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VISITORS to Kelantan, the Malaysian state controlled by the fundamentalist Parti Islam seMalaysia, are advised not to burst into song or tap their feet in public.

  The Kelantan Government has banned all song and dance performances in its latest crackdown on behaviour considered contrary to Islamic teaching.

  The move sets Kelantan further apart from the rest of Malaysia, where a more tolerant form of Islam is practised.

   The National Front, headed by the United Malays National Organisation, holds power in all other states and rules federally.

  Hassan Abdullah, president of the municipal council of Kota Baru, the Kelantan capital, said the ban had been imposed in a directive from the state Government.

    'With immediate effect, all charity drives, cultural shows, concerts or any functions which involve singing and dancing have been banned,' he said.

   'We will not entertain any more applications to hold such performances.' The ban covers Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

  The announcement was made after the Tamil Belle Association reported that the council had rejected an application for a cultural performance connected with the Indian celebration of Deepavali.

  It follows official criticism of senior state personalities who attended a function at a leading hotel where singing and dancing was part of the entertainment.

  The Chief Minister, Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is also a religious teacher, said the Government had prohibited song and dance performances when it came to power five years ago 'to curb immoral activities'. But the ban had apparently not been enforced.

  Last week, council officers halted a school concert because the organisers did not have a permit but it was allowed to proceed when Mr Hassan and a state assemblyman intervened. Such concerts will not be allowed in future.

  Kelantan bans gambling and has tighter controls on alcohol and a stricter dress code for women than other states. It also introduced Islamic laws under which thieves would have their hands cut off and adulterers would be stoned. But the Federal Government has prevented their implementation.



Song and dance outlawed in Kelantan