit, the ritual involved him and three assistants standing ankle-deep in water with two coconuts, a pair of sticks used as binoculars, five bamboo cannons, a carpet and a bowl of seawater. He recited prayers throughout the ritual and then threw the coconuts into the water as it ended.
Explaining that the bamboo cannon is symbolic, he said the ritual is not to provoke any party but is a cautionary measure to ensure that the conflict will be resolved soon.
The video of Raja Bomoh’s antics generated yet another viral sensation among Malaysians.
Part 4: KL Sinkhole Missing Tourist
On Aug 28 2024, Raja Bomoh came out of post-COVID retirement to appear once again at the sinkhole in Jalan Masjid India where Ms Vijayalaksmi, 48, had disappeared 5 days earlier.
“I’ve seen the rescuers hard at work for days but they can’t find anything. So, we’re here to help if the authorities allow me,” said Raja Bomoh, whose real name is Mr Ibrahim.
Authorities believe the woman was swept into the underground sewer tunnels as waters gushed due to recent heavy rain.
Arriving at the scene in his customary sunglasses, a dark suit and a songkok, Raja Bomoh attempted to approach the sinkhole, but was denied entry by police.
Standing to one side, he sprinkled “special water” around the area, which he claims was sourced from the bottom of a waterfall in Pulau Sembilan, Perak.
The coconuts and bamboo paraphernalia he is infamous for were conspicuously absent. When asked why he didn’t bring these items this time, Raja Bomoh said he wanted to avoid chaos.
He also claimed that he was asked to be at the scene by “an important figure” and claimed he was paid an allowance of RM10,000 by the government.
The King of Shamans’ actions has again drawn widespread criticism online, with many saying that such rituals contradicted Islamic teachings and brought embarrassment to Malaysia.
Raja Bomoh gets called up by KL Mufti to explain his actions
Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar has summoned the shaman for an explanation, saying that Mr Ibrahim’s actions have caused public distress and misunderstanding about Islam among the community.
“I have requested the Federal Territories mufti’s office to summon Ibrahim soon,” Na’im Mokhtar was quoted saying by FMT.
He added that Mr Ibrahim is being monitored by the Federal Territories mufti’s office under Section 129 of the Syariah Criminal Procedure Act (Federal Territories) 1997 because of his previous ritual practices.
In 2017, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) declared his rituals as haram. According to his assistants, Raja Bomoh has 50 years of experience as a bomoh.
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