KL sinkhole incident: Malaysian bomoh offers help to look for victim
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Mr Ibrahim Mat Zin performing a ritual near the sinkhole that an Indian woman fell into, after being denied access to the sinkhole.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Malaysian shaman Ibrahim Mat Zin – who gained infamy for staging rituals with coconuts and bamboos to help find a missing Malaysia Airlines plane and to rid the country of haze – has offered to help locate a missing tourist who fell into a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur last week.
But the authorities denied the bomoh access to the sinkhole, and religious leaders want him to explain his actions.
On Aug 28, Mr Ibrahim went to the site of the incident in Jalan Masjid India, where the female tourist had fallen into an 8m-deep sinkhole on Aug 23. He wore his customary sunglasses, a dark suit and a songkok, and had an assistant with him.
Although the police prevented him from approaching the sinkhole, he sprinkled what he claimed was “special water” sourced from the bottom of a waterfall in Perak.
The coconuts and bamboo paraphernalia he is infamous for using in his rituals were absent.
Mr Ibrahim, also known as Raja Bomoh or King of Shamans, told the Malaysian media that he only “wanted to help” as the victim, Ms Vijayalaksmi from India’s Andhra Pradesh state, is still missing after days of intensive search.
“I asked a policeman to allow me to see the sinkhole but was denied entry,” he said.
“I just want to help and ensure that everyone is safe.”
Ms Vijayalaksmi, 48, fell into the sinkhole that appeared suddenly
The authorities believe the woman was then swept into the underground sewer tunnels as waters gushed due to recent heavy rain.
Mr Ibrahim was not the only one utilising unconventional means to help locate the victim.
Four people carrying yellow chrysanthemums were also at the scene on Aug 28 to conduct religious rites.
However, Mr Ibrahim’s conduct has led the mufti’s office to say they will summon the shaman for an explanation.
Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar told news portal Free Malaysia Today that Mr Ibrahim’s actions have caused public distress and misunderstanding about Islam among the community.
He added that Mr Ibrahim is being monitored by the Federal Territories mufti’s office because of his previous ritual practices.
Police reports had previously been filed against him for allegedly tarnishing Islam’s image.
Mr Ibrahim attracted widespread ridicule after he and his assistants wielded large green coconuts over their heads and used bamboo binoculars as part of a ritual to locate the missing Flight MH370.
The Boeing 777 plane disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
A year later, Mr Ibrahim read prayers over an ice block set on top of a steel pot to rid the country of the haze
In 2017, Mr Ibrahim was again in the spotlight for performing a ritual to protect Malaysia from a North Korean nuclear attack
According to a video that went viral, this 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.
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.
