KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Federal Islamic authorities should push for concerts to be banned in Malaysia for promoting vice rather than issuing guidelines on how these are organised, according to the local chapter of international hardline Islamists Hizbut Tahrir.

After a controversial Korean pop concert where three Muslim girls were hugged and kissed, the group said the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) should prohibit such events completely and not set rules on how to avoid such activity.

“It is weird and saddening, how can Jakim provide guidelines for committing vice?” the Islamist group wrote on its website.

“Jakim should urge the government to not commit what is prohibited, not to give guidelines towards those who want to commit it.”

Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia claimed that concerts are eroding the identity of young Muslims, since there are allegedly free mingling between men and women as well as the consumption of drugs and alcohol.

“Even if the artistes are not Muslims, the question here is organising a vice festival in a Muslim state. Same with gay and lesbian festivals, would we allow them to be held even if all the participants were non-Muslims?” it asked.

A video of the concert uploaded to the Internet showing members of Korean boy band B1A4 hugging their tudung-clad girl fans on stage went viral a fortnight ago, sparking local row for behaviour deemed improper.

The attention that Islamic authorities later paid to the controversy subsequently drew the attention of global media.

Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom responded to say that authorities responsible for approving the organising of any entertainment events and concerts have been advised to remind the event organisers to adhere to entertainment guidelines issued by Jakim.

Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said last week that the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) will also take “appropriate action” against the event organisers as it was within their jurisdiction to do so.

Jawi had initially sought to investigate the girls for public indecency under Shariah laws that would have allowed for jail of up to six months and a fine of no more than RM1,000, but later conceded it could not compel the girls to come forward after they disregarded a summon by the department.

The event organisers have denied claims that the artists had molested three tudung-clad Malay fans on stage last Saturday night, saying that they were against sexual harassment and that the event company was run mostly by women.