PAS MP Questions Why Educational Lectures Can't Get Permits But BLACKPINK Can
"Entertainment events such as this (BLACKPINK concert) [should be] seen as a bigger threat to the country. Shows like these that are legal should be classified as illegal," the PAS MP said.
By Jasmine Chea — 13 Mar 2023, 05:06 PM
Kepala Batas member of parliament (MP) Dr Siti Mastura Mohamad has cried foul over the cancellation of several religious talks in Selangor after the events failed to acquire a permit
According to a Facebook post uploaded by the PAS minister on Thursday, 9 March, Mastura detailed that despite the religious lectures being far from controversy and heresy, attempts to appeal the permit rejection were unsuccessful, forcing the lectures to be cancelled.
Mastura then compared the cancellation of the lectures to the BLACKPINK: Born Pink World Tour concert, which took place two weeks ago, 4 March, at National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, claiming that the South Korean entertainment act went against the religion and ethics of Malaysian society.
The much-anticipated show saw 60,000 fans, including Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, watching the four-member K-pop girl group perform.
"Educational programmes are blocked due to regulations, whereas entertainment programs are held rampantly without restrictions. Entertainment events such as this (BLACKPINK concert) [should be] seen as a bigger threat to the country. Shows like these that are legal should be classified as illegal," the PAS MP said.
"The strict regulation of these concerts should be prioritised even though they qualify for a permit in Malaysia," she added.
Mastura went on to detail how BLACKPINK violated the country's laws and why foreign entertainment like the K-pop girl group act should be banned from performing in Malaysia
Following the guidelines set by the Central Agencies Committee for Applications for Filming and Performances by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL), Mastura said that the four-member girl group was not appropriately dressed and performed in a way that was "wild" and "flashy".
"Foreign artists are prohibited from exhibiting actions and speech that disturb the comfort of the audience, violate the sensitivities of the community, and perform in contrast to local cultural values," the Kepala Batas MP said.
"They are also forbidden from performing wild acts, wearing flashy and skimpy clothing, and conducting behaviour that is contrary to the etiquette performance guidelines," she added.
Mastura then called for religious preaching programmes to be strengthened in Malaysia.
Many netizens protested Mastura's message, saying that BLACKPINK's organisers had followed the law and secured valid permits for the South Korean girl group to perform in Malaysia
"If BLACKPINK were to sell concert tickets then fly over and perform without a valid permit, they would also be asked to cancel their show. The law is the law. Concert permits, teaching permits, both need to be applied for according to the law," said a netizen.
Other netizens pointed out that Mastura should take up this issue with Perikatan Nasional (PN), which was the previous ruling government that approved BLACKPINK's concert.
"Comparing a concert and a religious event is a foolish thing to do. Maybe [Mastura] forgot, the concert was approved by the PN government," a Facebook user wrote.
Another netizen also listed other international artists that were approved to perform in Malaysia in 2022 and 2020 by the previous government.
Similarly, a religious leader, Ustaz Syed Mohd Bakri Syed Ishak, objected to the arrival of BLACKPINK in Malaysia as they were set to perform in March, the same month that Ramadhan would begin
Syed posted a video on his Instagram page on 25 January, calling all Muslims to reject the South Korean girl group and "make an effort to protest and completely oppose the organising of this nonsense concert".
The religious leader also encouraged his followers to "block" fans from attending the concert and disrupt the event.
"Block them from attending! Enough of the rampant immorality. The way they (international artists) dress, the way they live, the way they entertain is getting too extreme now," he wrote in the video's caption.
