His And Her Tickets?

According to the Straits Times, concert promoters, entertainers and non-government organizations “reacted strongly” to the proposed guidelines released by MIDD, called Jakim, on April 18.

The main reason given by the various groups is that such guidelines are unwarranted and could likely lead to the ruination of “people’s livelihoods.”

Jakim stated that it came up with the proposal, which also includes “disdain” for “excessive laughter” and stricter screening of artists before they are contracted to perform in Malaysia, after it viewed a three-minute video depicting members of a South Korean band “hugging and kissing female Malay fans” on stage at a concert event.

The video went viral in January and Jakim’s director-general, Othman Mustapha, declared that the incident “shamed Malaysia and the Muslim community.” As a result, on April 2, the Minister of Communications and Multimedia announced that the organizers of the concert had been “blacklisted.”

Several days later Mustapha softened his rhetoric by telling the Star newspaper, “We do not want to curtail any events, we just want to do what’s best for the people. The guidelines are meant to help the entertainment industry as there are more Muslim fans now.” Among the measures proposed in the guidelines is that prospective performers not have criminal records and sport hairstyles and attire that clearly delineate the performer’s gender.

There would be a ban on jokes and patter dealing with “serious topics” and no “raunchy” dance moves allowed. The vice president of the Malaysian Chinese Association countered that any policy that restricts the actions of non-Muslims would be “unfeasible.”

A more enlightened approach to the problem would be mutual respect for one another’s religious beliefs and cultures. Muslims make up about 60 percent of Malaysia’s population.