Sat 22 July 2023:
Pop band from the United Kingdom The 1975’s performance at a Malaysian music festival was stopped short after frontman Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticized Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws. In Muslim-majority Malaysia, homosexuality is a crime.
In videos posted on social media, Healy was seen kissing bassist Ross MacDonald after giving a profanity-laden speech to the audience at the Kuala Lumpur music festival Good Vibes on Friday night, in which he criticised the Malaysian government’s stance against homosexuality.
He said the band had considered pulling out of the show but did not want to disappoint their fans in Malaysia.
“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it,” he said, adding that he did not see the point of “inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with”.
Healy later cut short the set, telling the crowd: “All right, we gotta go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I’ll see you later.”
According to media sources, Healy was chastised for kissing a male fan at a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, which similarly has regulations prohibiting gay activities.
In May, authorities in Malaysia seized watches from the Swiss manufacturer Swatch’s “Pride” collection, which honors LGBTQ rights.
MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT SEIZES SWATCH WATCHES OVER ‘LGBT CONNOTATIONS’
The 1975’s concert at the Good Vibes festival was canceled owing to “non-compliance with local performance guidelines,” according to a statement from the festival’s organizers.
The organisers were summoned by Malaysia’s Communications and Digital Ministry to explain the occurrences, according to the local daily The New Straits Times.
Malaysian police told the newspaper that no report had been filed, but that “police will call the organisers soon,” according to a local police official quoted in the New Straits Times.
According to the publication, the organizers “took matters into their own hands by stopping the band’s performance midway.”
#Showbiz "(So far) there is no report lodge on the matter yet. The police will call the organisers soon".https://t.co/lhsAQNfb2O#MattHealy #GVF2023 #GoodVibesFestival #GVF #The1975
— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) July 22, 2023
Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil termed the band’s performance “very disrespectful” on Twitter, adding he will contact local authorities and ask the festival’s organizers for an explanation.
Ini satu tindakan yang sangat biadab. Saya telah panggil penganjur untuk beri penjelasan esok, dan akan berhubung dengan pihak berkuasa untuk dapatkan laporan penuh. https://t.co/f4yf4s2XQP
— Fahmi Fadzil 🇲🇾 (@fahmi_fadzil) July 21, 2023
[Unofficial translation: It’s a very barbaric act. I’ve called the organisers to brief tomorrow, and will be in touch with the authorities to get a full report.]
The incident occurs just days before crucial regional elections in Malaysia, which will pit Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s progressive coalition against a mostly conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance that has accused Anwar’s government of failing to protect the rights of Muslims in the multiracial country.
The premier has stated frequently this month that his government will defend Islamic beliefs, according to official media. He has stated that his administration won’t recognize LGBTQ rights.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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