Curing baldness in exchange for the votes of the electorate

A candidate's proposal is causing an uproar in South Korea

The ruling party's candidate in South Korea's presidential election caused a stir this week by suggesting that baldness treatment should be covered by public health insurance, with some voters cheering the proposal while others criticized his populist platform.

Lee Jae-myung, the flag bearer of the Democratic Party, made this pledge, saying that nearly ten million people suffer from hair loss, but many of them resort to buying medicines from abroad or taking prostate medicines as an alternative due to the high cost of treatment.

The proposal elicited stormy responses from some, and many circulated a fake 15-second video commercial about hair loss in which he appears to me addressing voters as the best candidate for "your hair".

"Let's plant Lee Jae Myung for us," said a comment on social media.

At a meeting organized by Lee's party on Wednesday evening with voters suffering from hair loss, Jeong Da-eun, a Korean mother of two, said she has given up medical treatment, which requires four million won ($3,325) in six months, and has resorted to using an excellent shampoo to wash hair and get good nutrition.

But Lee's pledge drew criticism from others, with the opposition calling it the latest item in Lee's populist platform.

A little-known opposition candidate, former doctor and software tycoon Ahn Cheol-soo, called the proposal irresponsible and promised to lower the price of out-of-patent drugs and fund the development of a new treatment if she wins the election.

Ibrahim denies committing shirk during the 'reject the flood' ritual

Ibrahim Mat Zin defended the ritual action carried out allegedly to ward off the flood in the Dataran Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) Teluk Intan and the contagion yesterday.

He said because what was done was not an act of superstition or shirk as alleged by some parties because they wanted to avoid floods.

"Because the place is low, it is easy to flood when it rains. So, I did the discharge process (minus the flood) so that everything is not right (flood).

“I have no intention whatsoever, I am not insulting any party.

"That's the advice of the ancients who used wood leaves, pandan leaves, the traditional method used by our ancestors to release water so that floods do not hit Teluk Intan and throughout Hilir Perak," he said in a press conference in Facebook social page.

Earlier, a 25 -minute video clip showing Ibrahim and a woman allegedly made sweet flour using various ingredients on social media which was then washed into the sea.

In the recording, a woman known as Puteri Zaleha also sang the Mayang Sari song by placing the holy book of the Quran in front of them.

Commenting further, Ibrahim said the woman involved was his cousin and they performed the ceremony voluntarily without involving any other party.

He also claimed that the action was not to gain publicity but only to save the royal tomb which is located downstream of the Perak River.

“I voluntarily went down to the field together with my cousin Puteri Zaleha to my parents’ land cemetery which is close to the Perak River.

"I am afraid that the cemetery will be flooded because in my parents' cemetery I have built a shed, a mortuary, a place to study while waiting for the funeral process during the hot day and I made it because of God and because I want to help the people of Teluk Intan.

"My purpose for that is to save the cemeteries of the Malay rulers on the banks of the Perak River so that they do not disappear, do not be filled with mud, do not lose my friends and relatives and my neighbors in Teluk Intan town. That is the purpose. me, not for publicity, "he said.

Ibrahim also slammed the actions of certain parties which he claimed were easy to pass the law without questioning.

Therefore, he lodged a police report in Teluk Intan.

"There are a number of departments that say I am a polytheist and superstitious, there is no discretion at all.

"We should come and talk first. We are a democracy and an Islamic country, we have good character and discretion.

"So, you should be able to call me to discuss and tell me what I did is not right. This is suddenly the (Islamic religion) department says superstition, shirk, drop Jewish-like laws. 

"It can't be like that, we have discretion. If it's wrong, we will correct it," he said.

'The actions of Raja Bomoh contradict the teachings of Islam' - Ahmad Marzuk

The ritual of rejecting the flood performed by Ibrahim Mat Zin or Raja Bomoh with a woman in Teluk Intan recently clearly has elements that contradict the teachings of Islam, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary.

He said in this regard, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) hoped the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) would take stern action against Ibrahim and other individuals involved.

"The action clearly carries an element that contradicts the teachings of Islam, namely the element of superstition and superstition performed in the ceremony.

"We leave it to the state religious authority (JAIPk) to impose stricter action (on the individuals involved)," he said at a press conference after the Musaadah Banjir Program at Pasti Nur Fatihah Kuala Balah in Jeli today.

Yesterday, JAIPk was reported to have called Ibrahim regarding a ritual supposedly to prevent floods in Dataran Pengairan and Saliran Teluk Intan which were spread through video recordings.

Its director Datuk Mohd Yusop Husin said apart from Ibrahim, his party would call other individuals involved in the incident to assist in the investigation under Section 14 of the Perak Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992 for defaming and insulting Islam.

In another development, Ahmad Marzuk said his party hoped that the pilgrims would be patient with the postponement of umrah announced by the government, last Saturday.

Meanwhile in Perak, Hilir Perak District Police Chief ACP Ahmad Adnan Basri said Ibrahim, 71, lodged a report on the ritual at the Teluk Intan Police Station at about 12.30am last night.

"Raja Bomoh lodged a police report denying that the ceremony he performed was not against the Islamic faith and syariah, instead he only prayed for the safety of all residents so that there would be no floods," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He said the report had been referred to the Hilir Perak District Islamic Religious Office for JAIPk's investigation.