PAS Youth blames singers for social illness
Wednesday June 18, 2008
Sultan to PAS: Call off protest or I call off matches
BY WONG CHUN WAI
SHAH ALAM: An upset Sultan of Selangor has threatened to call off future Sultan of Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore if the protest by the state PAS Youth against two artistes performing for the event went ahead.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah described the protest over rock queen Ella and dangdut singer Mas Idayu as “hypocritical” and “trivial”.
He said there were more important issues that the party could focus on
“If this is going to be so difficult, we might as well hold this annual event in Singapore. I am sure they will be more than happy to play host,” he told The Star yesterday.
On Monday, Selangor PAS Youth submitted a memoradum to the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office to protest against plans to have Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the match on July 6.
State PAS Youth chief Sallehen Mokhyi said the movement felt that performances by the singers were inappropriate as it would be attended by many youngsters
The youth wing threatened to stage a demonstration at the Shah Alam Stadium if Ella and Mas Idayu were allowed to performed.
Sallehen’s call came on the heels of a statement by national PAS Youth vice-chief Azman Shapawi that the party wanted all the Pakatan Rakyat states to implement Syariah laws.
The Sultan said yesterday Ella and Mas Idayu were chosen because they were good entertainers and that the organisers felt that they would be able to entertain the people before the match began.
The other singer is David Arumugam of Alleycats.
“The organising committee even planned for the performance by the singers to end before the maghrib prayers. They are performers suitable for the family and I don’t know what the fuss is all about,” he said.
The Tuanku said Selangor did not comprise of “just PAS and Muslims,” adding that the state had many political parties and people of other races and faith.
He said Pakatan Rakyat was a multi-racial coalition and the sensitivities of other races must be taken into account.
“The idea of holding the performance is to create goodwill and bring the people together before the match. Sports and music bring people together,” he said.
He added this was the seventh edition of the Cup and was organised to enhance friendly ties with Singapore through football, adding that the history of Selangor and Singapore’s friendly rivalry went back to before the Second World War.
The Sultan also clarified that the state government and its subsidiary Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd were not the sponsors of the match.
He said no government funds were used for the organisation of the match and so the issue of public funds for the performance and football match did not arise as it was all done through sponsorship.
He said organising chairman Datuk Karim Munisar, who is Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd president, was appointed by him to run the event annually because of Karim’s love for football and volunteerism
Source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/18/nation/21582000&sec=nation
Thursday June 19, 2008
Don’t blame us, Mas Idayu tells PAS Youth
By JO TEH
PETALING JAYA: Angry dangdut queen Mas Idayu lashed out at Selangor PAS Youth who wanted her banned from performing at the Sultan of Selangor Cup match on July 6.
“If you (PAS) have internal issues, don’t take it out on the artistes,” she said when contacted yesterday
“There is not one single artiste who encourages people to do bad things such as taking drugs or consuming alcohol,” she stressed, adding that no organiser had asked to start the show during prayer times.
In the memorandum submitted three days ago to the state government, state PAS Youth chief Sallehen Mokhyi had said that the performances by singers Mas Idayu and Ella were inappropriate for youngsters and their dressing did not follow the values of Islamic and Malay cultures.
Mas told The Star that in her 15 years in the entertainment industry she only wore dresses and pants when performing.
“Are they saying that if all artistes were banned from performing on stage, social illnesses would be eradicated?” she asked.
Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez slammed the movement’s memorandum.
“It is totally absurd. Both Ella and Mas Idayu have good reputations in the market and they have been entertaining Malaysians for more than 20 years without any problem,” he said.
Fernandez said Karyawan met Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin last week and assured him there would be no new ruling requiring artistes to alter their stage dressing.
State government subsidiary Kelab Darul Ehsan Bhd is organising the football match at the Shah Alam Stadium. Ella and Mas Idayu are to perform during a one-hour musical performance to kick-start the event together with David Arumugam of Alleycats.
Source:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/19/nation/21589839&sec=nation
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PAS Youth drops plan to protest female singers
The youth wing of Islamic party PAS said today it will not hold a protest against two women who were to sing at a football match after the Selangor sultan criticised their plan.
Source: Malaysiakini, Jun 19, 08 4:23pm
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Muslim youths in Malaysia drop plan to protest female singers
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — The youth wing of Malaysia’s opposition Islamic party said Thursday it will not hold a protest against two women who were to sing at a football match after a local leader criticised their plan.
The PAS youth wing in central Selangor state had objected to the women singing at the July 6 match, saying they wore sexy attire and performed erotic dance moves that were inappropriate since many youth would be in the audience.
The group had threatened to protest at the stadium hosting the match between Selangor and Singapore.
However the Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, said he would cancel the entire football tournament after learning of the group’s plan, a report said Wednesday.
The Sultan said the protest over the two women — rock singer Ella and Mas Idayu, who performs the hip-swivelling “dangdut” dance — was “hypocritical” and “trivial.”
PAS youth chief, Salahuddin Ayub, said the leadership had decided it would not hold a protest but would send a letter to the state government.
“We want the organisers to make sure the concert will not promote negative culture among the young,” he said Thursday. “We are very concerned since social ills like drug abuse among the young is increasing.”
Malaysia’s population is predominantly Muslim, and the nation’s sultans are the traditional guardians of Islam in the states they rule.
PAS, which rules the northern state of Kelantan, has had ambitions of turning Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule.
But in recent years it has begun introducing reforms designed to tone down its hardline reputation and woo young voters.
Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jzKwaMV2jkx1BtzwVMdrjxvf1taA
