It’s raining men: The Great British Circus, which has toured Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam for the past 10 years, has little choice but to adapt to local conditions to stay afloat. — Great British Circus
WITH important matters like Budget 2025, the economy, and the rising value of the ringgit gripping the country, it was a news item that went almost unnoticed.
Malaysia is staging what is, presumably, the world’s first male- only circus performance – in Kelantan – which will run until Nov 17.
It made global history and the news received the attention of Singapore’s The Straits Times, the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, and various online news portals.
The Great British Circus, which has toured Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam for the past 10 years, has little choice as it attempts to adapt to local conditions to stay afloat.
The cash-strapped modern circus no longer has animals, as they are costly. Also, they are no longer acceptable.
That must have come as a relief for the circus. Otherwise, the PAS-led Kelantan state government may have insisted that animals must fall under the gender restriction ruling and that only male animals could be used.
The condition was set by the Kelantan government, according to the state’s Local Government, Housing, Health, and Environment committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah, the media reported. The Kota Baru Municipal Council gave the circus’ organisers the licence to perform in the city.
“Other circus shows feature female performers who expose parts of their bodies and do not cover their aurat, which is against Islamic law,’’ he was quoted as saying.
The Great British Circus agreed to the conditions set by the council, in compliance with a 2002 ruling, and we presume the female performers will have to stay back as helpers or make up the audience.
We know the Kelantan government does not allow hair salons to display posters of women with uncovered hair or risk having their licenses revoked. But an all-male circus sets new standards.
In 2013, the council even acted against salon owners who put up posters of non-Muslim women who did not cover their heads. This is exactly what has happened in Afghanistan.
In the case of Kota Baru, the ruling also applies to non-Muslims, which is clearly against the Federal Constitution and infringes the rights of non-Muslims.
In August, the Terengganu government prohibited the Guan Ti temple from holding a concert in an open space and also banned female performers.
State executive councillor Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah said the council had approved the application from the temple for a celebration which included compliance with the state’s guidelines on such events.
“’According to the guidelines, performances involving female artistes are only allowed for female audiences. However, exceptions are made for performances by male and female artistes for non-Muslim audiences,’’ he reportedly said.
Last month, as Pahang PAS leaders called for the closure of the Genting Highlands casino if it captures the state government, its national information leader Ahmad Fadhli Shaari played down fears, saying “such decisions fall under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction” and that the party would not impose a “Taliban state’’ on non-Muslims.
The reality is that most non-Muslims, including those from Sabah and Sarawak, are not going to be convinced.
In fact, the push by PAS to implement its extreme approaches has probably become more hardline in recent years.
PAS can open its doors to non-Muslims, but that will not remove their negative perception towards the Islamist party.
The only one who seems convinced is Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau, what’s left of Gerakan, and some opportunistic partners.
It makes no difference because PAS has run a contradictory agenda all along. On the one hand, it says it wishes to win over the non-Muslims, but on the other, its religious and even racial rhetoric keeps getting louder.
Selangor PAS, in hopes of winning more seats in the state, is now regurgitating the party’s old “PAS for All’’ slogan of the Nik Aziz era, but it cannot hope to convince non-Muslims with a mere slogan.
It has a poor record – if not a non-existent one – of being fair, respectful, and tolerant of a multi-racial Malaysia.
PAS leaders have continuously ask non-Muslims to visit Kelantan, believing it is a shiny, exemplary state government when most of them think that it is one of the worst-run state governments.
Many talented Kelantanese have moved to the federal capital because the PAS government has little to offer despite having been in power for decades.
The thing is, many PAS leaders have actually started to believe in their own propaganda.
But most non-Muslims do not see PAS – a religion-based party – as one that can run a modern economy.
Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has been touted as an upcoming PAS leader with an impressive track record, but he has little engagement outside his state.
Most senior journalists in Kuala Lumpur do not have any real interaction with PAS leaders as they choose to turn down invitations for meetings to exchange views, apparently because of their distrust of the mainstream media.
PAS politicians may be able to win in states which are predominantly Malay, such as Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis, and Terengganu, but they cannot run Malaysia without the non-Malays in the peninsula, and Sabah and Sarawak.
It’s the same for Umno firebrands like Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, who continues to play the Malay hero persona – but he would eventually have to realise that many parties, including Umno, would have preferred that he stayed low-key during recent by-elections.
In short, he is a liability as far as non-Muslims are concerned. His arrogance and presence simply turn them off.
Even in his own Merlimau state constituency in Melaka, he would still need the support of non-Muslim voters, but at the rate he is overplaying his masculine image with his outrageous racist remarks and posturing, it could come back eventually haunt him.
It is easy to be the champion of our own race and religion but much harder to be a hero for all Malaysians of all beliefs.
