HOME Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail wants Privacy Tun Razak to call off a show featuring Thai men in lingerie for its opening ceremony next week in respect of the holy month of Ramadan.

He said event organisers and venues should not host shows deemed insensitive and indecent, especially during the fasting month, which starts tomorrow.

“It is best for such events not to be continued because it could cause uneasiness. This is because Muslims worldwide will be welcoming Ramadan (tomorrow).

“There must be mutual respect from everyone living in a multicultural society. They need to be aware of the certain sensitivities of respective communities,” he told a press conference today after the ministry’s monthly gathering.

Saifuddin also said ministry officials will look into the issue surrounding the nightclub’s opening event, which has raised the ire of political leaders.

Online advertisements for the event and a post by the Malaysia Pub Facebook page showed the male performers will be part of the launch event for the club.

Online publicity for the launch showed muscular men dressed in lingerie and skimpy waitresses’ outfits.

Earlier today, prime minister’s political secretary Azman Abidin said Kuala Lumpur City Hall is preparing to take enforcement action if rules are violated. 

It found that the venue, licensed as a restaurant to Beijing 9 Sdn Bhd, has been operating with an expired restaurant licence since February 4, 2021, and also does not have an entertainment licence to hold the upcoming launch event. 

Meanwhile, in the Dewan Rakyat today, Bernama reported Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Wilson Ugak Kumbong as saying the government has nothing to with immoral programmes such as the “Thai Hot Guy”.

Ugak said the organisation of any programme needs to take into account the diversity of races and religions in the country.

“Malaysia Madani’s framework is to cover all Malaysians… our government has no such programmes as what was mentioned earlier. Don’t associate it (the government) with immoral programmes,” he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said this in his reply to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PN), who wanted to know the government’s position on the organisation of the “Thai Hot Guy” event in the capital on March 30 and asked for the programme to be cancelled. – March 22, 2023.