KEPALA BATAS – The Penang authorities have decided to cancel a TikTok-initiated dangdut-themed concert at Dewan Millenium here next month following criticism by both PAS and Umno, as it is scheduled close to the Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday) occasion.
In a statement posted on social media, newly minted Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid said that the state has taken note of the criticism and has asked Seberang Prai City Council to withdraw approval for the concert.
However, he also noted that the organiser has now sought to relocate the venue from Dewan Millenium in Kepala Batas to the bigger venue of the Batu Kawan Stadium.
The organiser apparently is also willing to accommodate more terms and conditions before the event is held on September 30, he said.
He did not disclose if the state will approve the relocation proposal by the organiser.
Mohamad merely mentioned that the holding of the event in the originally planned venue received protests from residents. It is deemed inappropriate because it did not take into account the sensitivities of Muslims, especially since they are due to celebrate the Maulidur Rasul event two days earlier.
“Residents in the area have submitted an official protest to the Lord Mayor of Prai (Datuk Azhar Arshad) so the council will need to study the matter,” said Mohamad.
Among those who registered a protest over the concert was Umno’s Bertam assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican after having received complaints from local residents.
In the state election earlier this month, Reezal had won Bertam for Barisan Nasional (BN). The other two state constituencies in Kepala Batas – Penaga and Pinang Tunggal – were won by PAS candidates on behalf of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Umno, which leads BN, is part of the federal unity government with Pakatan Harapan, which is led by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mohamed is a representative of PKR in the newly sworn in Penang government.
The concert is set to feature a combination of Malaysian and Indonesian dangdut artistes, and it was mooted by TikTok, which counts the Malay community as among its large subscriber base.
Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad has also taken to TikTok to voice her displeasure over the concert.
PAS Youth in Kepala Batas protested with its chief Mohd Farid Hamdi Mohd Redzuan, urging the local authority to withdraw the licence to host the concert .
The wing has invited residents and non-governmental organisations to protest if the event proceeds.
Meanwhile, PKR’s former Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong expressed surprise how a concert can be banned in a progressive state like Penang.
“If the concert organiser had agreed to ensure that the sensitivities of the local residents are safeguarded then I do not see why it needs to be scrapped. The question we need to ask is whether we are going forward or backwards as a state and nation,” said Ong in an interview.
For the past 60 years, such events were not seen as an affront but now they have, so the local authorities need to ponder over this closely, said Ong.
He also asked if hosting a concert erodes the moral fabric and culture of a community.
Previously, even PAS had allowed concerts to be hosted in Kelantan, the bedrock of its political base, said Ong. – The Vibes, August 24, 2023
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