KOTA BARU: A 24-year-old man has been detained after dressing as a mermaid to promote a beverage stall in Pengkalan Chepa here.
Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the suspect was detained by the state Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEAIK) on Monday (Feb 23) near his home in Chekok, Pasir Mas, following a viral TikTok video.
He said investigations conducted by the department identified the individual involved and an investigation paper was opened under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019.
"The suspect was called in on Monday and detained under Section 19 for a man posing as a woman and Section 21 involving indecent behaviour," he told reporters after attending the state executive council meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here on Wednesday.
Elaborating, Mohamed Fadzli said after documentation and preliminary investigations were completed, the suspect was released on an enforcement bond and instructed to appear again on June 8 for further proceedings.
According to him, based on information obtained, the suspect was paid RM200 by the beverage stall owner to produce the promotional video, while the stall owner has been issued a notice to remove the content.
"The state government wishes to stress that any acts contrary to syariah values and societal norms will be addressed firmly, prudently and in accordance with the law," he said.
The media had earlier reported that a 26-second video showing a man dressed as a mermaid dancing in front of a beverage stall, believed to be promotional content to boost sales, had gone viral on Facebook and drawn criticism from netizens who described the act as shameful. - Bernama
