KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into the actions of staff from Astro radio station Era FM who were seen mocking a religious ritual related to Thaipusam and uploading the footage on social media this morning.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated that this includes summoning Astro and the management of Era FM to the MCMC headquarters to provide a full explanation.
“This is to ensure that action can be taken based on existing regulations and laws,” he said in a statement today.
Earlier, Fahmi said the Communications Ministry had received complaints from various parties regarding the conduct of the radio station employees.
The controversy arose when a video of a radio presenter from one of Astro’s stations, appearing to mock the sacred kavadi dance ritual, went viral on social media. The clip, which has since been removed, showed one of the presenters imitating the kavadi dance while chanting “Vel Vel”, followed by laughter.
The video sparked criticism from the Hindu community and drew the attention of Tapah MP M. Saravanan, who called for an open apology and urged the government to take action against Era FM.
Following the backlash, three radio presenters from 3 Pagi Era – Nabil Ahmad, Azad Jasmin (Pak Azad), and Radin Amir Affendi – issued a public apology via an Instagram post on Era FM’s official account.
They acknowledged that the video was insensitive, particularly towards the Indian community, and expressed their regret over the incident. – March 4, 2025