Activists slam call to cancel pageant

PETALING JAYA: Activists have condemned the Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) for demanding the cancellation of Miss/Mrs Plus World Malaysia 2020 Grand Final Gala Night scheduled for next Saturday.

Lawyer Siti Kasim said Yadim and other religious bodies should stop patronising women.

“They tend to condemn pageants involving women but we do not hear them protesting against Mr World, Mr Universe and other pageants involving men.

“They are trying to control women. This is an oppression.”

Yadim president Nasrudin Hassan had submitted a memorandum to the local authorities, questioning why such a hedonistic event was allowed to be held in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

PAS, as well as its Youth and Muslimat wings, had echoed Yadim’s call to cancel the event.

In a Facebook posting, the event organiser had said that the pageant was aimed at creating awareness against body-shaming and bullying.

The organiser also stressed that the participants would not be parading in swimsuits.

Siti claimed that the Malay community had long been oppressed by religious people who tended to intrude into the private lives of individuals whom they viewed as sinners.

Haris Ibrahim, the proponent of the movement, I’m The Third Force, urged Yadim to mind its own business.

“Yadim should look at bigger issues because 5.4 million people in the B40 group, including foreigners, are struggling due to the pandemic having taken a toll on the economy with no signs of improvement on the horizon, ” he said.

Haris said the health authorities would go after the event organisers should they fail to follow the stringent standard operating procedures imposed to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.