Malaysian Idol is under attack by Islamic fundamentalist leaders, who have denounced the local version of the hit American TV show as an attempt to steer Muslim youths away from religious fidelity.
Is the only acceptable form of 'live' entertainment, self detonation on a public bus?)
Thousands of young, aspiring pop stars - ranging from urban teenagers in Kuala Lumpur to struggling fishermen on Borneo island - have flocked to nationwide auditions for the singing competition, often belting out English-language ballads or gyrating to R&B tunes. But the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party urged audiences yesterday to boycott the show, which is attracting millions of viewers every week following its debut last month on this predominantly Muslim country's private 8TV network.
| Aren't they the ones who got waxed in the last election? |
Organisers promise the winner a recording contract and "platinum-selling artist treatment". Participants - none of them older than 26, due to the show's age restrictions - who bungle their performances are frequently shown tearful and devastated. Muslim youths have "forgotten their religious obligations, including prayers, because they are too busy practicing for show," the party's newspaper, Harakah, said in a recent commentary. |