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.