Kelantan has no plans to lift ban on Menora

The Pas-led Kelantan government has no plans to lift the ban on the Menora although it realises that the dance drama unique to the east coast state may disappear.

(NST) – State Culture, Tourism and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Md Anizam Abd Rahman said the ban on the dance form would remain.

‘The state government will not lift the ban and Menora performances are still not allowed in public.

‘The Kelantan government has a strong reason to do so and, hopefully, people will understand,’ Anizam told the New Straits Times.

He was asked to comment on whether the state government would lift the ban on Menora as it did with another dance form, Mak Yong, which was banned in 1991.

One of the last Menora dancers in Kelantan, Eh Deng Eh Chik, said the decades-long ban had made Menora unattractive to the younger generation, which in turn, would prevent its revival.

‘I fear that the traditional dance art may disappear due to the lack of interest among youngsters, who may find the dance art difficult to practise, as it takes years to master it.

‘It is not an easy dance art, but with the ban unlikely to be lifted, it makes it unattractive even to assemble a back-up troupe for future performances.’

He said Menora was a dance drama, originating in southern Thailand, involving lengthy invocations followed by a dance by the main character.

‘When Menora was banned by the Kelantan government along with other shows, such as Mak Yong, wayang kulit (shadow puppets) and Main Puteri, many involved in the traditional dance, despite their frustration, could not go against the decision.

‘If possible, we hope the state government would consider to make a similar decision on Menora by lifting ban on Mak Yong.’

The Kelantan government last year lifted the ban on Mak Yong after banning it for 28 years.

The state banned Mak Yong and Menora as the dance arts were deemed syirik, or involving polytheism, the belief that there is more than one god, which went against Islam.