Kelantan to assess syariah compliance of Main Puteri shows

The Kelantan government will study if Main Puteri traditional performance is syariah-compliant and suitable for public entertainment, says state executive council member Maj (R) Datuk Md Anizam Abdul Rahman.

A detailed study was needed as some aspects of the Main Puteri art form seemed to have elements that were unsuitable and ran contrary to Islam, said the community unity, culture, heritage and tourism committee chairman.

“The elements which are not syariah-compliant will need to be corrected. God willing, once we have this cleared, Main Puteri will be back for public viewing,” he said at the Kelantan state assembly sitting at the Kota Darul Naim Complex yesterday.

He said this in reply to a supplementary question from Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim (BN-Galas) who wanted to know whether seminars or roundtable discussions would be held with art enthusiasts to study the depth of Main Puteri performance.

Md Anizam said so far only Mak Yong performances had been allowed to be staged for public entertainment after discussions with the Kelantan National Culture and Arts Department.

It was found that certain elements of the Mak Yong performance provided advice and guidance which were in accordance with Islamic teachings, he added.

He said although there had been transformations in the style, the original concept was not altered, adding that the dialogues were interspersed with Quranic verses.