Malaysia Halts Music Festival after Two Men from the UK Band ‘The 1975’ Kiss Onstage

New Delhi, 22nd July 2023: On Saturday, the Malaysian government suspended a music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur, a day after the frontman of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and blasted the country’s anti-LGBT policies.

“There will be no compromise against any party that challenges, disparages, and violates Malaysian laws,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a Twitter post after meeting with the organisers of the Good Vibes Festival, which was supposed to run till Sunday.

The 1975 have also been banned completely from performing in Malaysia, according to a government commission that controls foreign films and performances.

Malaysia which is a muslim- majority sees homosexuality as a serious crime. Human rights organisations have warned of increased prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people but their efforts have not been able to reach any concrete effect.

Healy the lead member of The 1975 was seen kissing bassist Ross MacDonald in videos released on social media late Friday after condemning Malaysia’s anti-homosexuality stance in a profanity-laced speech to the festival audience.

He said, “I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it…I don’t see the f***ing point … of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”

Later the band had to cut short and Healy said, “All right, we’ve got to go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I’ll see you later.”

Future Sound Asia, the festival’s organisers, apologised for cancelling the show due to Healy’s “controversial conduct and remarks.” They stated that, The 1975’s management had guaranteed the band would follow performance guidelines.

The organiser said in a statement, “Regrettably, Healy did not honour these assurances…erode the confidence of music promoters and various stakeholders … and threaten the stability of our burgeoning live arts scene.”

Malaysia, according to Communications Minister Fahmi, is committed to supporting the development of creative industries and freedom of expression.

He further said, “However, never touch on the sensitivities of the community, especially those that are against the traditions and values of the local culture.”

The event on Friday generated outrage on Malaysian social media, notably among members of the LGBT community, who accused Healy of “performative activism” and said his actions would certainly expose the LGBT community to greater shame and persecution.

The government of Malaysia had set stiffer criteria, including dress code and conduct, for foreign performers visiting Malaysia in March, claiming the need to protect sensitivities.

The 1975 are scheduled to perform at a festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, on Sunday, where a recent LGBT event was cancelled owing to security concerns.

The organisers of the Jakarta festival did not immediately reply to queries for comment on whether the band will perform in the country or not.