Shamanism and Traditional Healing
The shamanist bomohs or witch doctors still practice their craft in Malaysia. The bomoh practice by Malays have been integrated into Islam and is not forbidden. They are also known as traditional healers and sometimes serve as an alternative to conventional modern medicine. However, the practice has sometimes been viewed negatively by Malaysian society as in some instances bomohs have the power to cast spells (jampi) and have used them on other people with ill effects. The number practitioners of bomohs has also dropped.
The bobohizans of Sabah are also shamanistic and are traditional healers. They also act as a medium to communicate with spirits and play an important role in the rituals involved during Kaamatan.
Recently there has been suggestions for the need and importance to preserve the practice of bomohs and other shamans as traditional healers and to complement or substitute conventional modern medicine.
Read more about this topic: Animism In Malaysia
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