KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan government is in the midst of finalising the review of the Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Control Enactment 1998 to ensure the law remains relevant and effective according to current needs.
Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said amendments include suggestions on raising the rate of existing fines as a lesson to individuals and corporations that violate the law, and that focus is on several sections to strengthen enforcement to be more efficient.
“We realise that there are seven lawyers, including myself, among the state assemblymen. On Wednesday, we will hold an exco meeting to discuss the matter,” he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Islamic Cultural Seminar at Dewan Putik, Pengkalan Chepa here today.
He also reminded artistes, especially those engaged in dikir barat and its associations to continue to develop the artform, preserve its originality and values as they need to ensure it was not tainted by negative influences.
“For instance, Wali Songo such as Sunan Kalijaga, a renowned preacher in Nusantara who uses music, songs and cultural performances as an approach to share Islamic teachings. His success proves that art and culture are capable to be strong preaching approaches.
“We hope that dikir barat, which represents Kelantan’s culture and image, isn’t tainted with swear words, obscenities and such as it can be accepted as a decent artform,” he said.
