SHAH ALAM, 14 Mar: The ritual by the ‘Raja Bomoh’ (Shaman King), Ibrahim Md Zin, or not better known as the 1Malaysia shaman, continues to tarnish the country’s image in the eyes of the world when Arab media criticised the use of witchcraft in the search for the Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) MH370 aircraft which has been missing since 8 March.
The Isu Panaz blog page posted a report from alarabiya.nty with the title ‘Witchcraft, Malaysia’s last effort to solve the disappearance of the missing plane’.
Alarabiya.net also uploaded a picture of Ibrahim, 80, along with two others, performing a ritual by holding up two young coconuts without knowing the real purpose at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on 12 March.
In addition, a number of Malaysian students in Egypt also said that they were humiliated due to the act by the 1Malaysia shaman.
“At lectures, Talaqqi and at the Azhar Mosque, people laugh at us when we tell the story of the MH370 witchcraft. They call us Sihrun Thoirun.
“Just now…in Tahrir to get my visa stamped. When asked for my passport, they laughed at Malaysians. They said that we were good at witchcraft and spells,” he said.
The former Perlis Mufti, Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, on his Facebook page, also stressed that the stupid, superstitious and shameful act carried out by the shaman group involved has given a bad image of the people in this country.
The action of performing the ritual twice at KLIA has also been disputed by various parties because it is against faith that leads to idolatry and superstition.
Sadder still is KLIA management’s failure on preventing the shaman, who also wore a ‘1Malaysia’ pin, after his first performance using a fish trap “bubu mata pancing” and binoculars made of bamboo in the same location on 11 March.
Meanwhile, motivation and religious expert, Ustaz Mohd Zawawi Yusoh, on his Facebook page, also displayed Arab media reports that are seen as humiliating Malaysia.
“It is shameful to the country…the front page of an Arab newspaper…e large headline…Malaysia is using witchcraft as the last resort…to look for missing flight…shame2.
“Shameful to faith…,” he said.
