The Islamist party, however, according to another PAS leader, is still not in favour of the US pop-star’s brand of “excessive entertainment”.
“Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). This is a success for those who want to ensure foreign artistes do not taint our values and to respect Islam as the official religion of the federation,” PAS Deputy Youth Chief Khairil Nizam Khairudin told FMT.
He was asked to comment on Gomez’s choice of clothes which was initially the cause of concern for various quarters, including PAS, which frowned upon her “sexy image”.
On Monday night, the former Disney star entertained more than 1,500 fans at her Revival Tour Concert in Shah Alam.
Meanwhile, PAS Selangor Executive Councillor Ahmad Yunus Hairi stressed that PAS was still against Gomez’s “excessive” brand of entrainment, despite her “decent” dress sense at the concert.
Muslims, he said, still rejected “excessive” entertainment , hedonism and the sexy image of artistes.
The exco for religious affairs said that Gomez’s decent dress code did not mean her brand of entertainment was acceptable.
“Outside Malaysia, Selena Gomez dresses sexily. Our protest was to make her aware that Islamic and Eastern culture is very different from the West.”
In the week leading up to the Selena Gomez concert, PAS Youth voiced its disapproval at having the artiste perform in Malaysia for fear her sexy image and performance would tarnish the month of Syawal.
Ahmad Yunus was reported to have ordered that all mosques in Selangor organise special prayers to invoke divine intervention for Gomez’s concert to be cancelled.
However, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) later denied issuing any such directive to mosques and surau in the state to perform special prayers (solat hajat) seeking the cancellation of the concert.
“It is stressed here that any cancellation of the Selena Gomez concert is under the jurisdiction of the local authorities (PBT) and out of Jais’ jurisdiction,” the department said.
On Sunday, PAS Youth Chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said it was inappropriate for Muslims to attend the Selena Gomez concert because it not only made them neglect their duties as Muslims but also their morals.