Malaysia halts music festival after band members kiss on stage
The government of Malaysia shut down a music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, a day after the frontman of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate on stage and criticized the country’s anti-LGBT laws.
“No compromise will be made against any party that challenges, discredits and violates Malaysian laws,” said Fahmi Fadzil, the country’s communications minister. said on Twitter after meeting with the organizers of the Good Vibes Festival, a three-day event that runs through Sunday.
The 1975 are also not allowed to perform in Malaysia, said a government commission that oversees foreigners’ filming and performances.
Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Rights groups have warned of growing intolerance towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
In videos posted to social media late Friday, Matty Healy, the band’s frontman, was seen kissing the bassist, Ross MacDonald, after criticizing Malaysia’s stance against homosexuality in a profanity speech to festival audiences.
“I made a mistake,” he said. “When we booked shows, I wasn’t watching them.” He added that he didn’t understand the purpose “to invite The 1975 to a country and then tell us who we can have sex with.”
Mr. Healy later interrupted the set and told the audience, “Okay, we have to go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later.”
The band was not immediately available for comment. Mr Healy was criticized for kissing a male fan at a concert in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates, which also has laws against homosexual acts, according to news media reports.
Festival organizer Future Sound Asia apologized for the show’s cancellation following Mr. Healy. It said The 1975’s management had promised that the band would obey performance guidelines.
“Unfortunately, Healy has unfortunately not honored these commitments,” it said in a statement.
Mr. Fahmi, the Minister of Communications, said Malaysia is committed to supporting the development of creative industries and freedom of expression.
“However, never touch the sensibilities of the community, especially those that conflict with the traditions and values of the local culture,” he said.
The government in March introduced stricter guidelines, including on dress code and conduct, for foreign acts coming into Malaysia, citing the need to protect sensitivities, the news media reported.
Friday’s episode caused an uproar on Malaysian social media, including among some members of the LGBT community, whom Mr. Healy of “performative activism” and said his action was likely to expose the community to more stigma and discrimination.
The 1975 plays Sunday at a festival in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, where a recent LGBT event was canceled due to security threats.