A Facebook post that was published on Monday night (25 Feb) on the Universiti Utara Malaysia’s PERKIM (Malaysian Islamic Welfare) Club’s FB page has gone viral this week, drawing widespread criticism and sparking active conversations. Their post stood against what they called a “contributor to moral collapse”, whose “extreme” activities will bring “detriment to our society”.
And what is this serious danger they’re talking about that threatens to tear apart the fabric of society?
Oh. K-pop sensation BLACKPINK apparently.
In the post written in BM by Deputy Chief Maryam Jamilah, she condemned the girl group’s concert, that took place in Malaysia last Saturday (23 Feb), in a list of points. The points clarified that the leadership of the PERKIM club does not support the concert for reasons including their manner of dressing and dance moves.
She asserts that their performance and dressing are a bad influence on Malaysians, especially students. She also continues by saying that BLACKPINK challenges Islamic values and as a country with a Muslim majority, it is unacceptable to approve their performance in Malaysia.
Maryam says that Muslims and other religious people will also feel uncomfortable with the performance, adding that such things will spoil the mindsets of young people.
She finishes with a request for the governing party that granted permission for the concert to be more careful in maintaining the image of Malaysia. “Extreme entertainment such as this will bring detriment to the minds, societies, and attitudes of future generations,” she concludes.
With over 3,000 comments in just two days, many netizens who are fans of BLACKPINK understandably had a lot to say about the poster’s message. Here’s what some of them said;
“We in Malaysia learn tolerance, we’re not called to force our culture on others. We can watch it but you don’t have to. Respect the multicultural nation we have. Thank you.”
“Have you spoken to people from other religions about their stand on this concert? If not, please don’t speak on behalf of other religious devotees. You are just a student.”
“As the concert contradicts Islamic values, I suggest the PERKIM Club oppose the sale of the concert tickets to Muslims and not the concert itself.”
“Please apologize. Despite the majority of Muslims in Malaysia, Malaysia is not a Muslim country, but a multicultural one. You can have your view but you should also respect others and their views. They are of a different religion. The world is not viewed merely from your perspective.“
This is not the first time music performers have encountered opposition in Malaysia. In fact, from the time Malaysia banned all public rock concerts in 1986, our country has become notorious for the difficulties inflicted upon music performers who visit the country, from steep fines and government interferences to total cancellations of entire events.
For the curious, you can read more about this here.
What do you think about this club’s statement about BLACKPINK’s concert and choice of clothing being a detriment to society? We’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Also read: People Are Reselling K-pop Band BLACKPINK’s KL Concert Tickets For Up to RM7,300!