‘Hocus-pocus’ study of supernatural spirits raises hackles

Academics question how Education Ministry approved funds for the study, and the minister, Maszlee Malik, is urged to strengthen grant applications.

Ahmad Farouk Musa of Islamic Renaissance Front says the study was unscientific and would make Malaysia a laughing stock of the scientific world.

PETALING JAYA: A RM15,000 grant reportedly provided by the education ministry to study supernatural spirits in the human body has raised the hackles of two academics.

Universiti Sains Malaysia professor Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid questioned how the research grant was approved for an Indonesian academic in Kelantan.

Islamic Renaissance Front director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa described it as hocus pocus and unscientific.

The grant was for a research project led by Yohan Kurniawan of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, using electronic equipment that supposedly could detect supernatural spirits in the human body.

Ahmad Fauzi said: “Research at a university level must be to improve humanity in various fields. All research grant applications are vetted. How is this grant justified?”

Farouk said it was shocking that funds were provided by the education ministry’s Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS).

“At a time when science is advancing in the 21st century, it seems that we are regressing into the Middle Ages,” he said. Malaysia would be the laughing stock of the scientific world if the study made international headlines.

“Is this the kind of research that would contribute to the body of knowledge of science? And on what basis did the FRGS committee members decide to fund this anti-science research?”

The grant scheme was set up to help researchers in pure and applied sciences, engineering, technology, health and social sciences, arts and humanities and national heritage.

Farouk, himself a researcher at Monash University Malaysia, urged the new government, particularly Education Minister Maszlee Malik, to look into how such unscientific research came to be funded and to strengthen the process.

He said the researcher’s profile revealed an undistinguished track record, with previous works being published in lowly-regarded journals or magazines, rather than reputable international scientific journals.

“If this is the only track record he can show, the FRGS which approved the grant will have to take the blame. In vetting grant applications, the FRGS must look at an applicant’s track record and part of this consists of publication in reputable scientific journals,” Ahmad Fauzi said.

The researcher, Kurniawan, was reported by Berita Harian as saying he was able to detect spirits lingering in 10 people.

He said a machine bought for RM15,000 from the United States, which measures changes in the electrical charge in a person, could produce results with 80-90% accuracy.

He said that the changes were detected when respondents underwent an “Islamic exorcism” process in which Quranic verses were read to them.

According to the report, Kurniawan said the study would take two years to conclude. -FMT