MORE MALAYSIANS VICTIMS OF FAKE SOOTHSAYERS, SAYS UM STUDY

By P. Vijian

COIMBATORE, June 26 (Bernama) -- The truth is not always soothing. Despite
constant media expose on fake soothsayers, an increasing number of gullible
Malaysians continue to be duped by them.

A University of Malaya (UM) survey of 300 urban Malaysian Indians who
frequently consulted astrologers revealed that at least half of them were
cheated under the guise of spiritual remedies.

"The rest said fortune telling was good because consulting (soothsayers)
gave
guidance to shape their lives," UM's Indian Studies Department senior lecturer
Dr G. Sivabalan told Bernama.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Classical Tamil Conference in
Coimbatore, he said the 2008-2009 study was specially focused on the famous
Hindu 'Nadi' astrology or palm leaf reading, a practice where expert
fortune-tellers forecast a person's past, present and future by just reading an
ancient text written on a leaf.

According to Sivabalan, palm leaf reading was popularised in the late 1980s,
after dozens of self-proclaimed south Indian astrologers, equipped with volumes
of palm leaves, arrived on Malaysian shores to seek their fortune.

So far, about 50,000 Malaysians have consulted these soothsayers, mostly
urban professionals, who wanted to excel in their lives, said the study.

As cases of unscrupulous astrologers surfaced, the university conducted a
study in Johor, Klang Valley and Perak to investigate the effects of astrology,
and discovered that each person on average, spent nearly RM1,000, to know the
future.

UM is now planning to set up a Tamil manuscript palm leaf study centre, with
the association of Malaysian Tamil Writers Association, where they would collect
palm leaves found in Malaysia since the 1890s, which contain 'Siddha'
prescriptions for aliments.

There are plans to tie up with the Tanjavur Tamil University based in South
India to train Malaysian staff on the subject, to create awareness among
believers on soothsayers.

-- BERNAMA



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