KOTA KINABALU: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) Youth wing has told its PAS counterparts that concerts featuring international artists are not a threat of any kind other than a form of entertainment.
National Armada vice-chief Ceasar Mandela Malakun said that music and songs have the universal power to unite people of all races and religions.
He added that Sabah, for one, welcomes concerts including those that feature international artistes.
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"We have hosted such events before and there was never a problem. Sabahans are peace-loving people who won't go out to protest just because someone says so.
"What we see as threats are ideologies that can divide and disunite us, and destroy this racial and religious harmony that we have cherished for generations," he said in a statement here Tuesday (Aug 30).
Mandela, who is also political secretary to the Chief Minister, said this in response to the warning by PAS Youth that there would be nationwide protests unless such scheduled events were cancelled.
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PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari recently called on the government to cancel scheduled concerts featuring international artists and warned that unless this gets done, there would be nationwide protests.
He said they encouraged hedonism and were incompatible with the norms and values of Muslim life in Malaysia.
His posting on Facebook was made in the wake of a concert held by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish recently.
However, Ahmad Fadhli seemed to change his mind on the issue somewhat when he suggested that concerts by international artistes would be allowed after all, including in three states run by PAS, as long as the entertainers do not lead a "deviant lifestyle."
He said the party would not stop any concerts from being held in Kelantan, Terengganu, or Kedah if they did not go against the local culture.
Towards this end, Mandela stressed that what Sabahans must continue to reject were ideologies that could destroy the unity in diversity that has been the state’s proud identity.
Besides, he said, Sabahans were moderate people who lived by common sense.
"We have been living in harmony despite being of different ethnicities and religions, and we have mutual respect for one another," he said.
He also said that organisers of concerts featuring international artistes would find the state a perfect venue because Sabah is a land of music and songs.
Mandela said Sabahans appreciated the value of music and song because these were closely part of every ethnic community in Sabah.
"And what unites us is that songs and music from one ethnic community are appreciated and enjoyed by others. This is one of the trademarks of Sabahans," he said.
