PAS govt defends gender segregation

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu PAS government has defended its gender segregation policy for music and dance events against criticisms by various civil groups.

Tourism, Culture and Information Technology state exco Ariffin Deraman insisted that the 11 guidelines for organisers were to ensure proper control of situations during such events.

The guidelines, which will apply throughout the state, include segregation between male and female performers as well as among the audience.

Performances should also be conducted separately, with women only allowed to dance and sing before a female audience in a closed venue.

Dance shows performed by female dancers, said Ariffin, were not allowed to be shown in public.

However, he said actors and actresses in theatre could share the same stage as long as the performances were not too excessive.

“There was no problem during the closing of the recent Pesta Pantai (Beach Festival) where men and women shared the stage. The performances weren’t too excessive,” he said.

For performances by non-Muslims and for the non-Muslim audience, he said each event would be looked into on a case-by-case basis.

“We will also hold discussions with the non-Muslim community on this,” he said.

The state tourism department released the guidelines on Tuesday.

Slamming the state government over the move, MCA publicity spokesman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker described the guidelines as not only regressive but discriminatory and infringing on the rights and liberties of the people.

The guidelines, he said, were tantamount to the department taking upon itself to carry out a “religious enforcement or policing” role.

“There is no need for gender segregation and the stifling of rights, freedoms and liberties,” said Ti.

He also questioned the department’s authority in drawing up the rules and whether penalties would be handed out.

Sisters in Islam communications manager Majidah Hashim said the PAS state government’s move to introduce the guidelines reflected the medieval attitude of its leaders.

“The government’s readiness to resort to guidelines that impose their archaic worldview endangers the progress of all Malaysian women and their right to participate fully and equally in this country’s socioeconomic development and public life.

“While we are concerned with this latest development in Terengganu, we feel that it should not come as a surprise to the locals as they themselves voted for a government which implemented the same restrictions onto women in Kelantan,” she said.

Traditional arts and cultural group Pusaka founder and director Eddin Khoo said the guidelines were “ridiculous and retrogressive”.

Questioning the need for women to be “concealed”, he said he believed that the state government had become emboldened ever since a lesbian couple was caned by the Syariah court.

“Women in the East Coast have always been independent and proud. This need to conceal is a very recent phenomenon.

“I don’t understand the preoccupation as there are other immense problems that need to be settled,” he said.