GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia - The demand for scantily-clad
ko tai (stage show) singers during the month-long Hungry Ghost
Festival - due to begin on Tuesday - has not been affected by calls
for it to be replaced by opera and cultural shows.
A stage show agent here said the Phor Thor (Hungry Ghost
Festival) committees were still requesting for "hot" singers.
"I already have some 30 bookings for the shows," he said, adding
that those who complained that the showgirls were dressed too
sexily were hypocrites.
"When we show them pictures of the singers, the comments we get
are 'not hot enough' or 'not sexy' - they want singers who can
dance suggestively," he said in an interview yesterday.
The agent, who has been in the business for more
than 20 years and represents some 50 singers, said his
company was just catering to the organisers'
demand.
On the singers' attire, the agent said: "We tell the singers not
to wear outfits that are too revealing but ultimately, it is up to
them."
On Monday, Phor Thor committees in Penang were advised to opt
for Chinese operas instead of sexy showgirls.
Penang Teong Guan Association adviser Datuk Lim Yam Koi said the
Tai Su Yeah or King of Hades certainly did not fancy scantily
dressed singers.
Several non-governmental organisations, cultural bodies and
politicians have since echoed the call.
Whatever the preference of the King of Hades, the audience
prefer the sexier version.
Robert Ling, 63, a coffee shop owner, admitted that he liked
such performances.
"Ko tai attract a younger crowd. I watch Chinese opera shows but
these ko tai singers are very talented - it's just a different form
of entertainment.
"I don't see any harm if they enjoy dressing up in modern
clothes as long as they are not disrespectful to the deity," he
said.
Rifle Range (Block C and D) Phor Thor committee chairman Jimmy
Ooi also said there was "nothing wrong" with such performances.
He said although the committee held only cultural shows since
1969 as they wanted to stick to tradition, they did not want to
tell other committees what to do.
"If other Phor Thor committees want to have ko tai performances,
it is their choice, we should not tell others what to do. As long
as these ko tai singers are not naked, there is nothing wrong.
"However, there should be some modesty because this is a
religious festival," he said.
The festival is held in the belief that spirits enjoy a
"holiday" when the gates of hell open on the seventh lunar month of
the Chinese calendar, allowing them to roam the world of
humans.
-The Star/Asia News Network
Singapore teen pole dancer, Lim Zi Yee, 17, who
performs at getai, practising her moves at home with the pole. Her
parents paid $2,500 for a pole to be imported from the US for her
to practise on at home. The trophies in the background are for
winning karaoke contests as a kid.
Wu Peizhi, 23, from Malaysia. She is known for her
sweet-sounding but powerful vocals when belting out old Mandarin
hits.
Huang Meiqi, 17, lives in Johor Bahru. This is her first time
singing getai in Singapore and gets $80 per show.
