Gwen Stefani to cover up
2007-08-04 12:53
Kuala Lumpur - There will be no
revealing costumes at US singer Gwen Stefani's concert in
Malaysia this month, a newspaper said on Saturday, after a
Muslim student group demanded that the event be cancelled as
being too obscene.
Although Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country with
sizeable non-Muslim minorities, conservative groups often frown
upon departures from strict Koranic injunctions.
Malaysian mobile phone firm Maxis Communications, which is
promoting the August 21 show as part of Stefani's "Sweet Escape"
tour, promised it would feature no revealing costumes, the Star
newspaper said.
"She will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to
ensure that her show will not be offensive to local
sensibilities," it quoted a Maxis statement as saying.
Malaysia's official guide for performers says women must be
covered from the top of the bosom to the knees, the Star said.
Jumping, shouting and the throwing of objects are barred,
while performers may not hug, kiss or wear clothes with obscene
or drug-related pictures or slogans, it added.
On Tuesday, an official of the 10 000-strong National Union
of Malaysian Muslim Students said Stefani's video promotion
clips were obscene and the event would clash with local Asian
and Islamic values.
"We want the organisers to cancel the concert, failing
which we will ask the authorities to intervene," said Mohamad
Hilmi Ramli, the group's president.
Ethnic Malays, who are by definition Muslims, make up just
over half of Malaysia's 26 million people, while ethnic Chinese
and Indians, who are mostly Buddhists, Christians or Hindus,
account for most of the rest.