Terengganu exco defends ban on women singers at temple event

Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah says the prohibition imposed on Guan Di temple’s celebration was due to the performance taking place in an open space.

(FMT) – The Terengganu government has denied discriminating against other religions following reports of a ban on female singers performing at a temple recently.

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.

This, therefore, violated state guidelines on entertainment.

The Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman also said the state’s guidelines on entertainment and places of entertainment, adopted in 2022, was being applied in this case fairly and “without discrimination against any parties”.

Wan Sukairi, who is chairman of the state’s health, housing and local government committee, explained that the temple’s association had applied for a permit for their celebration to the Kuala Terengganu City Council on June 20.

He said the city council had approved the application, subject to conditions, which included compliance with the state’s guidelines on such events.

“According to the guidelines, performances involving female artistes are only allowed for female audiences.

“However, exceptions are made for performances by male and female artistes for non-Muslim audiences.

“Since the performances requested by the temple would be carried out under a tent within the temple grounds and open for passersby to view, it would attract both male and female audiences and not be exclusive to non-Muslims,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Last Saturday, DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok questioned why the Terengganu government had banned female singers from performing at the temple’s event.

She urged the state government to revoke the directive, respect non-Islamic cultural values and fulfil the party’s former slogan of “PAS for all”.

She questioned whether the state government had extended entertainment restrictions to non-Islamic communities, including Taoist and Buddhist temples.

The reported ban on women singers at the temple event comes days after the state government introduced segregated seating for women spectators at football matches at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin stadium.