My son was abused and killed because ‘bomoh’ slandered him of stealing, says Zulfarhan’s father

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Father of slain marine cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain asserted today that his son would still be alive if not for a “bomoh” or shaman who claimed that his son stole a laptop. 

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported the father Zulkarnain Idrus saying that the shaman had no proof for his accusation, instead just pulling a few superstitious stunts.

“My son is a victim of the shaman’s slander,” the father of the slain National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) cadet told FMT.

“[The shaman] had no evidence, just taking wild guesses, looking at the bowl, or anything... There is no evidence, my son’s [name] came up,” he was quoted saying.

The report mentioned that Zulkarnain’s statement once again raised the issue of the tendency among the Malay community to use the services of shaman, especially for divination, even though it is against the teachings of Islam.

During Zulfarhan’s trial on May 16, 2018, a shaman, Abdullah Md Seh, who is also the father of accused Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, reportedly told the court he had received “indications” that Zulfarhan had stolen a laptop.

Abdullah was reported to have said that the “clue” was obtained through his intuition as well as seeing the victim’s name appear in view.

Zulkarnain hoped that the people would learn a lesson from his son’s ordeal on how using the service of a shaman for the wrong intentions can only bring harm.

“About using a bomoh, I also do not agree. Islam says it can [cause] division, be hostile to each other, can cause death. Just like this.

“[The accused] believed in bomoh, [after] the bomoh told this person [who did it], my son was killed, ironed, abused,” said Zulkarnain.

Last week, six of the 18 people accused of killing Zulfarhan were found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which means they will not be sentenced to death.

The lesser charge under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code prescribes a mandatory jail sentence that can be extended up to 30 years, and a fine.

The six were Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mod Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.

The other 12 were: Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif Ismail, Muhammad Adib Iman Fuad Adi Sany and Mohamad Syazwan Musa.

They were charged with voluntarily causing hurt to Zulfarhan whom they had accused of stealing a laptop and trying to force a confession out of him.

This offence under Section 330 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Act, prescribes a maximum imprisonment of seven years, and a fine, upon conviction.