/ 3 May 2006

Malaysian ‘healing’ sex scams prompt warnings

A rash of cases of Malaysian women being tricked into having sex with fraudulent “healers” has prompted a warning from authorities for women to beware of smooth-talking con men.

In the latest case, a 41-year-old woman was tricked into having sex dozens of times with a medium who claimed to be the “Ninth Emperor of the Kingdom of God” and said she was possessed by evil spirits, newspapers reported on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old medium said her domestic and financial problems would be solved with the sex sessions, which took place over seven months at a cost of 20-50 ringgit ($5,50 to $13,85) each, during which he moved into her house.

He was eventually turfed out by the woman’s husband and has threatened to put a curse on the family.

Prominent politician Michael Chong from the Malaysian Chinese Association party said such stories were all too common and that he had received five similar complaints in the last year.

“In two cases, the husbands claimed they understood their partner’s plight and promised to stand by them,” he told the New Straits Times.

“Within days, both men left, accusing their partners of being unfaithful,” said Chong, urging victims to come forward to report the scam artists instead of suffering in silence.

Many Malaysians hold superstitious beliefs, and fraudsters who run spirituality-related scams cheating people of their money are common. – AFP