[UPDATED] Police detain woman accused of insulting Islam at comedy show

KUALA LUMPUR – Police have detained a woman who had professed to be of the Muslim faith before taking off her clothing and allegedly insulting Islam during an open mic show at the Crackhouse Comedy Club.

In a statement today, Royal Malaysia Police secretary Datuk Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin said the woman in question will be remanded for three days starting today.

“The suspect is currently being held at the Brickfields IPD (district police headquarters) for now and investigations are still ongoing,” she said.

It is understood that the 28-year-old woman was detained in Taman Jaya, Jalan Gasing in Petaling Jaya at around 10pm last night.

A video of the woman’s performance during a three-minute open mic session at the comedy club has since gone viral on social media.

In the 45-second video, the woman introduced herself as “Siti Amira binti Abdullah”, claiming to be Muslim and to have memorised 15 chapters (juzuk) of the Quran.

A few seconds into her act she started to take off her headscarf and baju kurung to reveal her spaghetti top and miniskirt as the audience cheered and clapped.

Yesterday, the woman appeared on a live broadcast via her personal YouTube channel with her boyfriend “Alex” to interact with netizens, including answering questions.

In a separate TikTok video, the woman – who addressed herself as “Amy” – said she was born into a staunch Muslim family, and even wore conservative clothes when she was young.

She added that she has “seven boyfriends, despite being married”.

Meanwhile, Crackhouse Comedy Club co-founder Rizal van Geyzel admitted that his team was, at first, thrilled to see a Malay woman in a headscarf wanting to participate in the event.

Little did he know that the night would turn from comedy to nightmare, resulting in his comedy club’s operating licence being temporarily suspended by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said the suspension sends a clear message that his ministry and DBKL will not tolerate any activities that insult religious and racial sensitivities as well as the country’s sovereignty.

It was previously reported that Crackhouse Comedy Club had lodged a police report at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station against the woman, adding that she and her partner had been barred from the venue immediately after the performance.

The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) also conducted a preliminary investigation into the video, with its director Datuk Mohd Ajib Ismail saying that the probe had been carried out by the Jawi Enforcement Division. – The Vibes, July 10, 2022