Man In Mermaid Costume Nabbed After Video Goes Viral

PETALING JAYA: A 24-year-old man who wore a mermaid costume at a drink stall in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, was arrested on Monday by the Kelantan Islamic religious department.

Kelantan deputy menteri besar Fadzli Hassan said the man was detained near his home in Chekok, Pasir Mas, after a video of the man went viral on social media, Bernama reported.

“The state Islamic religious department identified the individual and opened a case under the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019.

“The man was detained under Section 19 for men behaving like women and Section 21 for indecent conduct,” he was quoted as saying after attending an exco meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex today.

Fadzli said the man was paid RM200 by the stall owner to produce the promotional video.

The stall owner was also ordered to remove the content.

The man has been released on enforcement bail but has been ordered to appear on June 8 for further proceedings, he said.

“The state government wants to emphasise that all acts contrary to shariah values and societal norms will be dealt with firmly, prudently, and according to the law,” he said.

Separately, Kelantan local government, housing, health, and environment committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said that local authorities would be urged to include regulations on business promotions that are not shariah-compliant or against public decency.

The 26-second video, which showed the man dancing in a mermaid costume in front of the stall, went viral on Facebook and drew criticism from netizens, who called the act shameful.