Written by Burok
Lawyer Burok recalls an infamous murder case involving spiritual possession
In Peranakan households of old, pantangs (taboos) were strictly adhered to, along with all advice dispensed by the Datok Datok (mediums) or the Po Kua (fortune teller). Invariably, many Peranakans also believed in, and sometimes exploited, the power of dark spiritual forces.
I have been told many stories about the use of a certain kind of black magic known as obat guna (in Malay) or kong tau (in Hokkien) which causes the victim to fall under a spell. However, I do not recall any incidents of this nature becoming a case worthy of our judiciary, except for one that shocked the Singapore public more than 30 years ago.
Heard before the courts of Singapore was the sensational Toa Payoh murder case of 1981. The victims, a girl aged nine years and a boy aged 10 years, were lured and killed, purportedly as blood sacrifices to a certain goddess. The murders were masterminded by a self-styled medium, supposedly a Peranakan, who had convinced numerous women into believing he had supernatural powers to cure them, or make them rich or beautiful, which they had to pay for with money or sexual services.
He was aided in this mission by two women who were regarded as his ‘holy wives’, and entered into a trance when he was supposedly possessed by the spirits of goddesses and deities, and then killed the two victims after subjecting them to rites involving horrendous torture.
Although the defendants did not deny killing their young victims, they claimed that their minds and bodies had been controlled by spirits, which impaired their judgement and made them unaware of their actions. These reasons were not accepted by the court and all three of them were sentenced to death by hanging.
This case cast such spiritual practices into the full glare of the public. Although many might assume that in the 21st century such beliefs are no longer in existence, some continue to believe in its efficacy.
So the next time a stranger offers you some food, think twice before eating it even if you are perot lapa (hungry) because if the food contains obat guna, you might be charmed into giving away your belongings while in a state of bodoh bodoh!
If you are involved in a court case and want to have the case decided in your favour, be advised that no Datok Siam or obat guna can assist you. Engage a good lawyer and pay him the legal fees upfront, then the possibility of you winning the case would be much better!
Lawyer Burok recalls an infamous murder case involving spiritual possession
In Peranakan households of old, pantangs (taboos) were strictly adhered to, along with all advice dispensed by the Datok Datok (mediums) or the Po Kua (fortune teller). Invariably, many Peranakans also believed in, and sometimes exploited, the power of dark spiritual forces.
I have been told many stories about the use of a certain kind of black magic known as obat guna (in Malay) or kong tau (in Hokkien) which causes the victim to fall under a spell. However, I do not recall any incidents of this nature becoming a case worthy of our judiciary, except for one that shocked the Singapore public more than 30 years ago.
Heard before the courts of Singapore was the sensational Toa Payoh murder case of 1981. The victims, a girl aged nine years and a boy aged 10 years, were lured and killed, purportedly as blood sacrifices to a certain goddess. The murders were masterminded by a self-styled medium, supposedly a Peranakan, who had convinced numerous women into believing he had supernatural powers to cure them, or make them rich or beautiful, which they had to pay for with money or sexual services.
He was aided in this mission by two women who were regarded as his ‘holy wives’, and entered into a trance when he was supposedly possessed by the spirits of goddesses and deities, and then killed the two victims after subjecting them to rites involving horrendous torture.
Although the defendants did not deny killing their young victims, they claimed that their minds and bodies had been controlled by spirits, which impaired their judgement and made them unaware of their actions. These reasons were not accepted by the court and all three of them were sentenced to death by hanging.
This case cast such spiritual practices into the full glare of the public. Although many might assume that in the 21st century such beliefs are no longer in existence, some continue to believe in its efficacy.
So the next time a stranger offers you some food, think twice before eating it even if you are perot lapa (hungry) because if the food contains obat guna, you might be charmed into giving away your belongings while in a state of bodoh bodoh!
If you are involved in a court case and want to have the case decided in your favour, be advised that no Datok Siam or obat guna can assist you. Engage a good lawyer and pay him the legal fees upfront, then the possibility of you winning the case would be much better!
