Kedah drops Ramadan bar closure plan

July 17, 2011

A state official said the controversy has been resolved after the state's chief minister met entertainment representatives Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The PAS-controlled Kedah has dropped a plan to force bars, discos and karaoke clubs to close during the Muslim fasting month, an official said today.

Kedah, which includes the popular resort island of Langkawi, decided in May to ban all entertainment during Ramadan next month, said an official from PAS.

However the plan drew criticism from entertainment outlet operators, as well as the party’s opposition allies, who feared a blanket ban would alienate their non-Muslim voters.

The Kedah official said the controversy had been resolved after the state’s chief minister met entertainment representatives Saturday and agreed to allow them to operate as long as they make sure no Muslims enter their premises.

“For Muslims, we have to make special treatment because nowadays too many youngsters are involved in hedonism… The state doesn’t want that,” he told AFP. “Entertainment in Ramadan is only for non-Muslims.”

The official said Islamic officials would enforce the rule across the state, monitoring its more than 300 bars, discos, karaoke lounges and other clubs.

PAS draws its main support from Muslim Malays, who account for 60 percent of the country’s 28 million people, but it is allied with the secular ethnic Chinese-based DAP and PKR.

Spats between PAS and DAP over pig rearing and alcohol bans — sensitive issues in Islam — have surfaced in the past, threatening to derail the partnership and its chances to unseat the Barisan Nasional, which has ruled the country for more than 50 years.

MCA calls it sandiwara

Meanwhile, in another development, MCA has described the issue of banning entertainment outlets in Kedah as a political “sandiwara” (drama) between PAS and DAP.

Its president Dr Chua Soi Lek said the issue was deliberately played up as DAP was known to have such a strong influence over PAS to be able to convince the Chinese community to support PAS.

“DAP will tell the Chinese community not to worry over the issue because it has influence over everything that is fought for or decided by PAS.”

“When you close these outlets, it means they (non-Muslims) don’t have a choice anymore, hence infringing their fundamental right, which is provided for in the Constitution,” he was reported as saying in Bernama.

- Agencies

No comments: