We promised you a few twists and turns in the road to GE14.

On April 16, Berita Harian Online reported that Malaysia's political arena will welcome a new contender.

The famous Raja Bomoh Sedunia, or Shaman King of the World, Ibrahim Mat Zin will supposedly compete in the general election.

Apparently, Ibrahim intends to run for office as an independent candidate in the state of Perak.

Perhaps feeling confident about his chances, he plans to contend for a seat in the Dewan Rakyat (lower House of Parliament) and also the Dewan Undangan Negeri (state legislative assembly) at the same time.

He has invited the media to attend a press conference at a hotel in Ipoh, Perak on April 17, presumably to make a formal announcement.

Riveting rituals

Ibrahim first gained notoriety in 2014, when he conducted rituals at Kuala Lumpur International airport with two coconuts, a carpet and a walking stick, which was supposed to help him locate the vanished Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

He popped up again in 2017 following the assassination of Kim Jong-un's brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia, and performed another ritual which he claimed would protect Malaysia by "softening the heart" of North Korea's Supreme Leader and help resolve the situation.

[related_story]

He was charged in Syariah Court in April 2017 on charges of insulting Islam or causing people to have a negative perception of Islam.

He pleaded guilty and "repented", saying that:

"All of it was drama, the shaking of the bamboo sticks. I couldn't see anything inside. I was told to shake the sticks. I took the coconuts as if they were bombs. I didn't know what I did was wrong."

So maybe there won't be any more colourful rituals in Ibrahim's run for political office, but you never know.

Top image by Rahman Roslan/Getty Images.