Mermaid stunt lands man in Kelantan Islamic Dept custody

 

A 24-year-old man has been detained after dressing as a mermaid to promote a beverage stall in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Fadzli Hassan said the suspect was detained by the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department on Monday in the vicinity of his residence in Chekok, Pasir Mas, following a viral TikTok video.

He said investigations by the department identified the individual involved, and an investigation paper was opened under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019.

“The suspect was called in… and detained under Section 19 for a man posing as a woman and Section 21 involving indecent behaviour,” he told reporters after attending the state executive council meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex in Kota Bharu today.

Elaborating, Fadzli said after documentation and preliminary investigations, the suspect was released on an enforcement bond and instructed to appear again on June 8 for further proceedings.

He said that based on information obtained, the suspect was paid RM200 by the beverage stall owner to produce the promotional video, while the stall owner has been issued a notice to remove the content.

“The state government wishes to stress that any acts contrary to syariah values and societal norms will be addressed firmly, prudently, and in accordance with the law,” he said.

It was reported that a 26-second video showing a man dressed as a mermaid dancing in front of a beverage stall, believed to be promotional content to boost sales, had gone viral on Facebook and drawn criticism from internet users who described the act as shameful.

- Bernama