Korean Monk DJ’s Club Show Cancelled After Outcry by Buddist Association & Politician Wee Ka Siong

Known as NewJeansNim or DJ bbaku, the DJ boasts 41.3K followers on Instagram and frequently performs to large club crowds. In the videos, he sports a bald head and goes around imitating the actions of a Buddhist monk, such as putting his hands together in prayer while dancing and even bringing a wooden fish used in Buddhist ceremonies onstage. This was accompanied by flashing lights, stage flames, and confetti to thumping music. The crowd seemed highly excited and put their hands up to the music.

However, these videos have caught the attention of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, who voiced their dissatisfaction through an official statement on their Facebook page. According to their page, they are the “leading Buddhist youth organisation in Malaysia and the only national Buddhist youth organisation recognised by the Government to represent Malaysian Buddhist youths.”

Their statement read, “The Triple Gem is the core of Buddhist teachings and the realisation of Dharma. YBAM opines that it is inappropriate to impersonate Sangha members, one of the components of Triple Gem, in performances related to Buddhist rituals in entertainment venues such as dance halls.”

“The dance club contains elements that potentially violate the 5 Precepts, including alcoholic beverages and raving content. Such an arrangement will affect the solemnity of Buddism and confuse the public about the true meaning of Buddhist rituals."

Wee Ka Siong also posted about the issue, saying that he agreed with the Association and that “The popular Korean DJ has angered the Buddhist community in Malaysia when he ‘disguised’ himself as a Buddhist monk and performed at a dance club, which gives a wrong perception of Buddhist values ​​and teachings. His controversial acts have hurt the feelings of the Buddhist community, which will celebrate Wesak Day in two weeks’ time.” He also appealed to various government bodies to prevent the DJ’s entry into Malaysia.

The act was held at Gemu Club, a popular dance club in Jalan Kia Peng KL, and a second show was slated for May 21, the eve of Wesak Day. The club has since issued a statement on its Instagram page saying, “We recognise that many of our patrons have expressed their desire for the show to proceed as planned…that (being) said, after careful consideration and in the interest of social harmony, we have made a difficult decision to cancel the show. This decision was made with our patrons' and communities' well-being and interest in mind.”

Many of their followers commented that they were sad about the show being cancelled.

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