The management said its premises were sealed yesterday without prior written notice being given.
“While we understand that some action needs to be taken, the act of sealing Crackhouse Comedy Club and suspending its operating licence without prior written notice is highly prejudicial and unfair.
“We strongly urge the authorities to revoke the suspension of the club’s licence as this action was heavy-handed and without due process,” it said in a statement.
On Sunday, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) suspended the club’s operations. Deputy federal territories minister Jalaluddin Alias said this would send a clear message that the government would not tolerate any activity deemed offensive to religion, race and the country’s sovereignty.
Yesterday, Jalaluddin reportedly said the club had been operating without the proper licence and would be issued a show cause letter today.
He said the club had been operating with a restaurant licence, not an entertainment licence, The Star reported.
A 54-second video clip of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed a woman introducing herself as a Muslim woman. She claimed to have memorised 15 chapters of the Quran before discarding her tudung and baju kurung, revealing skimpy clothes underneath.
Following the incident, the club lodged a police report against the woman, saying she and her partner had been barred from the venue immediately after the performance.
The management condemned the incident as an “act of sabotage” and said the woman had recorded and released the performance on social media without its knowledge or permission.
“Crackhouse Comedy Club’s reputation has been damaged by this person who appears to have her own agenda. The club was neither party to this nor did the management condone it,” it said.
The statement was signed by the club’s founders, Rizal van Geyzel and Shankar R Santhiram, as well as comedians Harith Iskander, Douglas Lim and Jason Leong, among others.
Woman and another to be charged
Police secretary Noorsiah Saaduddin said today the woman will be charged under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or enmity, hatred or ill will on grounds of religion.
Another individual, believed to be her boyfriend, will be charged under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network services.
In a statement, Noorsiah said the police had submitted the investigation papers on the duo to the Attorney-General’s Chambers and received instructions to charge them.
It was learned that they will be charged tomorrow, but the police have yet to confirm the date and time.