The Malaysian Insider recently reported that Muslims will not be able to attend the Black Eyed Peas concert (direction of Dato Seri Rais Yatim) as this is part of the Guinness Arthur’s day celebrations. This is a guideline which perhaps could have been better thought through. Questions arise such as:-
1) Are they going to have to have a mykad reader to check religion before issuing tickets?
2) Will they also ban the sale of the Guinness Book of World Records to non- Muslims?
3) Should Muslims be banned from purchasing products from LVMH (which is after all a company that sells alcohol)?
Before a decision is made (and announced) it would benefit from some thorough research and thought. That would help avoid such situations where Malaysia is again in the international news for the wrong reasons (recently Malaysia was in the news over the planned caning of the woman who drank beer). This decision is hardly one that will help foster unity or enhance the image of Malaysia as a modern and tolerant Muslim nation.
