In an interview with The Straits Times, Ibrahim said his work followed that of other Malay faith healers and medicine men over the decades.
“We don’t have modern weapons like (North) Korea. If we go to war with weapons, we will lose. But we use ancient methods to fence the air, the earth and the water, so that missiles will go missing and not reach Malaysia,” he was quoted as saying.
On March 12, Ibrahim and his bomoh colleagues created a stir by conducting a ritual on a beach.
The Star reported last week that a three-minute video which quickly went viral showed Ibrahim and three of his assistants entering ankle-deep water armed with two coconuts, a pair of sticks used as binoculars, five bamboo cannons, a carpet and a bowl of seawater.
Ibrahim, who was wearing a suit, throws the coconuts into the water as the ritual ends.
He reportedly expressed hope that the ritual would soften the heart of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un to release the nine Malaysians at the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang and improve relations between both countries.
Ibrahim’s action was roundly criticised from many quarters who said his rituals went against Islamic teachings and made Malaysia and Malays, in particular, a laughing stock.
Federal Territories mufti Zulkifli Mohamad told the bomoh to repent and urged him to return to the path of Islam, while Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar said Ibrahim would be called in to give a statement.
“Enough is enough. Do not do silly things. His actions are clearly embarrassing the Malays. I have asked him to stop and use the Quran and Sunnah as guidance,” the IGP had said.
Khalid added that Ibrahim’s actions constituted polytheism and was not part of Islamic culture.
Zulkifli also hit out at the bomoh, saying that his practices were “bid’ah” and must be stopped.
“Bid’ah” refers to forbidden innovations introduced after the time of Prophet Muhammad.
The mufti advised Ibrahim to consult official religious bodies such as Jakim before performing acts that were linked to religion.
Ibrahim’s previous efforts to find Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 also caused a commotion, as had his statement that evil spirits occupying the jungles near Malaysia’s major interstate highways were responsible for fatal accidents in the area.
He habitually performs rituals using coconuts and bamboo poles.
Ibrahim claims that he is a fifth-generation shaman and a descendant of Maharajalela, the Malay nationalist who in 1875 killed JWW Birch, the British administrator of Perak.