"Mangga" : The Spreading Virus

COMM 1010 Introduction to Mass Communication

By : Mohd Akram bin Muhammad

Political Science Student,

International Islamic University Malaysia.

            I choose the “Mangga” as my dislike magazine. What I can say that this magazine is not just dislike but most dislike magazine because of its negative effects are more than the benefits. It is published monthly and it has been said that this magazine is focusing on celebrities in Malaysia. It also can be classified as one of the social media because it functions as the reporter in personalities’ arena. Majority of people says that “Mangga” is similar like “Playboy” magazine from the foreign countries. Eventhough in “Mangga”, the photos are not too “extreme” just like “Playboy” but it still offensive and poke the eyes of society. From the Islamic perspective, of course it is totally illicit (haram) although there are some people says that the photos are not towards obscenity.

            After I made my observation through this magazine, I can say that “Mangga” is not a good magazine to be existed in Malaysia. If we are visible to evaluate for this magazine, it contains many gossips. Gossips can be either true or false. Sometimes, we just believe the gossips without reveal from right and authenticated sources. The existence of gossips derived from “Mangga” can cause many problems to the society in terms of the decline of adolescent morality, the cracks in family institutions, and the cultural transmission of defamatory (fitnah).

            The decline of adolescent morality today is very worrying. They become too sophisticated in sexual knowledge and know more than the adults about it. If we look into “Mangga”, there are many issues or articles regarding the sexual gossips and this can lead the adolescent to become immoral and addict to sex.

            “Mangga” also give its negative influence to the family institutions. The cracks that happen to the family institutions nowadays are also giving us “headache”. The statistic keeps increasing from years to years. The cause is same; the gossips and untrue news that spread in “Mangga”. The people believe the “Mangga” more than the other sources. That’s why we always heard about the celebrities’ divorce.

            Last, the cultural transmission of defamatory also never keeps in silence. Eventhough, the story is not a big issue but the controversial magazine like “Mangga” will always interfere and change its landscape to become sensation so that they can sell their publication materials. It getting worst if this kind of magazine is still exist in Malaysia.

            As a conclusion, the sad thing is the people keep buying for it and read it just for fun. They just simply evaluate that gossips is not a big issue and it is part of life of the celebrities. Yes, for them maybe means nothing but from Islamic point of view, the decline of adolescent morality, the cracks of family institutions, and the cultural transmission of defamatory will give bad impacts to the society and they make the concept “end justifies the mean” more legal and the Islamic teachings will be forgotten.

            May Allah protects us from this catastrophe and avoid the Wrath of Allah. Wallahu’alam.