Malaysia's Hardline Islamists Want Ban Of Avril Lavigne Concert

The youth wing of Malaysia's hardline opposition Islamic party, Wednesday called for banning a concert by Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne later this month, saying the singer's "prancing" performances were not suitable for locals. The 23-year-old singer is scheduled to hold a concert, her first in the Muslim-majority nation, in the capital Kuala Lumpur on August 29.

The opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) youth wing slammed the organizers for approving the show, saying the young pop-punk star's loud shows were not in line with local culture. "This show is not suitable for our local culture," said Herman Samsudeen, the wing's information chief.

"Our independence month should be marked by respect ... and not remembered by inviting the offsprings of colonists who will teach our children how to become modern monkeys, prancing around without any purpose," he said in a statement.

Malaysia celebrates it's 51st year of independence of Britain on August 31.

"Approving this concert is a great insult," the statement said.

Herman said the party would send an official protest note to the government to call for cancelling the show.

A party official declined to comment, as Lavigne holds Canadian nationality, saying only that Western influences in general were "damaging" to local culture.

PAS, which has been in control of the northeastern state of Kelantan since 1990, has imposed strict religious laws dictating dress and all forms of entertainment in the state.

Among others, women entertainers are not allowed to perform in public, and men and women have to sit separately in cinemas.(The Earth Times)

***** After fifty-one years of independence these are the types of ignorant, jaundiced and intolerant specimens we have created and allowed to blossom. Sigh.......
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Indonesian Singer Inul Daratista's Concert Today Cancelled By DBKL For National Security Reasons!

Indonesian singer Inul Daratista's concert at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, on Saturday has been cancelled after Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) cancelled the permit.

Inul who is famous for her gelek gerudi (killer gyration) hip movements performed in the country last year as well as in 2005.

According to news reports, Nasir Abu Bakar of IMS Prima Sdn Bhd (the concert organiser) said that he was disappointed with the decision because the Central Committee for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artiste had given the green light for the event. "We received the directive from DBKL to cancel the concert due to national security. If that is the reason, there is nothing else I can say," he told the media.

Inul's concert in Johor Baru was also cancelled at the very last minute after it could not get approval from various government departments in the state.

Nasir said his company had incurred RM800,000 in losses following the cancellation of the concerts in Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

He said those who had purchased tickets to the concert could ask for refunds from the company's office at 63A, Jalan Raja Alang, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, or call 03-2693 6818.

Two years ago, Inul's concert at Stadium Merdeka and Genting Highlands received overwhelming support without any untoward incidents.

On Friday, National PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub backed his Federal Territory Youth chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad’s protest against Inul's concert. A group led by Kamaruzaman handed a memorandum to Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan on Wednesday calling for Inul’s concert to be cancelled.

The memorandum cited many reasons including that the concert was “erotic”. (The Star Online)

***** What imminent 'national security threat' could have influenced DBKL in cancelling the performance, is mystifying to say the least.

Can a couple of dozen PAS mullahs venting their rage at the singer's 'erotic' gyrations be considered a national security issue? Or perhaps the current 'brotherly' discussions of political cooperation between PAS and beleaguered Umno have contributed to the scuttling of the programme? Perhaps Umno wants to appear equally halal, what with the ongoing tête-à-tête with the Islamic party.
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No Liqour Please, We're PAS

The state government must make sure that liquor is not served at events sponsored by a beer company in conjunction with the visit of Chelsea Football Club to Malaysia.

Selangor Pas Youth chief Sallehin Mukhyi said the presence of Muslims, including state leaders, at the events should be taken into account.

"We have nothing against them coming but we do not want liquor to be served at functions attended by Muslims. This will not only involve Pakatan Rakyat leaders and Selangor residents, it will also be done on state premises."

He said Pas Youth hoped the state government would study the programmes planned for the English football club before allowing it to come for the friendly match. "We urge the state government to cancel several of the programmes, which are against the tenets of Islam."

Sallehin said Pas had no issue with the football match as the party looked at it as a healthy activity.

"Since the match is with an international club, this would establish a good relationship at an international level. However, we do not want events conducted prior to the match to have liquor."

He said since the PR government included Pas, it would not be appropriate for a function to include liquor. He said an event serving liquor was not only against the tenets of Islam but also Malay culture. Therefore, the state Pas Youth wing would not hesitate to send a memorandum of protest to the state government on the issue.

This is not the first time the wing has asked the state government to step in to change parts of a function deemed un-Islamic.

It had submitted a memorandum to the menteri besar's office to protest plans to have artistes Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the Sultan of Selangor Cup football match on July 6 and threatened to hold a demonstration if the event went ahead. However, the show featured both artistes and went on without a hitch.

The match between Chelsea and the Malaysian national team is set to take place at Shah Alam Stadium on July 29. (NST)

***** No liqour and no women artistes. Both are against Islam and the 'Malay culture'. However go to 4-D shops on draw days and see how many Malays throng these outlets. Go to girlie bars on any day/night and see how Malay culture and the religion has not discouraged so many of them from patronising these places.

Frankly there is only so much that a democratic government should do to discourage citizens from indulging in their likes and tastes. But then again those who dream of absolute theocratic states and caliphates are not bound by the inconvenient fundamentals of a functioning democracy. Voting PAS anyone?

Malaysian Sultan Clashes With Islamic Party Over Entertainers

The sultan of Malaysia's Selangor state has threatened to cancel a football tournament after the Islamic opposition objected to the entertainers performing at the event, a report said Wednesday.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah told The Star daily that the protest over the two women -- rock singer Ella and Mas Idayu, who performs the hip-swivelling "dangdut" dance -- was "hypocritical" and "trivial".

He said future Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore could be cancelled if the Islamic party PAS was successful in its campaign to have them struck off the schedule.

"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 daily.

The PAS youth wing in Selangor sent a memorandum to the state's chief minister objecting to the performers at the July 6 match, saying they were inappropriate as the event would be attended by many youngsters.

It threatened to demonstrate at the stadium if the women were allowed to perform, The Star said.

Malaysia's population is predominantly Muslim, and the nation's sultans are the traditional guardians of Islam in the states they rule.

But Sharafuddin said Selangor was not made up of "just PAS and Muslims" and that in any case the two performers were suitable for families.

"I don't know what the fuss is all about," he said.

PAS, which rules the northern state of Kelantan, has had ambitions of turning Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule.

However, in recent years it has begun introducing reforms designed to tone down its hardline reputation and woo young voters.

***** When will PAS learn that it is not to their advantage to consistently take one step forward followed by two steps back? Just when a few non-Muslims seem to place a little trust in their future with PAS, some petty nutcases in the Islamic party's youth wing decide to make asses of themselves by creating such a fuss over a trivial matter.

The senior leaders in PAS should ensure that the lower level partymen and women don't shoot themselves in the foot from time to time which will only lead to further estrangement between them and the mainstream. There is no doubt that almost every non-Muslim views PAS with suspicion and distrust and many consider them as unbending fanatics and potential terrorists. Incidents like the above merely reinforce that image.

Inter-Religion TV Game Show To Promote Harmony In Britain

A television game show aimed at promoting good relations between members of different religious communities and encouraging people to enhance their knowledge about other faiths will be launched here. The series titled Faith Off will involve people from Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and Buddhist faiths contesting against each other and will be aired on Islam Channel.

According to producers, the series will attempt to promote good relations and mutual respect between Britain’s religious communities. Two teams of four will go head to head in each episode, answering quick-fire and general knowledge questions in the eight-part series hosted by the Muslim comedian Jeff Mirza,.

There will be a multiple choice current affairs segment in addition to a home or away round, when contestants can answer questions on their own faith or the opposing team’s for points. Players will also have to identify religious figures, such as the Dalai Lama and the Pope, from blurred footage.

“We’re living in a multicultural society,” producer Abrar Hussain said. “You learn about religions at school and then you forget, so it’s about transferring the basic blocks of knowledge ... It’s also about learning the similarities between religions, instead of focusing on the differences,” he added.

***** It's a good idea and will go some way in not only promoting good relations but also enabling the average person to learn more about other faiths. However such a show in Malaysia may not be well received especially by those who have no intention of engaging in inter-religious discourse or harmony.

Conservatives Protest Over Sole Woman Singer On Afghanistan's Version Of "American Idol"

A woman from Afghanistan's conservative Pashtun tribe is one of the top three contenders in the country's version of "American Idol" and a lot of conservatives aren't happy.

Detractors decry the fact an Afghan woman has found success singing on television, while others — younger Afghans — say the show is helping women progress. Under the Taliban regime that was overthrown in 2001, women were not even allowed out of their homes unaccompanied, while music and television were banned.

With her hair tucked under a wispy blue headscarf, Lima Sahar brushes off her critics, saying there can be no progress for women without upsetting the status quo. Sahar says she's just the latest in a long tradition of Afghan artists — albeit in a more modern form.

"Artists are historical and cultural in our country. Artists have been around a long time," Sahar told a news conference this week. "I came by the vote of the people of Afghanistan."

Sahar beat out 2,000 other hopefuls who auditioned for the third season of "Afghan Star." On Friday, the six-month-long TV show will name the final two contestants, based on votes sent in from viewers via text message. The format is the same as "American Idol," although the shows are not connected.

Afghanistan's conservative cleric's council has protested to President Hamid Karzai over "Afghan Star" as well as Indian dramas shown on Tolo TV, the country's most popular station.

"In the situation that we have in Afghanistan right now, we don't need a woman singer. We don't need ‘Afghan Star.' We are in need of a good economy, good education," said Ali Ahmad Jebra-ali, a member of the council. "If Lima Sahar wins 'Afghan Star,' how can she help the poor? This is not the way to help the Afghan people."

The singers perform in front of a studio audience and three judges, and past winners have been given recording deals. A woman finished fifth in the show's first season, but no female has risen as high as Sahar. The other two finalists are men.
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Zainuddin Maidin's Backdoor Attempt To Suppress Chinese And Tamil Languages

RTM's decision to introduce more Chinese and Indian dramas in Bahasa Malaysia is part of the drive to encourage multi-culturalism. Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin, who said this, added it was not to enforce any monolithic assimilation.

In a press statement answering criticisms on the issue, he said Chinese and Indian dramas presented in Bahasa Malaysia could help everyone to better understand and appreciate the cultures that co-exist in the country.

"It could lead to better acceptance of the different ways of life thus promote greater integration among the different races in this diverse country."

He added that using Bahasa Malaysia to explore communal and cultural context would not erode the strength of non-Malay racial and cultural identity.
He also clarified that RTM would not dub over Chinese or Indian drama into Bahasa Malaysia.

Instead, he wanted the Chinese and Indian scriptwriters to simply depict the issues concerning everyday life of their community in the national language.

"I agree that we already have dramas in Bahasa Malaysia that attempt to explore non-Malay issues and feature Chinese, Indian and characters of other races in the plots, but these are still predominantly Malay-centric as they are usually authored by Malays.

"They may not fully appreciate the intricacies of a Chinese or Indian point of view and they may not be able to pick up on issues close to the hearts of these communities." (NST)

***** This is the most impractical solution to promoting multiculturalism on television. A rational and reasonable person not tainted by ulterior racist motives would have probably urged for a more realistic portrayal of the Malaysian scene by ensuring that Malay script writers introduce substantial non-Malay characters in their dramas instead of the present katak dibawah tempurung, by-the-Malay-for-the-Malay productions exclusively catering to a 100% Malay audience.

It will take an exceptionally patient non-Malay to stomach the present sub-standard fare passing off as entertainment in the form of Malay dramas. Zainuddin Maidin now intends to squelch the already insignificant number of dramas that RTM dishes out in Chinese and Tamil. Of course he won't succeed. All that he will achieve is to push more and more of the non-Malays toward the private TV channels and Astro which will welcome them with massive amounts of vernacular programmes.
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Ike Turner, Legendary Soul Singer, Dies Aged 76

Ike Turner, the legendary blues and soul artist whose career – and infamy – were defined by his stormy relationship with his wife, Tina Turner, died in his sleep early yesterday at his home in the suburbs of San Diego. He was 76.

Turner was present at the creation of rock'*'roll – he performed on the first rock record, "Rocket 88", in 1951 – and kept working to the very end of his life, winning a Grammy award earlier this year for his album Risin' With The Blues.

But it was his partnership with Anna Mae Bullock, the raspy-voiced teenager from Nutbush, Tennessee who married him and changed her name to Tina, that moulded both the best and the worst of his public reputation. Between 1959, when they recorded their first hit, "A Fool In Love", until 1976, when Tina walked out on him following a vicious fight on the backseat of a car en route to a concert venue, they electrified American popular music.

First they produced mere hits – "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" – then began to revolutionise music itself, most notably in a collaboration with Phil Spector, then an up-and-coming producer, on "River Deep, Mountain High" in 1965. A sizzling cover of "Proud Mary", the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and a perennial crowd favourite on the concert circuit. Ike always had a reputation as a womaniser – legend has credited him with as many as 14 wives, although the public record accords him just four – and a man with a tendency to substance abuse.

But Tina turned that image several shades darker with the publication of her autobiography I, Tina in 1976, depicting her ex as a vicious, unstable wife-beater. She was so afraid of him that she walked out of the marriage with nothing but her name, relinquishing her share of everything they had earned together over the previous 17 years.

Turner made several attempts to defend himself over the years, none of them especially convincing. "Sure, I've slapped Tina," he wrote in his own autobiography, Takin' Back My Name (2001). "There have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. But I never beat her."

While Tina enjoyed a renaissance as a solo artist in the 1980s, Turner slipped ever deeper into drug and alcohol addiction and ended up going to prison for four years in 1989 on drug-related charges. He was still behind bars when he was inducted into the Rock'*'Roll Hall of Fame. Tina, intriguingly, represented him at the ceremony.

Turner was born in to poverty in Clarksdale, Mississippi, earning his first entrée into the music business as an eight-year-old elevator boy at the offices of his local radio station. Over time he developed into a fine session musician, mastering both the guitar and keyboards.

The pair had met in 1958 when Tina, as a pushy teenager, grabbed a microphone at a St Louis nightclub and performed a B B King song for him. He invited her on the spot to become an Ikette – one of his back-up singers. A year later she pushed again, laying down a vocal track on "A Fool In Love" even though Ike had imagined a man singing it. The result proved to be hit-parade gold.

The couple married in 1962 and had two children together. Ike was flagrant in his infidelities, though, including an affair with former Ikette Ann Thomas, with whom he fathered a child and later married.

In her book, Tina portrayed him as a sadist and a monster who hit her and, on one occasion, broke her nose. That image became cemented in the public imagination when Tina's book was made into the movie What's Love Got To Do With It, with Angela Bassett playing Tina and Lawrence Fishburne playing Ike.

Turner's story is, in the end, a classic American tale of transgression and redemption – with his work providing the redemption. "I know what I am in my heart," he once told the Associated Press. "And I know regardless of what I've done, good and bad, it took it all to make me what I am today." (The Independent)
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BBC Plans 'Thriller' Documentary On Satanic Verses

The BBC is set to produce a documentary on Indian-born author Salman Rushdie's controversial novel Satanic Verses and it will be "a thriller", says the director.

Gurdip Bhangoo, who heads the BBC Asian Programmes Unit, said the documentary, Words that Shook the World, would capture the cultural and religious turmoil that Satanic Verses created in the late 1980s.

The 1988 novel had angered many Muslims for allegedly blaspheming the Prophet and forced Rushdie into hiding after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death.

The novel, Rushdie's fourth, was banned in several countries including India.

"The proposed 90-minute drama-documentary will tell how, in just six months — from September 1988 to February 1989 — a book was published and quickly became the most controversial work in literature in modern times," said Bhangoo.

Bhangoo, who directed BBC's landmark docudrama The Day India Burnt — Partition, was in Toronto this week to screen it at the Spinning Wheel Film Festival.

"We will feature seven to eight key figures of that period who were on either side of the divide. Like in the partition documentary, we will use personal testimonies of various players of that period," he said.

"And we will dig through archives and collections to cast fresh light on the controversy which, in a way, continues to this day as the Ayatollah's fatwa against Rushdie stays."

Asked whether the BBC had broached the subject with Rushdie, he said: "When production begins early next year, we will speak with him. Of course, he is the central character of the story. But we want to have a balanced and fresh look at the controversy."

"Since programmes about South Asians are a big hit now, the BBC has started its own production in Mumbai." The Birmingham man revealed that the BBC is also extending its South Asian cuisine programme Indian Food Made Easy because of its high ratings.

"This programme has made presenter Anjum Anand one of the most popular persons in the UK. Can you believe that her food book outsold Harry Potter?" he said. "She has done a six-part series, and now we will have another series of six programmes by her. She has done what Madhur Jaffrey couldn't do. Anand has taught the white people how to cook Indian food at home, and they do now."

As the BBC launches more channels to cater to the Indian sub-continent, Bhangoo said the Asian Unit under him was being expanded to produce more documentaries, arts and culture programmes and food shows. (Sify News)
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Zainuddin Maidin: RTM To Increase Non-Malay Programmes

Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) will increase the number of non-Malay programmes after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri to project Malaysia's image as a multi-racial country, said Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin.

He said that in order to achieve its identity as the national broadcasting body, RTM was responsible for airing more programmes which reflected the racial diversity in the country.

Speaking at the Information Ministry's monthly assembly today, Zainuddin said RTM had implemented various changes and new approaches aimed at raising the quality of its programmes to attract viewers.

"However, if the changes that had been made were not promoted seriously to the people, no one would be aware of these changes," he said, while asking the other agencies under the Information Ministry to assist in promoting the changes made and programmes produced by RTM.

He said Bernama, the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) and Information Department, for example, could play their respective roles to promote RTM and draw the people's interest to switch on to RTM. "We have the machinery and capability, why not use them to assist RTM in promoting the changes made because these agencies and departments were often moving on the ground.

Zainuddin felt that the RTM customers were no longer as strong as before because many viewers had switched over to the private television stations.

What was more regretful, he said, was that the ministry staff themselves were belittling the RTM programmes in front of the public. (Bernama)

***** So RTM wants to increase the number of non-Malay programmes to project Malaysia's image as a multi-racial country. The question now is what image has RTM been trying to project for the past fifty years and why the sudden change of direction? Local TV has always been synonymous with Malay fare and despite the minister's announcement of more non-Malay programmes, you can be sure that the change will be merely cosmetic. The simple reason is because it cannot afford to ignore and annoy its only customer, the rural Malay.

All you have to do is to look at the programme summary in the newspapers to see how lopsided the equation is and always has been. Over the past decade with the advent of Astro and some private channels, RTM has become mostly irrelevant to a large number of non-Malays, especially the non-Chinese. So much so that even government propaganda masquerading as RTM News is seldom watched by those who have been thus far sidelined and ignored.

While the intention of the ministry may be good, although some may consider this intended change of policy a pre-election ploy, I personally think that it is a case of too little too late.
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R&B Star Beyonce Snubs Malaysia's Muslim Fanatics; Will Perform In Indonesia

R&B star Beyonce Knowles has scrapped plans to stage her first concert in Muslim-majority Malaysia amid speculation she objected to a strict dress code barring sexy attire, industry officials said Monday.

Knowles will instead head for neighboring Indonesia, which although also Muslim has less stringent rules about how performers should dress and behave.

Knowles' Los Angeles-based talent agency, International Creative Management, said Knowles' Nov. 1 date with Kuala Lumpur had to be broken "due to a scheduling conflict," according to an ICM statement made available by Malaysian entertainment organizers Pineapple Concerts.

The announcement followed recent speculation that Knowles — who is famous for her sexy image and skimpy outfits — was reluctant to fulfill the Malaysian government's demand for female performers to cover up from the top of their chests to their knees, including their shoulders.

"It is with regret that we announce the cancellation of The Beyonce Experience World Tour in Kuala Lumpur," the ICM statement said. "It was to mark the very first time the performer would bring her show to Malaysia."

Knowles will perform Nov. 1 in Jakarta instead, the statement said, adding that Knowles "is looking forward to performing for all her fans in Kuala Lumpur in the near future."

Pineapple Concerts Chairman Razlan Ahmad Razali said his company, which has brought Western acts such as Kanye West and Earth, Wind and Fire to Malaysia, was "disappointed and frustrated."

Razlan declined to comment on the rumors that Knowles balked at Malaysia's decency code. However, he noted that besides Indonesia, Knowles is now slated to travel over the next month to many other Asian countries, including Thailand, China and India. "Though Indonesia is also a Muslim country, it doesn't have all these issues that we have," Razlan told The Associated Press. "She can perform as she likes there."

Concert promoters have said Western performers face mounting pressure in Malaysia to keep skimpy clothes and steamy dance moves off the stage amid protests by conservative Muslims who believe liberal Western performances can corrupt youths.

Pop star Gwen Stefani made what she called "a major sacrifice" in August by donning clothes that revealed little skin at a Kuala Lumpur stadium concert after Muslim students and activists called for the performance to be canceled because of Stefani's sultry reputation.

A Pussycat Dolls show led to its Malaysian organizers being fined last year after the U.S. girl group was accused of dressing too scantily and flaunting "sexually suggestive routines." (International Herald Tribune)

***** Another nail in the coffin of a tolerant, democratic Malaysia. When religious bigots and fanatics get their way, can anarchy be far behind? I wonder if Indonesia's Muslim leaders and citizens have become less Islamic by allowing this and other concerts?
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Western Pop Stars Hassled In Malaysia Over Sexy Concert Routines

Justin Timberlake boasted about "bringing sexy back" in his recent hit, but he shouldn't try that in Malaysia.

Some of the world's top pop stars are holding concerts in Muslim-majority Malaysia this year, but they're facing growing pressure to keep skimpy outfits and steamy dance moves off the stage amid protests by conservative Islamic critics who believe liberal Western performances can corrupt youths, event organizers said Wednesday.

Gwen Stefani made what she called "a major sacrifice" by donning clothes that revealed little skin at a Kuala Lumpur performance Tuesday, after Muslim students and political activists called for her concert to be scrapped because of her sexy reputation.

Promoters have announced that R&B superstar Beyonce, who is also known for a sultry image, is scheduled to perform on Nov. 1, amid efforts to lure other big names such as Timberlake, Kylie Minogue and Aerosmith to this Southeast Asian country in the Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

"We've informed Beyonce's management about this issue of clothes, but it takes some of the fun out of it," said Razlan Ahmad Razali, chairman of Pineapple Concerts, which is organizing Beyonce's planned concert.

"Beyonce won't be able to do the kind of show here that she does elsewhere," Razlan told The Associated Press. "She's a fashion icon, and we know that she often wears miniskirts and clothes that expose her navel during her performances. It's a pity to restrict her, because her costumes are all tasteful and glamorous."

Grammy-winning hip-hop star Kanye West faced a different problem when he came to Kuala Lumpur in April because government officials said he should not perform one of his biggest hits, "Jesus Walks," due to religious sensitivities surrounding the title, Razlan said.

Malaysia's government guidelines for public performances require a female artist to cover up from the top of her chest to her knees, including her shoulders. Performers may not hug or kiss, and their clothes must not have obscene or drug-related images or messages.

A Pussycat Dolls concert last year caused its Malaysian organizers to be fined 10,000 ringgit after the U.S. girl group was accused of flouting decency regulations.

Such concerns have made Malaysia less appealing to some stars. A concert promoter, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the hassle about clothes was one of the reasons that sultry U.S. pop diva Christina Aguilera skipped Malaysia during a recent Asian tour that included neighboring Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, the country's biggest political opposition group, which accused Stefani of promoting promiscuity and corrupting youths, says it will probably protest further if Beyonce, Timberlake or Minogue perform here.

"Even with Gwen Stefani, we're not satisfied just because she covered up at the concert," said party official Kamarulzaman Mohamed. "Outside, she still wears sexy clothes and influences teenagers who idolize her. It's bad to have immoral artists visiting Malaysia." (International Herald Tribune)

***** Oh boy! Shades of the Taliban and worse! 'Malay-istan' perhaps?
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Saudi Arabia's First Pop Video An Instant Hit

For a country that considers music un-Islamic and bans it in public places, it is perhaps not surprising that the first pop video produced in Saudi Arabia is about the benefits of piety.

Malak Ghair Allah, or You Only Have God to Count On, proved an instant hit after its launch in Jeddah. Hundreds of fans turned out to watch the video's launch on a giant screen.

Saudi clerics' concerns about the corrupting influence of music videos seem to have been assuaged by the tune's Islamic overtones.

Unlike pop videos popular elsewhere in the Middle East, the video's female star, Ruwaina al-Jihani, appears covered up in black with only her face showing.

The song tells of a young Muslim who strays from the true path by smoking, flirting and skipping prayers.

He suffers by losing his fiancée, falling behind at work and then having a serious motorcycling accident. But things come good when he reverts to a more prayerful way of life and stops smoking. (Telegraph.co.uk)

No 'Revealing' Outfits For Gwen Stefani's Malaysian Concert

U.S. pop singer Gwen Stefani will not wear revealing costumes during her concert in Malaysia, the show's organizer said Thursday, after protests from Muslim students about her sexy outfits and steamy acts.

Maxis Communications Bhd. said it "respects the values and conventions of this country" and pledged that Stefani would follow the local code of ethics for foreign artists, which bans the unnecessary baring of skin.

"Gwen Stefani has confirmed that her concert will not feature any revealing costumes. She will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities," it said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Maxis, the country's biggest mobile phone company, said tickets were selling fast. Maxis hopes to attract some 9,000 people to the Aug 21. concert, which is part of the 37-year-old singer's Sweet Escape world tour that also includes Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.

The National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students, which has some 10,000 members, charged that Stefani's skimpy dressing and cheeky performances clashed with Islamic values.

"Her performance and her attire are not suitable for our culture. It promotes a certain degree of obscenity and will encourage youth to emulate the western lifestyle. The concert should be stopped," the union's vice president, Abdul Muntaqim, told The AP.

Ethnic Malay Muslims form about 60 percent of Malaysia's population, with ethnic Chinese and Indians of Christian, Buddhist and Hindu faiths forming most of the rest.

Siti Zaleha Baba, a senior official at the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry, said the concert would go on but enforcement officers would meet Stefani before the concert to remind her about local guidelines as well as monitor her stage act. "There is no problem so far. (The concert promoter) has told us what clothes she will wear for the concert," she added.

Under the official guide to performing in Malaysia, a female artist needs to cover from the top of her chest to her knees including shoulders. No jumping, shouting or throwing of objects on stage or at the audience is allowed. Performers can also not hug or kiss and their clothes must not have obscene or drug-related images or messages.

A local company, which organized a PussyCat Dolls concert last year, was fined 10,000 ringgit after the U.S. all-girl group was found to have flouted decency regulations. (International Herald Tribune)
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National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students Urges Ban On Gwen Stefani Concert

Malaysia should pull the plug on the Kuala Lumpur leg of U.S. singer Gwen Stefani's upcoming Asian tour because of her indecent dressing and obscenity, a Muslim students' group said on Tuesday.

The 10,000-strong National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students said Stefani's August 21 concert, which is part of her 'Sweet Escape' tour, would clash with local Asian and Islamic values.

"Her video clips promoting the event are too obscene," Mohamad Hilmi Ramli, the group's president, told Reuters. "We want the organizers to cancel the concert, failing which we will ask the authorities to intervene."

Ethnic Malays, who are by definition Muslims, make up just over half of Malaysia's 26 million people. Ethnic Chinese and Indians, who are mostly Buddhists, Christians or Hindus, form sizeable minorities.

Hilmi also criticized Malaysian mobile phone firm Maxis Communications for promoting the concert. "Maxis has been staging a series of foreign acts ... to make a profit and to expose our young generation to things such as moral decay," he said.

Maxis officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

***** Ban Evan Almighty. Ban Gwen Stefani. Ban Gobloks. Ban, ban, ban. Malaysia Boleh!!
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From Bernama: Malaysia Has Undergone Major Transformation Since Merdeka!

Detention Of Singer: Is The Perak Religious Department Overreacting?

The Perak Religious Department (JAIP) has ordered a singer to appear before the Syariah Court for “exposing her body” during a performance and “encouraging immoral activities”.

However, an indignant Siti Noor Idayu Abd Moin, 22, said she was wearing a sleeveless top and long pants when JAIP officers raided an entertainment outlet in Sunway City where she was performing on Tuesday.

Siti Noor Idayu also said the male officers kept taking photographs of her, adding that she was made to stay in that room until 10am the next day.

“They finally wrote me a notice accusing me of dressing 'sexily' and encouraging immorality just because I sang there,” she said.

The notice ordered her to appear before the Syariah Court here on Aug 6.

When contacted, JAIP director Datuk Jamry Sury said he was confident that his officers had not acted outside of their jurisdiction in issuing the notice.

“According to Islamic laws, a Muslim woman is not allowed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband in a place where immoral activities usually take place,” he said.

You can read the full report in TheStar HERE.

***** Ironically only yesterday the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah gave excellent advice at the Ulama Conference 2007 in Ipoh. Perhaps the time is ripe for His Royal Highness to share his wisdom with the Pengarah and staff of the Jabatan Agama Islam Perak.

Many would concur with the action taken by the JAIP officers, especially since the director says that it contravenes Islamic law. Others of course may not agree and would question the definition of 'immoral activity' as mentioned by him. Therefore to get a consensus on whether the Perak Religious Department was overreacting or not is indeed a tough call.
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Malacca State Government's Worthless Junket

Our state governments must be the most inexperienced in the world. They are led by very slow learners who have to make several trips a year to faraway, exotic locations in order to study 'close up' the different models of managing the state machinery. But despite their lack of intelligence and slow grasping power, one must appreciate their undiminished enthusiasm. You see, despite not having made any significant and meaningful change thus far to the way the kerajaan is run, they keep going again and again to more and more foreign destinations, determined to study and learn as much as they can. Such unwavering resoluteness must be applauded by all loyal citizens. So what if it costs a fortune? It is after all a sacrifice by our pemimpin for good, efficient government.

Bernama mentions one such 'working visit' by the Malacca state government bigwigs, including both the aging Governor and the wily Chief Minister whose only claim to fame thus far has been the awarding of nearly ninety datukships at one go. It is indeed a hectic trip. Ten days in Latin America followed by an arduous trans-Atlantic journey for another two more gruelling days of learning in Paris. And we had always thought that running a state government was easy. Nothing can be further from the truth. Our Malacca pemimpin for example must have spent many late hours poring over details, facts and raw data on what it takes to manage a state. OK, so some low level staff may have taken advantage and gone sightseeing, shopping, a little tequila on the side or even a spot of khalwat with a pretty señorita. Hey, after all it's kuffar country mate! (Perhaps this could be one reason why state Muftis are excluded from these 'study' trips and are sent on separate delegations to Saudi Arabia.)

You can read about the Malacca junket HERE.
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Even Malay Songs Cannot Escape Clutch Of Self-Appointed Moralists

Pity the Malay in the entertainment business. He can't direct films which displease moralists, nationalists, historians, religious leaders, politicians, soldiers etc etc. The comedian is castigated for 'insulting' air stewards. The singer cannot sport long hair or dress 'inappropriately'. The actor/actress cannot play morally 'unacceptable' roles or speak in less than 'perfect' Bahasa Malaysia while 'unnecessary' and 'excessive' use of English is frowned upon. As if that is not bad enough, now a Malay band has been condemned for its song "Papa Jahat" which has riled a few relics in parliament who termed it 'unsuitable', might cause children to disrespect their parents and threaten Islamic and family values! And the non-Malays think that only THEY are discriminated! The full report from the International Herald Tribune follows.

A Malaysian band behind the country's biggest new hip-hop hit — whose chorus features a woman warbling about a "bad papa" — is facing criticism by lawmakers that the song threatens Islamic and family values. The Fabulous Cats, a four-member group that released its debut album Thursday, has scaled radio charts and become a favorite cell phone ring tone in recent weeks with its Malay-language first single, "Papa Jahat," or "Bad Papa."

The upbeat song has become so inescapable that it sparked debate in Parliament, where senators who were debating entertainment industry issues on Monday warned the lyrics of "Papa Jahat" might cause children to disrespect their parents.

"Encouraging people to sing a song that criticizes a father completely contradicts Islam," Senator Jins Shamsudin said, adding parents have contacted him to voice their concerns. The song's meaning is vague, but it includes lines in colloquial Malay that can be roughly translated as "Papa, don't be a bad papa; Don't be too naughty, papa," and "Previously papa was full of deception, papa promised that papa wouldn't do it."

The band's manager, Anne Mukhtar, said Thursday lawmakers have misinterpreted the song, stressing it was intended to "remind all of us about family issues, especially since the divorce rate in Malaysia is believed to be increasing. It is not to encourage people to be rude or to harm others," she told The Associated Press.

The band's leader, Farish Ramli, who wrote the song, has parents who divorced, she added. Farish did not immediately answer calls on his cell phone.

Legislators did not call for "Papa Jahat" to be formally banned, though Jins and another senator said it was "unsuitable" for radio airwaves in Malaysia, which advocates moderate Islam. Nearly 60 percent of the country's 26 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims.

Malaysian laws forbid the broadcast of songs with offensive or sexually explicit lyrics. Government-run stations have refused in past years to play hits such as Madonna's "Erotica" and Hong Kong pop diva Faye Wong's "In The Name Of Love."
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Australia Heeds Medical Advice, Bans Waif-Thin Models.

Australia has joined Italy and Spain in refusing to allow very thin women to model clothes.

Organisers of Australian Fashion Week said on Sunday that they were adopting healthy weight guidelines for models.

"We don't want to see young girls hurting themselves in any way," Fashion Week organiser Simon Lock told the national broadcaster ABC.

The initiative follows calls from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for a ban on waif-thin fashion models.

"Body image and self esteem among teenagers and young women in particular are heavily influenced by models in magazines and on TV," AMA president Mukesh Haikerwal said.

"The pursuit of the perfect look leads to a whole range of health threats such as eating disorders, dangerous dieting habits, smoking and depression." (Independent Online)
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Shayna Zaid - A Malaysian Singing Sensation In New York.

The name Shayna Zaid may not sound familiar to Malaysians, but the 22-year-old heartthrob has made a breakthrough in New York after releasing her debut album, Beyond Borders last February. The R&B/Soul genre album has made her name on par with other international female stars.

Shayna will be releasing her second album, which will be produced by The OZONE Production in New York, soon. Lyrics in some of her songs will have a mixture of Bahasa Melayu and English. There will be a new approach in her second album where traditional and modern music elements will be combined. "I have waited a long time to work on a project such as this because I am proud of our traditional instruments and it is a satisfaction for me to be able to introduce our culture overseas," she said.

Shayna has been in the industry ever since she was six years old. She still stays in Malaysia where she is active in theatre and singing. She was 14 years old when she got involved in a play at the Actor's Studio and was also a model for commercial advertisements before she started singing with the likes of Faradhiya and the Phat Family.

Just as she was on her first few steps towards fame, her family decided to move to the United States six years ago. There she persevered to achieve her dream of being a singer.

She enrolled herself at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.It was in that famous music college that she got the chance to meet Jay Deasel, the person who later made her famous in the music industry. He was also the backbone in the making of Beyond Borders. "Jay Deasel is also the producer for my second album which will be out this year," she said.

Although her first album did not hit the Malaysian market, she hopes that her second album will as her fans have never stopped supporting her through her WEBSITE.

Due to positive reviews from her Malaysian fans, Shayna will be back in-town come March where she will be releasing her first single and also her Kali Pertama music video which features local rapper Shazzy and JFK.

"I cannot wait to 'balik kampung', I should thank Shazzy and JFK for convincing me to do something for my own country and I believe this is my chance to use the experiences that I have gathered when I was in New York," she said.

She also said that Shazzy and JFK flew to New York recently to complete their collaboration project and the duo were also involved in the making of Kali Pertama. A few producers from The Digitalist production house based in Canada directed the music video. A reality travelogue that will show the footage of them completing the project will be aired on Astro next month.

To see or hear more of Shayna Zaid, go to DeaselMusic.com (TheStar)
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