Siti Kasim To Religious Authorities Just Leave Sinners To Bear Burden Of Sinful Dressing Themselves

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THE new music video (MV) by local all-girl band – Dolla – has certainly been making waves.
Not just among fans but also among the upholders of moral principles whose delicate sensitivities were outraged by the supposedly “indecent and revealing outfits” worn by the group members in the clip for their latest single, Question.

This includes Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Na’im Mokhtar who is reviewing possible shariah action against Muslim celebrities who dress provocatively. Celebrity preacher Asma’ Harun separately criticised the video as immoral.
The reaction from the latter two personalities drew opprobrium from human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim who was aghast at this latest attempt by these moral guardians to control how Malaysians eat, think and live.


In an almost 12-minute YouTube video, the Orang Asli advocate could barely hide her contempt when she declared:
“This is one problem we’ve in the country when they continuously want to control us, on how we dress, what we eat and drink, and what we can think.”
Condemning their pronouncements as playing to the gallery, the 62-year-old firebrand legal eagle ranted: “They’re reacting as usual to criticism by some Malays towards the MV by Dolla after some Muslims claimed it was sexually suggestive styling.”
“The urge to control us (Muslims) is so strong among these religious authorities and among some (rightist) Muslims who feel it’s their obligation to save their brethren,” observed Siti Kasim. “No, you do not have any such duty to save anyone except yourselves!”
‘Why not combat graft instead?’
Rejecting outright the proposed use of laws to regulate Muslims in Malaysia, the UiTM alumni lambasted Na’im Mokhtar and the religious authorities for focusing on Dolla’s hemline rather than a slew of pertinent issues affecting Malay-Muslims in the country.
It was suggested that Na’im and the relevant religious authorities could have taken a more diplomatic line on their fashion sense without appearing authoritarian.
To this, Siti Kasim remarked: “If it’s a sin, the girls (Dolla’s trio of whom only Wan Sabrina Wan Rosli a.k.a. Sabronzo is a Muslim) will have to answer to God. It’s strictly between them and the Almighty.”

Highlighting the hypocrisy inherent in the situation, she went on to proclaim: “They could talk about or do something about Malay economic hardships or the chaotic Malay politics we’re experiencing right now. The majority of the corruptors are Malay Muslims. Have you actually said anything about that? Nope.”
The Queen Mary University, London graduate also pointed out to crumbling moral values among the Malay community, citing the rising cases of sod*my, se*ual assault and even gang rape that are occurring within school compounds.
Worse yet, the silence over cases that happen inside religious schools is deafening.
Obviously angry and upset at this latest attempt by the moral guardians to acts as society’s censors, Siti Kasim implored young voters to “never vote for those who will use religion as a tool”.

It should be noted that while it is regrettable that producer Universal Music Malaysia outrightly complied with pressure from the religious authorities by pulling out Dolla’s latest MV from all official platforms, one can bet his bottom – ermmm, dollar – that the girl group’s popularity would have skyrocketed from all this attention.
Ironically, the clip will probably be seen by even more viewers now and the girl band will certainly be on everyone’s lips thanks to the publicity afforded by this episode of faux outrage.
Even senior citizen Siti Kasim is now aware of them. – Focus Malaysia

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