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The Star (18/6/08): An upset Sultan of Selangor has threatened to call off future Sultan of Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore if the protest by the state PAS Youth against two artistes performing for the event went ahead.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah described the protest over rock queen Ella and dangdut singer Mas Idayu as “hypocritical” and “trivial”.

He said there were more important issues that the party could focus on.

“If this is going to be so difficult, we might as well hold this annual event in Singapore. I am sure they will be more than happy to play host,” he told The Star yesterday.

On Monday, Selangor PAS Youth submitted a memoradum to the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office to protest against plans to have Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the match on July 6.

State PAS Youth chief Sallehen Mokhyi said the movement felt that performances by the singers were inappropriate as it would be attended by many youngsters.

The youth wing threatened to stage a demonstration at the Shah Alam Stadium if Ella and Mas Idayu were allowed to performed.

Sallehen’s call came on the heels of a statement by national PAS Youth vice-chief Azman Shapawi that the party wanted all the Pakatan Rakyat states to implement Syariah laws.

The Sultan said yesterday Ella and Mas Idayu were chosen because they were good entertainers and that the organisers felt that they would be able to entertain the people before the match began.

The other singer is David Arumugam of Alleycats.

“The organising committee even planned for the performance by the singers to end before the maghrib prayers. They are performers suitable for the family and I don’t know what the fuss is all about,” he said.

The Tuanku said Selangor did not comprise of “just PAS and Muslims,” adding that the state had many political parties and people of other races and faith.

He said Pakatan Rakyat was a multi-racial coalition and the sensitivities of other races must be taken into account.

“The idea of holding the performance is to create goodwill and bring the people together before the match. Sports and music bring people together,” he said.

He added this was the seventh edition of the Cup and was organised to enhance friendly ties with Singapore through football, adding that the history of Selangor and Singapore’s friendly rivalry went back to before the Second World War.

The Sultan also clarified that the state government and its subsidiary Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd were not the sponsors of the match.

He said no government funds were used for the organisation of the match and so the issue of public funds for the performance and football match did not arise as it was all done through sponsorship.

He said organising chairman Datuk Karim Munisar, who is Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd president, was appointed by him to run the event annually because of Karim’s love for football and volunteerism.

Malaysian sultan clashes with Islamic party over entertainers

AFP (17/6/09): The sultan of Malaysia's Selangor state has threatened to cancel a football tournament after the Islamic opposition objected to the entertainers performing at the event, a report said Wednesday.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah told The Star daily that the protest over the two women -- rock singer Ella and Mas Idayu, who performs the hip-swivelling "dangdut" dance -- was "hypocritical" and "trivial".

He said future Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore could be cancelled if the Islamic party PAS was successful in its campaign to have them struck off the schedule.

"If this is going to be so difficult, we might as well hold this annual event in Singapore. I am sure they will be more than happy to play host," he told the daily.

The PAS youth wing in Selangor sent a memorandum to the state's chief minister objecting to the performers at the July 6 match, saying they were inappropriate as the event would be attended by many youngsters.

It threatened to demonstrate at the stadium if the women were allowed to perform, The Star said.

Malaysia's population is predominantly Muslim, and the nation's sultans are the traditional guardians of Islam in the states they rule.

But Sharafuddin said Selangor was not made up of "just PAS and Muslims" and that in any case the two performers were suitable for families.

"I don't know what the fuss is all about," he said.

PAS, which rules the northern state of Kelantan, has had ambitions of turning Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule.

However, in recent years it has begun introducing reforms designed to tone down its hardline reputation and woo young voters.

Ella disappointed with PAS Youth

The Star (18/6/09): Rock queen Ella is disappointed and angry at Selangor PAS Youth for seeking to prevent her and dangdut legend Mas Idayu from performing at the Sultan of Selangor Cup on July 6.

“They are judging me and making baseless accusations. No one can ever judge anybody. Only God can judge us,” she said yesterday.

“I have never broken any regulation when it comes to concerts and public events. I always follow the protocols. In fact, my show costumes are always in accordance to the theme of the event,” she told The Star.

“I am a public figure and a Muslim. I know exactly what to wear and what not to wear,” she said when commenting on movement's memorandum calling on the two singers to be dropped.

Ella said that she had no intention of becoming a bad example to youth.

“The kids are not stupid. They know how to think for themselves. We are living in a modern world today and the kids are exposed enough to know what is right and wrong,” she said.

Mas Idayu could not be reached for comments.

Selangor PAS Youth protests performances by Ella, Mas Idayu

The Star (16/6/08): The Selangor PAS Youth movement has submitted a memorandum to the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office to protest against plans to have Malaysia rock queen Ella and dangdut singer Mas Idayu perform at the Sultan of Selangor Cup on July 6.

State PAS youth chief Sallehen Mokhyi said the movement felt that performances by the two singers were inappropriate at the event that would be attended by many youngsters.

He said PAS fully supported sports-related activities as they were important in building good moral values but felt that the two performers would have an opposite effect on the minds of the youngsters who attended the event.

He said the movement had no objections to musical performances if the performers were replaced with other singers who were more “acceptable”.

“Ella and Mas Idayu’s dressing and performances do not follow the values of the Islamic and Malay cultures and we (the youth movement) cannot turn a blind eye to the effect it will have on the spectators,” he told reporters Monday at the state secretariat building here.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad received the memorandum on his behalf as the Mentri Besar was attending a state government meeting.

State government subsidiary Kelab Darul Ehsan Bhd is organising the football match being held for the second consecutive year at the Shah Alam Stadium.

Ella and Mas Idayu are to perform during a one-hour musical performance to kick-start the event together with David Arumugam of Alleycats.

Sallehin said the youth movement would be forced to hold a peaceful gathering to protest the performance by the two singers if the state government did not stop their performance.

He said he hoped that Khalid would act accordingly and not cause dissatisfaction among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition members in the newly-formed state government.