Actor and comedian Afdlin Shauki has withdrawn his support for the Crackhouse Comedy Club amid calls for its closure, citing evidence supposedly showing insulting behaviour towards Islam.
The PKR politician said he has to be firm and not compromise with any act that insults religion on stage.
“Based on the latest information provided to me by friends and as I explained last night while live with Amin Idris, I sternly condemn any action that insults religion on the comedy stage.
“Even though it only involves a few, it can become cancer if allowed to fester.
“Boasting about such actions makes me feel disgusted, and I can no longer offer my support to Crackhouse,” he said in a Facebook post.
Prior to reversing his stance, Afdlin said it is unreasonable for authorities to temporarily close the club merely for the one person’s open mic performance that allegedly insulted Islam, likening it to closing a swimming pool over a swimmer taking steroids.
“That is the fault of the swimmer, not the swimming pool,” he had said, noting that Crackhouse is a place where many new comedians hone their craft.
Afdlin’s post today is accompanied by a photo purportedly showing a comedian on stage handing a can of beer to be opened by a woman wearing a headscarf, which is apparently taken from Crackhouse co-founder Rizal Van Geyzel’s social media account.
Rizal is reportedly being held for questioning over three videos that allegedly touch on racial and religious matters and will be presented for remand proceedings tomorrow morning.
Afdlin said he had previously offered his support to Crackhouse to protect the livelihoods of other comedians, many of whom could put on a good show.
However, he now urged fellow comedians to find other locations to advance their careers.
“This matter will not be settled anytime soon, and we should leave authorities to do their work. They must face the consequences if they are found guilty,” he said while praying for fellow comedians affected by the closure.
Elaborating further on his reversal, Afdlin said people could only respond to issues based on information within their knowledge.
“For now, this information means I can no longer support for Crackhouse to remain open.” - Mkini
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