Muslim convert Deepavali ad: Finas in hot curry

By FMT Staff

PETALING JAYA: A Deepavali advertisement by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) about a Muslim convert has drawn flak from MIC Youth and a DAP senator.

MIC Youth chief T Mohan demanded that the advertisement, which was aired on TV, be retracted and Finas apologise to the Indian community.

Saying that it had no significance with the Hindu celebration, he claimed that the advertisement was encouraging Hindus to convert to Islam as it gave the impression that the act of conversion would be accepted by the convert's family.

“The advertisement showed that while the Muslim convert son and his wife were not accepted by the former's family initially, they were however welcomed after the birth of the couple's children,” he said.

Mohan was also outraged that the advertisement depicted the Muslim wife of being reluctant to eat her food at her in-law's house, fearing that the food consumed was not halal.

“It was totally against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia concept. Finas must understand that religion is a sensitive subject to all and it showed that it has no respect for non-Muslims, especially Indians,” he said.

Mohan, who claimed to have received numerous complaints over the matter, urged the Information Ministry to take the issue seriously and ensure that such cases do not happen again.

'Silent conversion campaign'

Meanwhile, DAP Senator Dr S Ramakrishnan said that Finas and the advertisement's producer had violated Article 295-298A of the Penal Code.

“Prosecution for blasphemy usually targets those who offend Islam but an insult to any religion can give rise to prosecution. Finas and the producer have violated the Articles and action must be taken against them,” he said.

Ramakrishnan claimed that the advertisement deliberately hid the fact that anyone marrying a Muslim must convert to the religion.

“It was leading the viewers into the belief that religious conversion may be hostile in the beginning but will be accepted upon the birth of children into the family. Finas is silently misleading Hindu youths into religious conversion as part of the 1Malaysia campaign,” he said.

Noting that converts would come under the purview of Islamic religious bodies, Ramakrishnan claimed that converts would be discouraged and stopped from celebrating Deepavali eventually.

“These underlying consequences are conveniently covered up. A Hindu convert is welcomed by Finas but if it is a Muslim convert, then it is apostasy. Why the double standards?” he asked.

He also claimed that the advertisement was belittling and insulting to Hindus as the Muslim girl only consumed food at her in-law's place after being told that it was cooked by another Muslim.

However, Finas director-general Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim defended the advertisement, saying that it was aimed at promoting 1Malaysia.

He added that the commercial was a follow-up to an earlier Hari Raya commercial which had its protagonist, Muthu marrying the Sarawakian Rina.

"So we are portraying how Malaysians of different races celebrate their festivals and we will also have another follow-up during Christmas and Chinese New Year. This is a work of creativity and should not be mixed with politics," he was quoted as saying in a news report.

He denied that the advertisement intended to belittle any race or promote conversion.