2010/07/11
By Koi Kye Lee, Aidi Amin and Rozanna Latiff
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KUALA LUMPUR: The world may be obsessed with Paul the octopus and Mani the parakeet, but Malaysia also has its own uncanny psychic bird named Meena Kutti.
But the art of kili josiyam or parrot fortune-telling is a dying practice.
Meena Kutti, an 8-year-old green parakeet, is one of the last few birds still used by its owner, M.C. Mohan, to predict his customers' fortunes.
Normally, she would predict one's fortune in business or life but due to the World Cup fever, many have dropped by for match tips.
Twittering in her cage in Lebuh Ampang here, Meena Kutti seemed like any other pet bird until she was released and asked to predict the winner of Monday's World Cup final.
When Mohan asked her whether the Netherlands or Spain would emerge triumphant, she did not hesitate to select a tiny envelope that stated La Furia Roja as the eventual winner, matching the prediction made by Paul, her famous German cephalopod contemporary.
Having practiced kili josiyam for the past 25 years, Mohan told the New Sunday Times that psychic birds like Meena Kutti were a rare breed.
"She was born in India under unusual circumstances and I managed to purchase her for RM600," he said.
The 49-year-old fortune teller said he had been offered more than RM1,000 for Meena Kutti but he refused to sell her.
"Meena is one-of-a-kind and is always accurate in her predictions. Besides, she is a very loyal companion," he said.
Sharing his experiences, Mohan said the younger generation were not interested in kili josiyam as they no longer believed in mystic arts.
"I learned the art of fortune-telling in Chennai, India, when I was 16 from my late father.
"These days, young people are more modern and no longer see fortune-telling as a viable skill or a lucrative trade," he said.
Mohan previously offered his services in Jalan Bandar before relocating to Lebuh Ampang, where he gets about 10 to 20 customers daily.
"There used to be other fortune-tellers who practised kili josiyam like me in areas such as Jalan Bandar, Klang and Chow Kit.
"But now, there are only two or three of us left," he said, adding that he had been asked to offer his services at various hotels and cultural functions.
Read more: Malaysia's Meena birdie pecks your bet http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/06klm/Article/index_html#ixzz0taOrDYnu
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/10/nation/20100710123704&sec=nation
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