If you believe in bomohs, next time call Harry Potter.
Five things to note.
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The bomoh factor
Last week, when I wrote about bomohs being used to search for missing teenager Nora Quoirin, some readers were furious.
They said that the bomohs were possibly able to help. They said that their presence would NOT do any harm.
Really? Help? No harm?
So, why do we bother with policemen, the army, helicopter, tracker dogs etc?
The disappearance of a missing person is serious. To bring in a bomoh is a sign of desperation, or that the authorities have no confidence in their methods.
If one is desperate, just go over the procedures, and check for flaws. Ask others to see if some aspect of the procedure, has been overlooked. Retrace and recheck the steps. Be analytical. Be forensic.
To call in a bomoh means one has no faith in one’s own abilities.
If it there is any truth in the allegation, inviting the bomoh makes our authorities look stupid. Next time, why don’t we just employ lots of bomohs. Some of our universities are already selling anti-hysteria kits and promoting courses on witchcraft.
Bringing in a bomoh, officially of unofficially, is an insult to the relatives of the missing person. They will have no trust in the authorities.
I said that allowing a bomoh to take part in the Search and Rescue (SAR) mission, risks making Malaysia look like idiots. There was world-wide mockery of Raja Bomoh, when he appeared in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to look for MH370 using his carpet, bamboo telescope, fishing trap and green coconuts.
He had no consideration for the feelings of the relatives of the missing people on MH370. He added to their grief. He belittled the SAR mission, he diverted everyone’s attention and if he wanted to entertain, he should not have chosen MH370. Bomohs should not use other people’s suffering to get attention.
Offering prayers may comfort those who are religious. Bomohs or shamans do not!
2. Police deny inviting bomohs.
Mohamad Mat Yusop, the Negri Sembilan police chief, denied claims in a foreign newspaper that claimed his police force had taken Nora Anne Quoirin’s parents to meet four bomohs, because they had no new leads nor new clues, in the search for the 15-year-old teenager.
Mohamad told the Malay Mail , “No. I had never instructed any of my police officers to do so.”
He was unhappy with the ridiculous comments in the media and requested that people stop making these irresponsible and unhelpful remarks.
He is right, but in future, any bomoh who turns up uninvited must be shown the door because their presence will invite ridicule.
3. The British newspaper report
According to this paper, a ‘prayer session’ had been conducted on Monday last week, and that within a day, Nora Quoirin’s body had been found.
A source close to the investigation said: ‘Nora’s parents attended a praying session the day before the search teams found her body.
‘The mediums said the spirits agreed to return Nora to the family.”
So, what do you think?
A coincidence perhaps? Or do you believe in bomohs and their ability to communicate with the other world?
4. Allegation is made that Nora Quoirin’s parents were involved in her disappearance
Lawyer and child activist, Anne Brennan, has alleged that Nora’s parents have something to do with her disappearance. She said that the family’s recent announcement, that they were leaving Malaysia with the teenager’s body was highly suspicious” and she alleged that the family was doing “everything in their power to subvert the course of justice”.
An excerpt from the paper report said: She also alleged that Nora Anne’s parents, Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, had “high-tailed” it out of the country upon receiving a guarantee that they would not be investigated for any involvement in the teenager’s disappearance and death.
“(They) somehow convinced the Malaysian authorities to abandon their murder inquiry and release Nora’s body without producing the necessary forensic and toxicology reports that form part of every standard criminal death investigation”
Brennan said that the entire matter was a “cover-up”, and said that the Quoirins had given no account of their movements in the hours before they reported their daughter missing.
“All the simple routine things that happen in a missing child case and criminal investigation failed to happen in the case of Nora.”
Brennan also said the police had confirmed there was no evidence of a “third party” entering the family’s villa on the night Nora Anne was reported missing.
“There was no evidence of a struggle. No fingerprints, footprints, or screams. Nobody heard anything.
“Malaysian police said that Nora did not go alone. A third party was involved, and the third party was someone known to Nora.”
Nora was found on the 10th day of her disappearance. She was naked and lying across a stream. Her head was resting on her hands, as if in sleep. Forensic tests confirmed she had not been sexually assaulted and the only marks were scratches on her feet. There was no element of abduction or kidnapping
The link is here.
5. More questions
So, did the victim know the perpetrator? Did Nora know who led her away, if she had been led away into the jungle?
Police confirmed there were no signs of a struggle or abduction.
Did the police ask if her parents had scolded Nora, or the family had quarelled the night before? Did Nora step out of the villa, because she was upset and wanted to cool down, then got disorientated? However, we are told that Nora suffered from a debilitating brain condition called holoprosencephaly, which caused her difficulty walking, balancing and looking after herself. Could she have sneaked out herself?
Was Nora happy to be on holiday and excited at going to the waterfall that she decided to look for the waterfall, on her own? However, her mother said that she needs someone else to help her manage.
What do you think?
When everything fails
What do you do for it?
When medical science fails you
Do you sit and cry?
Thinking the world has ended
The days gone yet a person couldn’t be found
The dogs couldn’t find any scent
There was the cold feeling
When life is at stake
It must use all available resources
Once it delays too long
Life will be gone
Then we will ask questions?
Medical science has its uses
But we must not close out other opportunities
It will show us we are short-sighted
Growing up in a kampong decades ago
I used to listen to the stories of bunions
The elders would tell us while in the forests
“Don’t call each other names”
They said “Bunions can hide you for good
Nobody can see you even you stand in front of them
And you will walk for days round and round in the forest”
Only through prayers the spell could be broken
Of course, science doesn’t agree
When desperation prevails in our lives
We will find alternatives to get it done
We don’t want to have a lingering doubt
Bomoh , Shaman are all tribal culture of superstitions. It is all the hog wash of mumbo jumbo and pony dance. It centres around those who are ignorant and preferably to retain and be conservative , denouncing other modern approach. Mostly doing it for the purpose of racial pride and fear. More of self consolatory to those who sought and those who provide as the end result usually do not offer a positive yield. It is only good in cinema and for tourism industry and not for welfare or well being of anyone unless it is for one who are so deeply entrenched into such beliefs and will go beserk if they are not attended.
This bomoh thing is all about bringing pride to Malay science and culture. Some 15 yrs ago, there was a movement to promote Malay/Islamic science and culture. This included toyols, jins etc. Razak Baginda strongly opposed this movement as it would bring ridicule to the Malay race. Quite rightly too. There was even a museum to showcase the above “objects”. Luckily it died a natural death. But it doesn’t mean it is still not practised. At every turn and corner, such activists will bring out their best charms to impress the world. Do malays realise that this makes them the laughing stock of the world. Why bother to learn forensic science, or pathology etc. What happened to all the scientifically trained Malay scientists?