“For me, the video is very immoral…”
Koreaboo
A major record label recently removed a controversial new music video, due to the reception it received from local audiences.
DOLLA is a Malaysian girl group formed in 2019 by Universal Music Malaysia. Their debut single “Dolla Make You Wanna” was released on March 20, 2020. Recently, the music video for their new song, “Question,” was met with criticism from Malaysia’s religious authorities.
The country’s religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar warned that the footage may violate Islamic regulations for performers. “Celebrities are role models,” he told local reporters. “As Muslims, we must ensure our actions lead others towards good.” “Question” MV has now been forwarded to Islamic authorities for review.
The music video, which was released on November 6, was removed less than a week later due to the group’s “tight-sticky dresses”. Some critics reportedly deemed them “suggestive”, triggering a wave of backlash. Preacher Asma’ Harun accused DOLLA of promoting immorality with their outfits, saying, “For me, the video is very immoral … we must stop supporting what clearly destroys manners and dignity.”
Universal Music Malaysia’s managing director Kim Lim reportedly confirmed the video’s removal and the reasons for it:
As a recording company operating within Malaysia’s diverse ecosystem, we always respect cultural values, religious sensitivities and the views of our fans.
We believe creativity and artistic expression must go hand-in-hand with awareness of local norms. Therefore, the decision to remove the music video is the appropriate step to protect harmony and mutual respect.
— Kim Lim
On Reddit, some netizens criticized the removal and restrictions on artists in Malaysia.
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On November 20, DOLLA rereleased the “Question” MV, which appears to be unchanged from the original, under the title “DOLLA – QUESTION (Official Music Video) [International Version]”. Watch it here: