Merdeka's indecent dance?

Sabah's edition of the Borneo Post on Sunday (Sept 24th) published front page a photograph of a dance performance during Kemabong's Merdeka celebration on Aug 25. The picture taken from a video recording shows Filipino dancers in what local Umno leader Yafta Musa said was indecent.

Yafta said as an Umno leader, he was angry and disgusted when watching such kind of performance as it was very embarrassing. He said action should be taken to those responsible for allowing the performance as it will likely affect the credibility of Barisan Nasional leaders.

He said Kemabong assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang was also present at the celebration which started at 7pm and went on until midnight.

Rubin, in his reply published in the Daily Express today, denied that the performance that night was laced with indecency. He believed that the issue was sensationalised by disgruntled individuals who were out to gain publicity.

"I did not receive any complain from my supporters in Kemabong but only from those who are supporters of ex-Tenom Member of Parliament Datuk Rizalman Abdullah who was angry that he (Rizalman) was not selected to defend his seat in the 2004 general election," Rubin said.

He said the organiser had brought in an Elvis impersonator from Australia to perform that night who wanted his own dancers to accompany his performances.

Rubin said the dance was more like ballet and ballroom dancing, which could be quite new to people in "a remote area like Kemabong as they are not used to it." He said should there were people to ask for the dancing to be stopped that night, "I would have immediately asked them to do so but there was none."

My Say:

A copy of the photograph is up there for all to see and to make individual conclusion on whether or not it look indecent.