SHE was at the centre of a media frenzy, what with her creepy smile, outlandish clothes and full make-up, with thick lipstick to boot.
But behind that glitzy facade was a woman who was responsible for one of the most gruesome murders this country has seen.
The hideous murder of Batu Talam assemblyman Datuk Mazlan Idris, by Mona Fandey, whose real name is Nur Maznah Ismail, her husband Mohd Affandi Abdul Rahman and their assistant Juraimi Hussin, captured headlines in the 1990s.
The then 37-year-old singer turned shaman or bomoh hatched a plan to hoodwink Mazlan into believing she had mystic powers of making his political career highly successful and the ability to become invincible.
Claiming she had similarly helped other Umno members, she offered him a so-called magic talisman and other accessories for the purpose for a whopping RM2.5 million.
The ambitious and US-educated politician fell for the ruse.
In early July, 1993, after he paid RM500,000 as a downpayment and several land titles as surety for the rest of the payment, Mona invited Mazlan to her house in Raub, Pahang to conduct a ritual to enhance him with the powers she promised.
Mohd Affandi and Juraimi were also at the ritual.
Mazlan, who was lying face-up, was told to close his eyes.
He breathed his last seconds later when Juraimi swung an axe thrice on the politician’s neck, severing his head.
Mazlan’s body was dismembered into 18 parts and taken to a disused storeroom nearby where it was buried in a deep pit before the floor was re-cemented.
Mona and her husband spent the next few days splurging on luxury goods such as a Mercedes Benz, jewellery and electrical appliances.
As the search for Mazlan who had been missing for weeks continued, police broke the case when they arrested the trio before recovering the politician’s remains.
The trio were charged with murder and the trial-by-jury kicked off the following year.
On Feb 9, 1995, the Temerloh High Court meted out the death sentence on the trio.
The three killers appealed against the sentence until all their avenues to overturn it were exhausted in 1997.
On Nov 2, 2001, Mona, 45, Mohd Affandi, 44 and Juraimi, 31 were hanged at the Kajang Prison at 6am.
Throughout the eight years from her arrest to her death, Mona remained unperturbed by her actions and was seen in a cheerful mood when she was brought out to court by prison officials.
At the time, it was often rumoured that paranormal occurrences took place in the surroundings of Mona’s jail cell and claims that Mona often invoked her supernatural powers to briefly leave the prison for a drink but returned before dawn.
All the claims were rubbished by the prison department’s top brass who assured the public that there was no escaping prison when one is meant to be in.
Mona Fandey’s case was Malaysia’s last jury trial in 1993 before the system was abolished and it will be long remembered.
