PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A controversial bomoh in Malaysia, known for his techniques like looking through bamboo telescopes and waving large coconuts around, was released on bail after police questioning.
Ibrahim Mat Zin, also known as Raja Bomoh, was arrested at a hotel in Segamat, Johor, at around 2.30am on Friday (April 21) and taken to the Bukit Aman police headquarters for questioning.
Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said police were investigating the case under Section 298 of the Penal Code, after the bomoh allegedly uttered words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person.
"We took his statement and he has been cooperating with our investigations so far. We have released him on police bail," the CID director told The Star on Saturday.
The bomoh had earlier been summoned by the police and Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) after he appeared in public to conduct his signature ritual to "protect" Malaysia from North Korea, following the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kin Jong Un.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had said the bomoh's acts had brought shame to the country and were against the tenets of Islam, adding that a slew of police reports had been made against him.
The bomoh claims to have protected the country for years. His efforts to find the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane and to save Malaysia from a North Korean invasion - using things like large green coconuts and bamboo cannons - have catapulted him into the limelight and raised mocking laughter as well as criticisms.
He also sought divine guidance when the region was shrouded in thick haze in 2015. A video showed him reading prayers over an ice block set on top of a steel pot.
