KOTA BARU: The organiser of a Loy Krathong festival concert in Bachok last Friday faces a maximum fine of RM10,000 for breaching conditions imposed on the event, says the state government.
State exco for Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Hilmi Abdullah said the conditions included that singers must comply with the local dress code and that only non-Muslims would be allowed to attend.
“The organiser failed to comply with the rules,” he said yesterday as reported by Bernama.
The concert’s organiser had a permit, so it did not breach the Kelantan Entertainment Control Enactment as claimed by certain parties, he added.
“The permit was applied on June 25 and was granted on Sept 20 after we explained the conditions, including for it to be a closed-door event and only attended by Buddhist devotees.”
A viral 30-second video of the concert showed scantily clad singers performing what appears to be Thai songs on a stage and interacting with the crowd.
Hilmi said his office had conducted an investigation and a hearing attended by representatives of the Bachok Islamic Tourism District Council, the police, religious officials and organisers.
The organisers admitted that a Rela member hired for crowd control had failed to stop Muslim visitors from attending the event, he said.
