KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) has justified its RM8,750 anti-hysteria kit that supposedly wards off “evil spirits”, claiming that experiments on 50 cases showed its efficacy.
The public university’s Islamic centre and human development director Dr Mahayuddin Ismail told local daily News Straits Times (NST) that the kit — which comprises everyday items like chopsticks, salt, lime, vinegar, pepper spray, and formic acid — was proven to be able to cure hysteria sufferers.
“It has a proven track record, so people should not jump to conclusions or call for a ban,” Mahayuddin was quoted saying in the NST report today.
“We are not saying that it is fool-proof but it has shown it can provide relief to hysteria patients,” added Mahayuddin, who led the research on hysteria and possession for the development of the kit that took three years to produce.
Mahayuddin said the kit has been commonly used at schools in Kedah to help students that suffer hysteria due to stress.
“We met the teachers, who said the students exhibited extraordinary strength when they became hysterical. Using items like chopsticks, lime, vinegar and formic acid, we solved the problem,” he said.
While urging the public to stop being sceptical on the kit as it allegedly helps address hysteria, Mahayuddin said it was also catered to the multiracial crowd.
“It is syariah-compliant and free from deviant elements. We can provide our expertise to help the person recover,” he said.
UMP’s anti-hysteria kit was produced by the public university to combat the alleged high rate of possessions in the country.
The university’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim reportedly said the nearly RM9,000 kit includes items regularly used by Islamic faith healers to exorcise spirits from their human hosts.
UMP also formulated a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) last March to combat the use of witchcraft through its Committee for Advanced Studies in Witchcraft Law.
