We're keeping an eye on online bomoh services, says Jakim DG

PUTRAJAYA - Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is continuously monitoring shamans or witchdoctors, locally known as "bomoh", online activities that goes against the Syariah laws.

Its director Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said Jakim through the Research Division works closely with authorities in dealing with such issues.

“We also cooperate with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to monitor online bomoh activities, ” she said.

In this technologically advanced day and era, she said internet users easily accepted online services including those involving health either through modern treatment, traditional medicine or complementary ones.

"Jakim is researching this issue through information received from public complaints where there are individuals or centres claiming to be bomoh or practitioners of Islamic medicine using certain treatments that raise doubts,” she said.

Hakimah also advised people to always refer to the authorities or the Mufti office as well as religious scholars before getting treatment from traditional medicine practitioners and Islamic treatment.

Hakimah Mohd Yusoff: Picture by ROSLI TALIB

“Bomoh services either face-to-face or online can expose yourself scammers and risk losing thousands of Ringgit while the disease is not cured.

"Even more unfortunate for those who may fall into the syirik category when seeking treatment from these bomoh as it involves practices contradictory to Islamic beliefs and laws," she said.

Sinar Harian's review on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok found most the content shared was about protection as well as methods of treatment like magic, perennial, santau and disturbances.

Some of these "medical practitioners" also displayed the treatment process "live" including scenes summoning djinns or spirits while treating or recovering the patient from the interference of supernatural beings.

Most of these pages have been active since 2019 and has between 200 to over 600,000 followers in the media social.

Those offering such "medicinal services" will do directly "live" via social media as it enables them to interact with people as well affected victims interference.

The "live" treatment allows the public to see the treatment methods being carried out as well as be able to seek advice from the parties.

The treatment process can be carried out either by video or voice calls using an online application such as Zoom and Whatsapp.

Meanwhile, there were also practitioners who shared drawings of djinns and spirits on social media platforms claiming these spirits were disturbing some individuals, causing them to have various diseases.

On the other hand, based on comments some followers on Facebook believed in what they were watching, among them user by the name of Has Sha who believed that their relationship with a person was falling apart due suddenly for no reason due to ‘interference’.

Another follower named Mohamed asked about ways to check for djinn disturbance in the household.