PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: Malaysian Artistes Association (Karyawan) lambasted the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) for raiding a hotel pub in Glenmarie on Friday and issuing summonses to Muslims there.

Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez said Jais was simply taking advantage of the current political situation.

"It is ridiculous. They (Jais) cannot just barge into the pub, arrest and issue summonses to Muslim workers and patrons simply because they were patrons and workers of a place that serves alcohol.

"Jais certainly does not have any right to arrest people without police officers present," he said when contacted.

Jais public relations assistant director Mohd Hidayat Abd Rani said 63 patrons and workers of the hotel pub in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, were rounded up during the raid.

He said seven Muslims, including two women, were brought back to the Jais office where they had their statements recorded.

Hidayat said the seven, who had since been released, would be charged at the Syariah Court for consuming alcohol.

"The other 56 have been asked to assist in investigations. They are not charged, but have been asked to give their statements," he said.

Hidayat said there was no policeman in the raiding party as, according to the Syariah Criminal Procedure Enactment (Selangor), the presence of a religious enforcer or a mosque official was sufficient.

Band manager K. Selvaraj, whose band NRG was playing during the raid, said his men were prepared to take legal action against Jais.

Bandleader Jasminor Jamil said he and his band members were not consuming alcohol.

"It does not make any sense and certainly is insulting to us. Without conducting any breathalyser tests, they assumed we drank alcohol when in actual fact, none of us did," he told The Star.

"On the one hand, we have the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry encouraging more local talents to perform in five-star hotels, and here we have people raiding the place," he said angrily.

In Serdang, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said he was not aware of the raid but advised Muslims not to drink.

However, Khalid assured all non-Muslims that the state government would not hamper their activities.

"But they must do it at the right place and time. My advice is that they should not drink and drive,'' he told reporters when approached during his visit to the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (Maha) 2008 here yesterday.