Stealing CNY joy
It will be a very subdued Chinese New Year in Kedah if the PAS-led state government sticks to its stringent guidelines on public entertainment. While MCA is leading the call for the restrictions to be removed, the PAS Supporters Club itself is joining in criticising what it sees as an infringement on the rights of non-Muslims.
These regulations affect the daily lives of nonMuslims in this country. If they (PAS and Pakatan Rakyat) emerge as victors in the general election, who knows what other regulations will come into play.
— DATUK SERI CHOR CHEE HEUNG
PETALING JAYA: Entertainment providers say Kedah’s new ruling excluding women from stage performances during Chinese New Year will hit their pockets hard.
Rhythm Mix Entertainment owner Lee Chee Kang said many bookings for performances by his dancers and singers, who are mostly women, had been lined up for the month of February.
“If this ruling is exercised during the celebrations, I will lose a huge amount of money from the cancellation of those projects,” he said yesterday.
He said this in response to the recent restrictions by the PAS-led Kedah Government against the Chinese New Year celebrations, including banning professional women singers from performing at shopping malls and other open public places.
Lee said there was a big demand from the local Chinese communities for these performances during the Chinese festive season.
“If the women performers cannot perform, the mood for the celebration will be dampened,” he said.
Getai (street concert) entertainer Catherine Yee Yean San, 25, said the Kedah Government was excessive in enforcing these new ruling.
“I have never encountered such a ruling before. Every woman has the right to showcase her talents to the public,” she said.
Yee, who was crowned champion at the 3rd World Min Nan Singing Competition in 2010, said that although she did not know any performer affected by this ruling, she symphatised with those affected.
Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez agreed with Lee and said the ruling would adversely affect the livelihoods of performers.
“Chinese New Year is a busy time, especially for our Chinese members. But if this rule affected other holidays too, performers could lose hundreds of thousands of ringgit in jobs,” he said.
Fernandez urged the Kedah Government to reconsider implementing the guidelines, adding that Karyawan would meet with its officials.
Meanwhile, City Plaza, a sponsor of the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year 2013 celebration in Star Walk Alor Setar on Feb 15, has withdrawn from the event.
Its spokesman said the decision was made on Thursday, a day after the Jan 9 guidelines issued by the Kedah Government.
“We pulled out because of certain constraints,” he said, declining to elaborate.
He said the event was organised by a youth movement.