PETALING JAYA: MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon has hit out at PAS for making a big deal out of the Selena Gomez concert and called for more police security during the show on July 25.

Chong said more police presence during Gomez’s The Revival Tour concert would  ensure that protests by PAS members would not get out of hand and jeopardise the safety of concert goers.

He said PAS Youth should also not discriminate against local and foreign artistes.

"Strangely, if PAS Youth deems western concerts as 'causing erosion of faith' and cinemas as the 'cause of social ills', why do they drop silent when local rock artistes perform on stage?

"Why the discrimination and furore against foreign performing artists but none against the local performing artistes?

“The issue is identical, people performing on stage are deemed to cause erosion of faith among the audience," Chong said in a statement.

He said that protest against the concert showed that the PAS “seeks to deprive non-Muslims of their constitutional right to enjoy concerts.”

"Whether it is the month of Syawal or not, PAS Youth has on several occasions protested against concerts even if they were not held during Syawal.

“For example, Adam Lambert in 2010, boycott against Rihanna’s concert in 2009, protested against Avril Lavigne's concert in 2009  and called for Beyonce’s concert to be banned in 2009," he said.

Chong, who is deputy education minister, said there should not be a problem if the concert organisers conformed to the conditions set by the authorities and ministries.

"This includes decent attire, noise volume from the loud speakers and safety of the patrons by checking only those with valid tickets are allowed entry.

"They should also ensure that there are strictly no gatecrashers and there are ample fire exits and sufficient signages," he said.

Chong questioned the stand of other opposition leaders on the issue and asked how they were going to overcome the objections by PAS.

PAS Youth’s dakwah committee chairman Hafez Sabri claimed that the American singer’s sexy appearance would tarnish the sanctity of the month of Syawal when Muslims celebrate Hari Raya.

Hafez expressed regret that the local authorities had given approval to the concert’s organisers.

The 24-year-old Gomez is slated to perform at the Melawati indoor stadium on July 25 before heading to Singapore for another concert on July 27.

-The STAR-