Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today that his son, Malaysian singer Gaddafi Ismail Sabri, will not be exempted from penalties if the singing competition he appeared on was found to be in violation of lockdown regulations.
Ismail said this in a statement today after the Astro network suspended the All Together Now Malaysia show amid investigations it allegedly violated Movement Control Order restrictions, which include a ban on large gatherings. The show featured a group of 50 celebrity judges without face masks on.
“Action will be taken against whoever violates SOPs, even if it is against my son,” his statement said, adding that the National Security Council, or NSC, was investigating the show. The minister is also a member of the council.
His son, also known as Dafi, 32, along with Dato’ AC Mizal, and Haniff Hamzah, was among those who starred in the talent show that premiered on Astro Ria & Astro Go channels on Sunday.
It came under scrutiny by several people online including former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who yesterday questioned why the filming of entertainment shows was allowed when Parliament remained suspended. In a Facebook post addressed to Ismail Sabri, Syed Saddiq said that all MPs were required to wear a mask and be separated by glass panels even though they were vaccinated.
“But an entertainment show which gathers 50 people without masks can take place?” he asked. Parliament has been suspended since January, when the state of emergency was declared.
According to Astro radio host Haniff Hamzah, the show was pre-recorded, and that filming ended before Ramadan started in April.
“When we filmed this, studio shoots were allowed, with a restricted number of people in the studio,” he said yesterday.
The fate of the program will be known after the investigation is completed, Astro Channel Manager Raqim Ahmad said.
“The recording of All Together Now Malaysia was done last March in Putrajaya before the implementation of the movement control order 3.0,” he said.
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