Concert attracts Muslim youth in Malaysian city

Thousands of youths packed a stadium for a singular event in a Malaysian state ruled by the Islamic opposition -- the first pop music concert in more than 15 years followed by the declaration of the state capital as an Islamic city.

The gala event on Saturday night in Kelantan state captured the seemingly contrary tasks facing the ruling Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party: to shed its hardline image and woo the young into its fold, while emphasizing its Islamic values to ensure the conservative core support doesn't get alienated.

"The party's very survival lies in its ability to attract young people," said Lutfi Othman, a political analyst.

Western-style entertainment

When it came to power in Kelantan 15 years ago, the party banned all forms of Western-style entertainment including karaoke and mainstream music concerts, allowing only religious songs to be performed in public.

The Saturday night concert featured Malaysia's most famous pop icon, Asmawi Ani.

Asmawi, known as Mawi, is not just a pop singer. A devout Muslim who has espoused Islamic moral values, Asmawi, 24, is the perfect poster boy for moderate PAS members trying to modernize the party, which also organized a fashion show yesterday, albeit open only to a female audience and women reporters.

With his elderly parents in the stands, Asmawi belted out songs approved by concert organizers beforehand. The audience of more than 40,000 was segregated -- men on one side, women on another.

There were no uncontrolled gyrations among the audience normally seen at concerts. The performers were all men, and included the group Rabbani, which specializes in religious songs.

After the music, 15 horsemen drew a carriage carrying a scroll that was handed to the sultan of Kelantan, the constitutional ruler, who read it out to declare state capital Kota Bahru an Islamic city. The sky erupted with fireworks.

According to PAS, the designation would require the city to follow five tenets -- knowledge, loyalty, cleanliness, prosperity and welfare.

Not everybody was impressed by the proclamation.

Boost morale

"The declaration of Kota Bahru as an Islamic city itself is not significant, except maybe to boost morale among the party supporters," said Lutfi, a political analyst.

"But the concert and fashion show gives the party a highly publicized window to show it is becoming more moderate so that it can be accepted to the younger generation," he said.

PAS is the only opposition party to rule a Malaysian state, and the only serious challenge to the ruling National Front coalition of Malay Muslim, Chinese and Indian parties that governs all other states.

The National Front dismisses PAS as a Taliban-like fundamentalist party, out of tune with the multiethnic, multi-religious progressive nation that Malaysia is.

PAS has banned the sale of alcohol in the state and enforced strict segregation of sexes, even in supermarket checkout lines.

The party suffered a stunning defeat in the 2004 national elections, and afterward tried to project itself as more moderate by reducing its religious rhetoric. In recent party elections, a crop of young leaders were elected as office bearers.

The federal government dismissed the "Islamic city" badge as a gimmick.

"In Islam, names are not important as they can be deceiving," Abdul Hamid Othman, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's religious adviser, said.

"Most importantly, the authorities in the city must ensure there is enough food, the people are healthy and live in peace," he added.