KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — Universiti Malaysia Pahang said today that its standard operating procedures (SOP) on combating witchcraft are meant to handle black magic claims in marriage and divorce cases.

The public university’s Committee for Advanced Studies in Witchcraft Law chairman Dr Mahyuddin Ismail told news portal Astro Awani that the SOP is needed as Muslim couples frequently bring up the topic of black magic and witchcraft when applying for divorce.

“Since there is no legal provision or procedure to consider the use of black magic and witchcraft in marriages and divorces, such claims are often dismissed,” Mahyuddin was quoted saying.

“Many times, judges are often at crossroads – should they use the claims of black magic and witchcraft or simply reject them. That is what the SOP aims to address,” he added.

Mahyuddin said the research his committee conducted to come up with the SOP had included four fields of discipline: applied modern medicine, psychiatric, forensic, and Islamic faith healing.

He also claimed that the Brunei government itself has sought the committee’s expertise to help enforce Section 208 of its Shariah Criminal Law which handles the use of black magic.

State news agency Bernama reported earlier this month that the SOP was the result of a two-year study that began in 2013 involving Islamic medicine practitioners, Islamic scholars, judges and psychiatrists.

The study was funded by a RM189,000 grant from the Education Ministry under the Knowledge Transfer Programme, said Bernama.