Non-Muslims will not only feel discriminated against by the PAS Terengganu government but also that their fundamental constitutional right to freedom of religion has been infringed. State executive councillor Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah said the directive was sent to the Guan Di temple association, prohibiting female singers from performing at the temple’s jubilee celebration, due to the event taking place in an open space.
What makes this more galling is the previous empty promise by PAS that they will neither disrupt, interfere nor restrict in the religious traditions or practices of non-Muslims has been rendered irrelevant, meaningless and a deception. Whilst many have qualms about the 2022 Terengganu state government’s ban on female singers performing in front of a male audience which was not openly criticised due to PAS reliance on their moral code, non-Muslims were reassured that they were exempted from such a ban.
However PAS’ restriction on entertainment for the religious celebrations for the Guan Di Temple clearly shows otherwise. Wan Sukairi claimed there was no discrimination against other religions because the female non-Muslim singers were not just performing in front of a non-Muslim male audience but were held in an open space that could include male Muslim passersby, who can watch the non-Muslim female singers.
Wan’s justification is ridiculous because this is a temple event involving only non-Muslims. No Muslims have been invited to attend and no Muslims would attend on their own accord in a PAS controlled state that rigorously applies their strict moral code. Further this performance was conducted next to the temple that has organised such an event every year involving only non-Muslims without any unsavoury incident.
What is in plain view is that non-Muslims are not only discriminated against but also denied their customary entertainment or traditional practices involving a religious festival. This infringes on the freedom of religion provision in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution which grants every person the right to profess and practise his or her religion.
Whilst no enforcement action has been taken to date, PAS has refused to relent from their harsh stance. In other words, these PAS regulations restricting entertainment in non-Muslim religious festivals are still in place. Malaysians, especially non-Muslims, are now forewarned that the extremist practices of PAS can also be imposed on non-Muslims.
LIM GUAN ENG
