Threatening K-pop fans over the top, minister tells Jawi
Published: 16 January 2015 6:12 PM
One of the fans embracing a member of South Korean band B14A in this Youtube screenshot. The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department has threatened to arrest the female Muslim fans. – January 14, 2015.Another minister has called for the Muslim girls caught on video hugging a South Korean boyband at a recent concert to be counselled instead of being punished.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan tweeted that the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department’s threat was over the top and needless.
"Talk to them. Counsel them. Advise them. But threatening them with arrest? That's absolutely unnecessary. That's over the top," he tweeted on Wednesday.
Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek yesterday was reported by national news agency Bernama as saying it would be better if the girls involved could be given counselling.
He said it was unnecessary for all offences to be addressed with punishment when they could be settled with counselling.
Shabery said the hugging and kissing incident was also outside the jurisdiction of the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) as it happened spontaneously.
A video of South Korean boyband B1A4 hugging their three Muslim fans at a concert last week went viral after it was posted online with the sensational title, “Perempuan Melayu dicabul atas pentas oleh mat K-pop semalam” (Malay girls molested on stage by K-pop artistes last night).
The clip caused an outcry among Muslim groups and religious authorities.
Jawi director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha on Monday said it would haul up the organiser over the band members' inappropriate behaviour and for not taking precautionary measures seriously.
He said it was a shameful act for the artistes to hug and embrace the “tudung-clad” Malay girls, who seemed to be obsessed with the K-Pop artistes.
Jawi also wanted the three Malay girls caught on video to assist its investigation under Section 29 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1977 (Act 599 Indecent Acts in Public Places).
Jawi director Paimuzi Yahya said the department would apply for a court order to arrest the girls if they refused to come forward to help in the investigation.
After the furore, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) today warned Muslims of the obstacles to their faith posed by both western and eastern cultures.
In its Friday sermon, Jakim condemned entertainment programmes that trod on Islamic values.
"Bagi mereka yang cetek pemikiran menganggap ianya sekadar hiburan semata-mata, (To them who are simple-minded, this may only be simply entertainment)," Jakim said.
Jakim blamed the Internet and the mass media for the “problem” and urged organisers of such programmes to review and modify their contents with due sensitivity for Islamic values.
It also said the Muslim girls who were hugged by members of the K-pop band committed a "sinful act". – January 16, 2015.
