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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Hindu social media users are not pleased with the recent emergence of at least three separate video clips featuring a man dressed up, and acting very much like Shirdi Sai Baba who was an Indian spiritual leader, regarded by his devotees as a saint.

The three clips have gone viral since it hit Facebook and WhatsApp two days ago. The most viewed at 196,000 at the time of writing, appears to be the first one with the impersonator getting down from a car and walking slowly into a Shirdi centre with a crowd watching in awe. He can be seen walking slowly, before sitting down in the middle of the centre where usually devotees worship an idol of the long gone spiritual leader, now revered as a saint.

However, looking through the 1,000 comments on the video, it is apparent that netizens are more worked up about those who are gullible enough to believe the act.

“I seriously have no answer for why especially our Indian community are too magnetised towards all these atrocity….are we so desperate? No one is free from problem yet the one who faces and overcomes problem in life is the one who succeeded tremendously. Please open your heart, mind and eyes…keep away from these sorts of rubbish and find better ways to spend your time and money…remember, a beggar will keep begging as long as we sympathise him, fake monks will keep growing as long as we bow n kiss their feet,” said one Fb user Malayan Prince Uvarajan.

Another user Kalaimalar Rajendran said she saw the impersonator last week and failed at convincing people around her to believe that this was a scam.

“I’m a painting artist .. just looking at his beard I told everyone fake sai baba1he is fake… he painted his beard white… he had a young man’s voice. And he said everything in general… I was very strong saying he is fake… hmmm yaaru keatta (who listened to me)… pity to see people waiting for hours with special children…. he gave appointment to everyone for 6th May 1pm at Batu Caves.. n people (are) arranging buses to go n meet him… I tried my level best to stop it […] No use.. I only could stop my mom,” she lamented.

Another FB user, Prema Sekharan said that ignorance has “gotten the (Indian) community into believing such stupidity! Whats more intriguing here is the so called fake ‘asami’ is a crowd puller”.

“People! Pls wake up…We are in the 21st century..stop trusting and believing every word ‘they’ say…come on…fraudsters have emerged to exploit…its a money making business trend…put some sense into your mind ppl!,” wrote Prema.

“As long as ppl belief all these nonsense these kind of cheaters will mushroom everywhere…new way to make easy money…a new profession,” wrote Sri Nita.

While many commentators ridiculed the man dressed up as Sai Baba directly, a lot more anger and shame were directed at gullible sections of the Indian society for allowing fake spiritual figures to manipulate them.

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KUALA LUMPUR: The man who recently caused a public outcry, especially among the Indian community, by dressing up as the revered guru Shirdi Sai Baba, has apologised and vowed to never again to impersonate the long gone spiritual figure.

In an hour-long video clip posted on ‘1tamilanz sangam’ Facebook page, the impersonator whose real name is Abdul Rahman said that he will never again impersonate Shirdi Sai Baba.

“I will not wear the outfit and headscarf like Sai Baba again, or try to help people anymore,” he said in the clip when confronted by Shirdi Sai Baba followers.

He further said that it was never his intention to mislead people to believe that he was the real Shirdi Sai Baba, and that it was the people who believed he was a mystic with paranormal powers.

“I never claimed to be Sai Baba, it is just that I have powerful instincts that allows me to tell people of their past and future. People started coming to me saying that I am like Sai Baba because of how I was dressed but as a Muslim that is normal attire for me,” said Abdul Rahman who hails from Pulau Besar, Melaka.

The Sai Baba devotee who tracked down Abdul Rahman, referred to as Jana in the clip, warned Hindu devotees to stop putting their faith and fates in the hands of unknown gurus who claim to have powers.

“Did you hear him saying that it was the people who made him into Sai Baba? There is no point in beating this man up or reporting him to the police when our community is so quick to believe people like him.

“Please don’t announce your problems to everyone and give space for fake gurus and impersonators to flourish. Please solve your own issues between the family or if it is a health related problem, then seek a professional,” Jana advised.

Abdul Rahman chimed in saying that this was true, and that it was the “people (who) create such figures” when they are desperate for solutions to their problems."