Dr M: Entertainment does not necessarily go against the idea of Putrajaya

Having entertainment does not necessarily go against the original idea of Putrajaya, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, the former prime minister also said that he does not agree with having a liquor shop or nude dancing in Putrajaya.

“I have never been to Hard Rock Café, maybe it is not suitable. But this and other entertainment outlets can be made suitable if they are willing to have entertainment that is not obscene,” said Mahathir.

“We need entertainment. If there are events in the wedding halls in Putrajaya there are no bans on entertainment. Why not entertainment in the restaurant?" he said in a blog posting on chedet.cc.

In his writing, Mahathir said that he had previously suggested to the management of Putrajaya to have shops serving food and other items along the main roads of Putrajaya.

"At the same time, we should also have centres with some light entertainment,” he said.

When he was building Putrajaya, said Mahathir, the Champs-Élysées boulevard in Paris was choosen as a model.

“This boulevard has a wide main road for cars and two smaller roads between it with a row of buildings, shops and restaurants on both sides.

“The bottom floors of these buildings have shops that sell food and other items as well as entertainment outlet such as Lido,” he said.

The issue over having a Hard Rock Café was sparked when Putrajaya Corporation president Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat said that the restaurant would be soon be opened at the federal government’s administrative hub.

However, the announcement drew mixed reactions, with critics questioning if Putrajaya was a suitable place to place an establishment that sells alcohol.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor on Tuesday said that the themed restaurant can be opened if it does not serve or sell alcohol to customers.

He said entertainment that has elements of lust would also not be permitted to be showcased as part of the activity of the cafe.