Cinemas can open in Kelantan, subject to syariah law - PAS Youth

 

The Kelantan government has never blocked any companies that want to open cinemas in the state, said PAS Youth.

State PAS Youth chief Mohamad Kamal Mohamed (above), however, stated that these companies would have to follow the rules and regulations that are set by the state government led by the Islamist party.

“In other words, cinemas must adhere to syariah law.

“(But) now, there are many alternatives for the public to watch films or dramas. It does not have to be at a cinema,” he told Malaysiakini, when contacted today.

Previously, the fact that Kelantan has had no cinemas since 1990 became a hot topic after PAS Youth was seen promoting the film ‘Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan’.

Additionally, a group of PAS Youth leaders were seen at the cinema to watch the Syamsul Yusof film.

For the record, Kelantan PAS Youth was the biggest dissenters to the reopening of cinemas in Kelantan when the issue came up in 2016.

According to their former Youth chief, who is now the national PAS Youth chief, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, the suggestion to open cinemas is not in line with Kelantan’s image as a knowledge hub.

National PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari

“We stress that Kelantan should always stick with the current situation which doesn’t require a cinema for youths.

“Cinemas are proven to cause various problems and contribute towards increasingly rampant social problems,” he had said.

Consequently, in 2019, the state government stressed that after long, and thorough discussions, it decided not to open any cinemas throughout Kelantan.

Meanwhile, Kamal stated that he feels that the citizens of Kelantan are used to the lack of cinemas in the state.

“I am confident that the public in Kelantan is already used to the lack of cinemas. The people who are complaining are just a small percentage of people or certain political parties,” he said. - Mkini