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Bomoh at hysteria school
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Fri, Aug 29, 2008
NST
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>KUANTAN, MALAYSIA - No one seems to know why pupils of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tanjung Lumpur are suffering from bouts of hysteria despite measures taken by the authorities and school administration. Almost every day, around noon, a group of students would start screaming hysterically.
Some claimed they saw an apparition with long hair, while others claimed they were possessed by an old woman and would act and sound like one.
There are also reports that some of the students would become aggressive and attack the other students and teachers.
Yesterday, another 12 students allegedly went into hysterics.
This was despite exorcism by religious figures and bomoh and medical treatment over the last few weeks.
Two men from Kuala Kurau, Perak, who claim to be spiritual healers, were the latest to volunteer their services.
Raja Syed Sheikh Mohd Sarip Al-Patani ,69, and Syed Sheikh Abdul Mutalib Al-Habsyi, 46, arrived at the school around noon yesterday.
Raja Syed and Syed Sheikh said they were willing to help the victims even though they knew some quarters might question their methods.
"We are negotiating with the spirits.
"We will ask them to leave peacefully," said Raja Syed, who declined to elaborate on how he communicates with the spirits.
He claimed the spirits were responsible for the bouts of hysteria since May 15.
But Raja Syed refused to confirm a report that the school's new building was built on graves.
"We are still communicating," he said.
State mufti Datuk Abdul Rahman Osman said efforts made to deal with the problem should not involve the assistance of spirits or djinn.
"It's wrong and Islam does not permit it," he said during a visit to the school on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, state education director Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Latif denied that the school would be closed because of the problem.
He said the school should remain open as only 35 of the 820 students were affected.
"The rest of them are okay and they can study and perform other activities as usual," he said adding that only six of the victims had agreed to be transferred to another school.
However, he admitted the problem was yet to be solved.
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