Sabah Crisis: Bomoh power against bullets and bombs

SABAH - They believed that the amulets they wore could improve their fighting capabilities on the field.

And it is this belief which made the militarily weak Suluk militants take on the full might of Malaysian security forces.

So far, 53 militants and eight police officers have been killed since armed Islamists from the Philippine province of Sulu landed on Borneo last month to resurrect long-dormant land claims of a self-proclaimed Philippine sultan.

Several bomohs (traditional medicine men) in Sabah, who had had dealings with the Suluk militants, said the latter were strong believers in mystical powers such as the ability to be invisible and impervious to harm, reported Malaysia's New Straits Times.

One bomoh said the Suluks often sought their services to renew their "powers".

When shown pictures of amulets on the bodies of dead militants as well as those displayed as items collected by security forces, the bomoh added that the gunmen believed that the items would help them defeat Malaysian forces.

Some of the items used to make these amulets included the bones of black cats. Sources on the ground told NST that they saw such bones tied to the bodies of dead militants.

Some were given amulets by their leaders, who promised that for as long as the items remained on them, the Malaysian authorities would not detect them and they would not be injured when shot.

It was with this belief that they appeared fearless when taking on Malaysian forces, two bomohs of Suluk descent said on Saturday.

'Divine' strength

"It is also highly likely that they were on syabu (or methamphetamine) as they needed a 'divine' strength to keep them going. " one of them said.

He added that the militants would also tie newly shed snake skin to their waist, an act which they think would make them invisible.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Suluk intruders should be tried according to Malaysian laws for killing eight policemen.

"We will ensure that no Filipino terrorist escape from our dragnet, and we want them dead or arrested," he said.

Mr Zahid did not rule out that the militants were under the influence of drugs or used black magic, reported Malaysia's The Star.

He added, referring to the mutilation of some of the Malaysian policemen's bodies: "Under the laws of war,security forces cannot mutilate bodies by actions such as ripping off eyes, chopping off heads or cutting up bodies.

"What the militants did was unacceptable to Malaysia, as these acts showed that they have no mercy," he said, adding that the armed forces would leave it to the police to take appropriate action against captured militants.

-The New Paper