Great British Circus in Kota Bharu: No animals, no women, yes men only
The circus act is promising not to feature female performers who are deemed to be skimpily dressed with the navel exposed.
KOTA BHARU - "When entertaining the public, it is best to have an elephant," P.T. Barnum once said in 1882 about staging the Greatest Show on Earth.
Then the famous Ringling Bros declared in 2016 there would be no more monkeys, tigers, lions and elephants, so what's the point of going? Without animals, it also abandoned the big top (canvas tent) for an air-conditioned stage where gymnastics rule with acrobats in daredevil trapeze stunts.
And hence, the Great British Circus show that comes to town from Oct 26 to Nov 17, at Aeon Mall near Lembah Sireh here, will feature a human-only circus.
And it has a new juggling act after been given conditional permission for its promising act by the Kota Bharu Municipal Council. If a modern circus can do without animals and clowns, then it can also do without women.
State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah who laid down the rules of entertainment in Islamic state Kelantan said the circus act this time was quite different compared to other venues because it is promising not to feature female performers who are deemed to be skimpily dressed with the navel exposed.
He said the compliance of this foreign circus show proves that the entertainment requirements imposed by the state have been understood by event managers and that local and foreign organisers can comply with.
"Kelantan has never rejected entertainment programmes which are not contrary to Islamic law and takes into account the sensitivity of the community and religion. Islam is a religion that acknowledges human nature needs entertainment in daily life.
"The state government has enacted the Entertainment and Control of Entertainment Venues Enactment 1998 and has made the 2003 Entertainment Control Guidelines and State Circular No. 4/2003 to supervise all entertainment activities in Kelantan," he said in a statement today.
Hilmi said the state government is also in the process of presenting a new Entertainment and Control of Entertainment Venues Enactment to adapt to the demands of life in the millennial era.
Following that, event managers and organisers who intend to hold entertainment events in Pas-ruled Kelantan are advised to consult with the local authorities first so as not to violate the rules and guidelines set by the licensing officer and to organise with a valid entertainment permit. - BERNAMA
