KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Reuters) - The Malaysian government suspended a music festival in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, just one day after the lead singer of the British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and openly criticized the country's anti-LGBT laws.
"There will be no tolerance for any individual or group that challenges, undermines, or violates Malaysian laws," stated Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil in a Twitter post following a meeting with the organizers of the Good Vibes Festival. The festival was originally planned as a three-day event, set to conclude on Sunday.
The 1975 have been officially prohibited from performing in Malaysia, as announced by a government committee responsible for overseeing the activities of foreign artists and performances.
Homosexuality is considered a criminal offense in Malaysia, which is predominantly a Muslim-majority country. Various human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the increasing intolerance faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the country.
Videos circulated on social media on Friday night showed The 1975's lead singer, Healy, sharing a kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald on stage. Prior to the kiss, Healy delivered a speech criticizing Malaysia's stance on homosexuality, which included the use of explicit language, to the festival audience.
"I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn't looking into it," he said. "I don't see the freaking point ... of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with."
Healy later decided to cut short the set, addressing the crowd by saying: "All right, we've got to go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I'll see you later."
As of now, the band has not been available for comment. In an Instagram story, Healy seemed to make a lighthearted remark about the incident, sharing the festival's cancellation notice with a caption: "Ok well why don't you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years. Not as easy as it looks."
Healy faced criticism for kissing a male fan during a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, a country that also has laws against homosexual acts, as reported by the media.
Following Healy's "controversial conduct and remarks," the festival organizer, Future Sound Asia (FSA), issued an apology for the cancellation of the show. FSA stated that The 1975's management had assured them the band would adhere to performance guidelines. However, Healy did not uphold these commitments, as mentioned in their statement.
The festival, originally planned to feature 43 performances from both local and international artists over the three-day weekend, had to call off performances on Saturday and Sunday in addition to The 1975's show on Friday.
FSA expressed concern that this incident might negatively impact music promoters and other stakeholders, potentially posing a threat to the flourishing live arts scene in the country.
Communications Minister Fahmi emphasized Malaysia's support for the creative industries and freedom of expression. However, he cautioned against touching on topics that could offend the community, particularly those that go against local cultural traditions and values.
In March, the government implemented stricter guidelines, including dress code and conduct rules, for foreign acts coming to Malaysia, citing the need to protect sensitivities.
The incident sparked an uproar on Malaysian social media, with some members of the LGBT community accusing Healy of "performative activism" and expressing concerns about potential stigma and discrimination the community may face as a consequence.
The 1975 is scheduled to perform at a festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, on Sunday. However, a recent LGBT event in Jakarta was canceled due to security threats. The organizers of the Jakarta festival did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether the band would still perform.
This controversy arises during a politically sensitive time in multi-ethnic Malaysia, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's progressive coalition government will undergo a significant test of public support in August when six states hold elections. The opposition, mainly representing the majority ethnic Malay community, has accused the government of not adequately safeguarding Muslim rights. The Prime Minister has affirmed that his government will uphold Islamic principles and not recognize LGBT rights.
Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina in Jakarta; Editing by William Mallard, Robert Birsel, and Nick Macfie.
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