Legislator sought witch doctor's help
Legislator sought witch doctor's help
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A court was told how a Malaysian
politician sought out the witch doctors accused of murdering him
to oust rivals blocking his ministerial ambitions, reports said
yesterday.
Mazlan Idris, a 49-year old U.S.-educated official in Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad's United Malays National Organization
(UMNO), also thought he could use the powers of a talisman he was
told belonged to former Indonesian president Sukarno.
The high court in central Pahang state heard Tuesday how the
legislator had wanted to become the Pahang chief minister.
Nor Affendy Rahman, a witch doctor accused of killing the
politician, said Mazlan paid a deposit of 500,000 ringgit
(US$200,000) for a 2.5 million ringgit ($1 million) "magic" cane,
a traditional Malay headgear known as a songkok and the talisman.
Testifying on the 49th day of one of Malaysia's most bizarre
murder trials, Affendy said Mazlan paid the balance with 10
pieces of land.
Affendy, 37, his witch doctor wife Mona Fandey, 38, and their
assistant Juraimi Husin, 24, are accused of killing Mazlan in an
abandoned house in Pahang on July 2 last year. Mazlan's body was
chopped into 18 parts.
Affendy said he had obtained the cane, headgear and talisman
previously owned by former Indonesian president Sukarno when he
was in West Java.
The trial has tainted the image of Malaysia's witch doctors,
locally called "bomoh", who are usually sought out to cure
ailments ranging from spiritual angst to gallstones.
The court has been given the names of UMNO politicians as well
as members of Malaysia's royalty who had sought out the trio.
Affendy told the court he had sold 700 pieces of talisman
mostly to politicians, at about 7,000 ringgit each. He had earned
4.9 million ringgit from them.
"My wife and I also implant golden needles on people for
mystical powers for 7,000 ringgit each," he was quoted saying.
Affendy said he owned four vehicles, including two BMWs, and
that his wife had a sapphire diamond necklace worth 280,000
ringgit, to illustrate his lavish lifestyle.
The court also heard how Affendy claimed the power to stop
stray dogs from barking by uttering certain "magic" words.