Man dies from Siamese bomoh’s ‘liquid cleansing’ ritual

Kuala Terengganu (The Star/ANN) - A 26-year-old Malaysian man who may have been suffering from mental illness is believed to have died after a Siamese bomoh subjected him to a "liquid cleansing" ritual.

Faizal Harun was taken to the bomoh's home in Kampung Pulau Rusa, Merchang at about 7.45pm on Wednesday, after complaining that "supernatural beings" had been disturbing him for the past four years.

Accompanied by his father, the victim met the female bomoh known only as Kak Yah in the hope of curing the "strange illness".

Bomoh Siam-(photo from rakissanta.wordpress.co)

When met at the Sultanah Zahirah Hospital, the victim's father Harun Senik, 53, claimed the 43-year-old bomoh told the victim to drink water to ward off evil spirits.

He alleged that it all started with a few jugs of water but it was futile, as the victim was still not cured.

However, Harun said the bomoh then shoved a hose into the victim's mouth, causing him to lose consciousness.

"I rushed him to a nearby clinic but he was pronounced dead upon arrival," he said.

"She asked us to bring nine ayam kampung (village chickens), some black eggs and grapes," said Harun who also paid the bomoh 200 ringgit (US$65).

Terengganu CID chief Asst Comm K. Manoharan said doctors confirmed the cause of death as drowning.

"We are classifying the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder," he said.

He said the victim was believed to have been suffering from a mental illness and not haunted by spiritual beings as claimed by the bomoh.

"We went to the bomoh's house but she had already fled.

"However, we managed to seize some equipment used by her," he said, adding that the bomoh, who is of Thai descent, fled with her 33-year-old husband.

Source:Yahoonews

By Faril Zolkepli in Kuala Terengganu/The Star | ANN – Fri, Jun 17, 2011

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