The Sultan of Selangor has threatened to cancel a football tournament after the Islamic opposition party PAS objected to the entertainers performing at the event, a report said today.

ella Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah told the Star daily that the protest over the two women - rock singer Ella ( left ) and Mas Idayu, who performs the hip-swivelling dangdut dance - was "hypocritical" and "trivial".

He said future Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore could be cancelled if PAS was successful in its campaign to have them struck off the schedule.

"If this is going to be so difficult, we might as well hold this annual event in Singapore. I am sure they will be more than happy to play host," he told the daily.

The PAS youth wing in Selangor sent a memorandum to the state's menteri besar objecting to the performers at the July 6 match, saying they were inappropriate as the event would be attended by many youngsters.

Why the fuss?

It threatened to demonstrate at the stadium if the women were allowed to perform, the Star said.

Malaysia's population is predominantly Muslim, and the nation's sultans are the traditional guardians of Islam in the states they rule.

selangor state assembly first sitting 210508 khalid teng sultan But Sharafuddin said Selangor was not made up of "just PAS and Muslims" and that in any case the two performers were suitable for families.

"I don't know what the fuss is all about," he said.

PAS, which rules the northern state of Kelantan, has had ambitions of turning Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule.

However, in recent years it has begun introducing reforms designed to tone down its hardline reputation and woo young voters.

-AFP