Erykah Badu: No amnesia, but intentional

The angry reaction from my "racially" slanted posting on the Erykah Badu posters were only expected. We are not being racist or self-centred about our own race, just giving an observation.

However, we have no problem admitting that the majority of Malay Muslims expect other races to be sensitive to their dietary restriction of pork and liqour but are not when it comes to that of other religion.

Malays Muslims invite neighbours and friend for kenduri or open house but are not concerned for the vegetarian and beef restriction of Buddhist and Hindu Malaysians.

We are aware of these, when we have to face moments of very strict purine free diet that we realised that many vegetarians can't take Malay vegetable dishes, which had non vegetarian of dried anchovy or prawns as stock base.

It could be out of ignorance or "tidak apa" attiutude, but the issue of the Erykah Badu picture in The Star Section 2 goes beyond that. This time it is seriously intentional.

The other newspaper did not report and expectedly The Star did not also but the Utusan Malaysia today report mentioned that the organisers are aware of the local sensitivity to original poster bearing the kalimah Allah as tattoo on Erykah's off shoulder.


The organisers removed the kalimah Allah and provided the newspapers and media with pictures without the controversial tattoo. But The Star put up the controversial picture.

The Utusan Malaysia copy below:


It reads:

Kataya, pihak penganjur sendiri melakukan suntingan kepada gambar untuk 'membersihkan' pada badan dan penyanyi yang tertera kalimah Allah.

"Saya tidak faham kenapa pihak Editor The Star tidak perasan gambar ini boleh menimbulkan kontroversi yang bukan diambil dari pihak kami. Saya amat kecewa," katanya selepas sidang akhbar bersama Erykah Badu.

Bagaimanapun beliau enggan mengulas kos kerugian akibat pembatalan kos konsert tersebut yang terjual kira-kira 1,500 tiket.

It is really sad that the concert has to be cancelled which we feel today is overdone on the part of the Minister. However, the organiser should be financially compensated by The Star's intentional oversight.

Thus far, the news below is the only reaction from The Star for this serious intentional oversight that caused the organsers serious losses and Muslims anger:

The Star gantung tugas dua editor serta-merta

KUALA LUMPUR 29 Feb. - The Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad hari ini menggantung tugas dua editor akhbar The Star iaitu Pengarang Kanan Rencana, Lim Cheng Hoe dan Timbalan Pengarang Rencana, Daryl Goh.

Penggantungan serta merta untuk satu tempoh yang tidak dinyatakan itu dipercayai ekoran penyiaran gambar penyanyi funk, hip-hop dan soul dari Amerika Syarikat (AS), Erykah Badu yang tertera pelbagai tatu termasuk perkataan 'Allah' di dadanya.

Menurut sumber, berikutan penggantungan itu, Pengarang Bersekutu, Shah A. Dadameah dan Rozaid Abdul Rahman diberi tugas khas untuk menasihati dan meneliti artikel yang disiarkan menerusi The Star bagi memastikan kesilapan sama tidak berulang.

Tambah sumber itu juga, satu penambahbaikan sedang dijalankan di Unit Hiburan dan Rencana di akhbar tersebut. ...

Only suspension of two lower level Editor? If they truly are responsible this serious oversight, why are they not fired?

The Star has to be more serious than that. Mind you, the way newspaper works, any article and pictures to be placed have undergone various level of editing, vetting and approvals before allowed publication.

What about the big bosses up there?

Unless somebody big like Dato' Wong Chun Wai get chopped off, The Star will repeat this again? I guarantee.

Updated: 12:15 PM