This week’s most sensational (yet utterly non-significant) news is Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria’s call for cinema operators to create stricter rules for moviegoers.

This was in response to another piece of sensational (yet utterly non-significant) news about Lotus Five Star Cinemas in Seri Iskandar barring unmarried Muslim couples from occupying couple seats.

And since we’re already on this sensational (yet utterly non-significant) subject, I thought, what the heck, I’m going to ride on the bandwagon and write about it as well.

Why not, right? It’s not like there isn’t any other more significant and important issues that should be covered in the news and discussed. Well, at least we have our priorities straight.

Couple seats exist in many cinemas. They are two adjoining seats with no arm rest in the middle, basically making it a (dare I say it?) loveseat.

The Mufti’s reasoning is that such risque seating arrangements encourage immoral acts and erodes the faith of Muslims. He stated that couples went to the cinema not to watch movies but to ‘make-out’.

He added that going to the cinema is already an immoral act, and to have couple seats only encourages them to indulge in more immoral acts.

Yes, we need to curb immoral acts like ‘making-out’ in cinemas by unmarried couples. I guess this is a huge sin that trumps all other sins. So we definitely need to address it immediately.

It is also fascinating to see that the rakyat has given much intellectual thought into the issue as seen on social media, where all kinds of suggestions have been made.

Some individuals suggested that all cinemas should segregate men and women. And taking a cue from the Mufti, they say that people go to the cinemas ‘not to watch movies but to make them’.

Others say we should just listen to the Mufti because as Muslims, we shouldn’t question anything that is against the religion. We should just accept it whether we like it or not.

Another bright idea is for cinemas to install night vision cameras in the halls and if any ‘making-out’ sessions are spotted, to project it on to the cinema screen for all to see.

Of course, we shouldn’t get their intentions wrong. This is not an attempt to be voyeuristic, but more to deter these unmarried couples from ‘making-out’.

I am happy to see all this happening because it gives me hope that the country is in good hands. Hands that show their potential in leading the nation forward.

And of course I am very happy to see how our religious authorities are handling social ills and making sure that Malaysia and Malaysians are always syariah compliant.

Yes, observing and writing about this issue has satisfied me deeply. It has been time well spent seeing that there isn’t anything that is more important that this. Let’s do this more.