ONE dangdut performance does not a “dangdut party” make, said the organiser of a birthday party now under investigation by the PAS-led Terengganu government.

Organiser Rohana Dol said it was wrong describe the party as an illegal event just because it featured a dangdut performance.

Rohana said the event was held on March 25 at the request of a man celebrating his wife’s birthday.

“I held this programme because I wanted to help a friend surprise his wife.

“I didn’t think anything was wrong because it was a closed event that was only attended by close friends.

“The video of the performance should not have been shared,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

A video clip of a sexily dressed performer gyrating in an Arabian dance, allegedly performed at the party, went viral recently, drawing criticism from many viewers.

This prompted the Terengganu government to launch an investigation into the event, which it said violated entertainment guidelines in the state governed by Islamist PAS.

Rohana admitted that the event had an “Arabian desert” theme and that the performers wore tight and revealing clothing.

However, she said she was unaware of Terengganu’s entertainment guidelines.

“I did not know the existence of the rules; moreover it was a closed event.

“Why is it that Terengganu allows karaoke centre, then? This means I was not wrong,” she said.

A spokesman for the hotel, where the party was held, said the establishment did not what the organiser had planned. The employee, who did not want to be named, also called it a “dangdut party”.

“We didn’t know there would be a dangdut party, we were only informed of a birthday celebration.

“Although we asked the organisers for the event programme, they did not give it to us until the night of the event,” he said.

The spokesman said the hotel lodged a police report as soon as they found out that a banned performance had taken place.

“I am very sorry that the hotel was accused when in fact we did not know about it.

“If we had known, of course we would have not allowed such an event to be held,” he said.

The Terengganu government will meet with the hotel management today to seek clarification.

State Human Development, Dakwah and Information Committee chairman Mohd Nor Hamzah said the event was held at a time when Muslims were about to celebrate Ramadan.

Mohd Nor said he would listen to the explanation of the organisers who might not have been aware of the rules

“Maybe they don’t know the new guidelines. We are ready to listen and give them room to explain,” media reported him saying yesterday.

Terengganu’s guidelines regulating artistic expression and entertainment performances were launched in March 2020 under the Entertainment and Entertainment Venues Enactment 2002.

Among others, it required Muslim cultural art enthusiasts and practitioners to cover themselves and for non-Muslims to to “look decent”.

Women artists are only allowed to perform if they are aged more than 12 years old and only to female audiences.

There are exception for religious and patriotic performances or group performances such as choirs.

The guidelines also stipulate that artistes may not style themselves like the opposite sex.

Performances related to homosexual, bisexual and transgender issues are also not allowed. – April 2, 2022.