Malaysian Shaman Performs Ritual for Missing Plane

Carrying a pair of coconuts, a "magical" walking stick and some Zamzam water, a popular Malaysian shaman performed a ceremony that he hoped would help locate the missing Boeing 777.

Ibrahim Mat Zin, who calls himself Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP, conducted the symbolic rituals alongside several assistants Wednesday at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.By Henry Austin

 

AMIR SAGOLJ / Reuters

Ibrahim Mat Zin, a local well-known "bomoh" (the Malay term for a shaman), holds two coconuts as he performs a ritual to help finding the missing Malaysia Airlines plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Wednesday.

"The purpose of the rituals is to weaken the bad spirits so that the rescuers can find the plane if it indeed has crashed," Ibrahim told reporters, according to the malaysian star newspaper. He added that the rituals had been used for many generations.

He did not explain why he needed the coconuts or the other assortment of goods.

According to Islamic belief, Zamzam water is miraculously generated from God at a well in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Ibrahim's attempt to locate the Malaysia Airlines jet using bamboo binoculars and a fish-trap hook was unsuccessful on Monday.