KUALA LUMPUR - A 19-YEAR-OLD Malaysian and his two cousins have been charged with murder for allegedly beating to death the young man's parents in a bizarre ritual meant to cure them of a smoking habit and other problems, officials said Wednesday.

Muhammad Nizam Mohamad Ibrahim and his two male cousins did not enter a plea after being charged on Tuesday, said magistrate Sazlinidayu Kamarul Baharin, who heard their case.

She told The Associated Press that she ordered the three men to be held for psychiatric observation for a month, after which the trial will start on Nov 14.

Prosecutor Fazril Sani Mohamad Fadzil said the three were charged with murder, which carries the maximum death penalty.

Muhammad Nizam's 47-year-old father and 41-year-old mother were beaten to death with brooms and motorcycle helmets during a family gathering in an apartment in Kuala Lumpur early this month.

The magistrate identified the cousins charged in the case as brothers Muhammad Ilyas, 23, and 21-year-old Muhamad Fauzi Abdul Razak.

The ritual, during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, took place after another family member allegedly persuaded the others to try the beating ritual to help the man stop smoking and the woman to overcome a liver ailment.

Some of the family members reportedly are believed to have recently joined an Islamic cult. -- AP