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THE MALAY BOMOH

Name : Ng Wen Cern

Group : G5

The Malay bomoh has always been a controversy in Malaysia. Past Prime Ministers

such as Tun Dr Mahathir has criticized the Malay faith in particular animism that it is

devaluing the concepts of Islam. Not only that, Tun Dr Mahathir described the Malay custom

mainly the bomoh as a conservative and rural system which will limit them from the

development of society. Nevertheless, the Malay custom of believing in bomoh is an

important part of the culture which provides an identity to the Malays.

Beliefs of the Malay bomoh has existed hundreds of years ago with the proof of

written sources from various people which includes people from foreign countries. The

practice of bomoh can be seen in all states of Malaysia and the few main ones include Perak,

Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. The movements performed by shamans (bomoh) during

the séances were similar in form and meaning. 1 This proves that the practice of shamanism in

Malaysia is nationwide and originates from the same source which at the same time, shows us

that it is a custom that was cultivated by the Malay originally.

The duties of a bomoh comes in various ways such as healing illnesses, dealing with

personal problems and supernatural spirits. Shamans/bomoh would conduct the séances by

summoning spirits into their bodies and entering a tranced state in which a ritual partner

(normally a friend of the shaman) would do the dialogue and duets with the shaman who is in

1
Connor, Linda H. Samuel, Geoffrey, Healing Powers and Modernity : Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and
Science in Asian Societies, Greenwood Press, 2001, p. 42-43
a tranced state after he has been controlled by the spirits. Boiled eggs and boiled rice are part

of the usual offerings for familiar spirits. Seances conducted in Malaysia are normally

preceeded by a meal presented to the shamans/bomoh. An example of a séance conducted in

Malaysia would be by the bomoh, Pak Long, in which he used spirit offerings such as coins,

betel-pepper leaf, a cigarette, raw rice and a string in one dish and boiled rice and boiled egg

to deal with a health problem faced by a 3 month old pregnant woman. 2 As the séance is

further carried out, the areca palm branch which is part of the ritual’s item held by Pak Long

begans to shake and then he took on the form of Awang Mindung Pengasuh which is the

bomoh’s body internal protective forces. Pak Long’s body was then possessed by another

spirit which was Wak Kedi Bomoh, an ancient healer who determines the causes of the

problems and summons the spirit which has the closest relation to the patient seeking for

help. The summoned spirit would then inform the patient of the true cause of her problems

such as the person behind it and whether the perpetrator has paid for the services or not. Pak

Long was then taken over by the genie of the crossroads who would agree to help with a

price. If the patient recovers, the genie of the crossroads would be paid. 3 After another few

different spirits came and went, the spirit that was behind all the difficulties appeared which

was Sir Oil or commonly known as orang minyak. A form of payment was demanded for him

to leave the patient alone was requested and after a session of bargaining, the offerings were

agreed on. The séance was then closed with the recitation of a spell and massaging the

patient’s abdomen. Soon after that, the patient fully recovered but the recovery from her

illness was claimed to be related to the skills of a physician rather than the work of a

shaman/bomoh.

2
Connor, Linda H. Samuel, Geoffrey, Healing Powers and Modernity : Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and
Science in Asian Societies, Greenwood Press, 2001, p. 44
3
Connor, Linda H. Samuel, Geoffrey, Healing Powers and Modernity : Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and
Science in Asian Societies, Greenwood Press, 2001, p. 45
It is clearly shown here that people of the new generations tend to have lesser beliefs

in the Malay customs of shamans and bomohs. The criticism of various iconic figures such as

Tun Dr Mahathir towards this custom has apparently brought about a great influence on the

modern lifestyle.

Name : Goh Kang Li

Group :

Another important aspect that should be taken into consideration of the Malay

bomoh’s séances and rituals are the offerings. These form of offerings are crucial in making

deals with the spirits that will help or stop harming the person requesting for help. The failure

to compromise on a certain bargain may cause the deal to be cancelled by the spirit. In some

cases, there are people who attend the shaman’s/bomoh’s services but did not complete the

payments or offerings due to disbelief of the effectiveness of the ritual. There are stories in

which these people were harmed and disturbed by the spirits who did not receive the

appropriate amount of payment.

As for Pak Long, after the séance conducted for the pregnant lady, he did not hear

from them anymore. A few days later, he began falling sick and was sent to the hospital but

the cause of his illness could not be determined. When Pak Long began feeling better, he

decided to go home but as he was reaching the same spot near his house, he began feeling the

same illness again. An emergency séance was immediately called and other shamans/bomoh

from the village were asked to help Pak Long. When the spirit was summoned, it was

discovered that the spirits were angry because the offering promised to them were not

properly given. It was from their point of view that it was Pak Long’s responsibility to ensure

that all proceedings were conducted carefully and fairly. The spirits were then explained to
by the other shamans that Pak Long was only a medium of communication between the

patient asking for help and the spirits and it was the patients who should be held responsible

for not keeping to their words. The spirits saw the truth behind the shamans explanation and

left Pak Long, returning his energy and health back to normal. When the séance was over,

Pak Long insisted on paying the other shamans for their services because he knew that any

payments/offerings were crucial in the spirit world.4

Based on the information given, it is very clear that one who deals with

shamans/bomoh should not take the offerings lightly. Even for the non-believers of animism

and shamanism, a certain level of respect is necessary in the matter of payments and

offerings. If a deal has been made, it is purely ethical for one to stay true to their words and

ensure that it is done fairly. Pak Long can be said to be a lucky man as he is experienced in

handling such matters when attacked by spirits but if a person who has absolutely no

knowledge about shamanism and is attacked by spirits, he may suffer for a life time without

knowing the cause to it. Shamanism of the Malays in the 21 st century may be seen as

something ridiculous to the eyes of non-believers but it has been proven on separate

occasions that these séances and rituals are actually effective in solving problems.

The Malay bomoh in summary involves trances, spirits and offerings. While stories of

shamans and bomohs are commonly told to children, it is difficult to find an actual

shaman/bomoh in Malaysia today due to the rapidly development of science and technology.

The newer generations of Malays begin to lose the belief in their custom as hard facts, data

and statistics are not present in proving the effectiveness of a shaman’s success. To give
4
Connor, Linda H. Samuel, Geoffrey, Healing Powers and Modernity : Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and
Science in Asian Societies, Greenwood Press, 2001, p. 45-46
additional problems, cases of fake shamans today cheating and preying on the public is so

common that people just find it hard to believe in the custom of shamanism in Malaysia.
References

1. Connor, Linda H and. Samuel, Geoffrey, Healing Powers and Modernity :

Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and Science in Asian Societies, Greenwood Press,

2001

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