AS public pressure has pushed JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) to probe elements of religious breaches during The Weeknd’s recent concert in Bukit Jalil, Muslims have ridiculed a pious brethren who made a fuss with the acclaimed Canadian vocalist wearing a cross pendant while performing.
The grouse by Threader R i z z (@wan_jamil_97) is the latest addition to criticisms raised – notably by PAS Youth – which targeted a giant golden female robot statue (designed by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama) and a dance sequence featuring performers in red hooded robes.
For the uninitiated, The Weeknd performed in Malaysia as the final stop of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour on Nov 4 and 5 at the TM Stadium Nasional to an estimated 65,000 fans per night featuring futuristic stage visuals, pyrotechnics, fireworks and Japanese guest acts Creepy Nuts and Yousuke Yukimatsu.
Editor’s Note: The Weeknd is the stage name of 36-year-old Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye.
“This guy came to Malaysia to perform wearing a cross. The stupidest thing for me is that many Malay Muslims support Western stuff like this,” fumed the poster.
“Not that I’m against it. I’m worried this will become normal over time. You guys can’t just play around with the issue of akidah (Islamic faith). Or am I wrong??? Try commenting a little.”
Indeed, the rage-bait post attracted re-action no less from open-minded Muslins with one female commenter asking the poster to suggest what chain should the performer who is already a Christian be donning.
“Supposedly he wears tasbih (Islamic beads), you’ll attack him as humiliating Islam,” defended a self-proclaimed “mummy of two”.
“So what are you going to do with so many Christians in Malaysia who wear crosses? Dump them at your house?” mocked one millennial commenter.
‘Wear Astro Malaysia’s lanyard instead’
This was when a female netizen chided the poster for his “shallow faith” while likening the cross to “a Muslim woman wearing a tudung😅”.
“My faith doesn’t fade even if I see the cross … My colleague even wears an earring cross … Alhamdulillah, not deviated at all,” she justified with the poster countered that such argument is comparing an apple to an orange in that Abel is an influential personality to whom youngsters might look up to as a role model.
Losing her cool, the netizen jibed the poster not “to be too shallow with the cross”.
“Is that how thin the faith of Muslims is? Do you think Muslims are vampires who can’t be exposed to sunlight? Or like Superman who’s weak when exposed to kryptonite?”
Even Christians had to chip in with their two sen’s worth to poke fun at the poster over the logic of Abel wearing a cross.
“I mean he’s an orthodox Christian. So it makes sense for him to don a cross or do you expect him to wear an Astro lanyard around his neck?” teased self-proclaimed “first Malaysian FIFA/FIFAe commentator 🎙️🌍” Matthews Izzac (@matthewsizzac).
One Sarawakian Christian also ridiculed the poster for being “so toxic” towards the Christian faith.
“Seeing the cross weakens his faith. May your life be blessed … Peaceful greetings from us Christians,” penned Bintulu lad Mark Joey (@markjoeey),
This conveyance of hope that the poster strengthens his spiritual faith prompted Christian lass Tania Debra Sandy (@taniaa.d.c) to remark that her faith is unchallenged by her daily sighting of mosques.
“The best part is I even took photos (of mosques) during sunset. But unfortunately, I deleted them because my (smart phone) memory was full,” she recounted.
One Muslim attested that Islam never teaches its followers to be racist or being disrespectful of other religions.
“Has he forgotten that Malaysia is a land of various races and religions? It wasn’t just the Malays who attended that concert 🫠,” stressed self-proclaimed “mixed Malay” @ ameesyax.
At the end of the day, one @harizrahim_ summed up best the poster’s fear of Abel’s Christian Cross during his concert: “Scared of a statue, scared of cross but not afraid of corruption”. – Nov 10, 2026
Main image credit: Muhammad Azmi Jamaludin (@azmijamaludinofficial)/Threads
