The Malaysian government has canceled a music festival after Matty Healy, the lead singer of British band The 1975, criticized the government’s stance on homosexuality and kissed his bassist.
Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has ordered the immediate end of the Good Vibes music festival. The move came after British band The 1975 criticized the criminalization of homosexuality in Islamic Malaysia during their performance.
In addition, there was a demonstrative kiss between singer Matty Healy and another male band member. “The 1975” is no longer allowed to perform in Malaysia. Footage of the incident was posted on social media, sparking a backlash in predominantly Muslim Malaysia.
“I would like to emphasize that the government’s position is very clear: there is no compromise with anyone when Malaysian laws are questioned, denigrated and violated,” the minister stressed on social media. Fadzil also explained that homosexuality in the country is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning.
Music festival canceled prematurely
The three-day Good Vibes Festival at the Formula 1 Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur should have lasted until the end of the week. It is considered the Malaysian version of “Rock am Ring”.
Homosexuality is a sensitive issue in Malaysia. The current head of government, Anwar Ibrahim, was imprisoned for years after politically motivated trials for alleged homosexual relationships. According to observers, toleration of the provocative performance by the band “The 1975” would have been instrumentalized by the opposition in order to discredit Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Further concerts cancelled
“The 1975” subsequently announced that she was canceling her performances in Jakarta and Taipei. The British band were scheduled to perform at We The Fest, Indonesia’s annual summer music festival, in Jakarta over the weekend as part of their 2023 Asian tour.
“The 1975 regrets to announce that their upcoming shows in Jakarta and Taipei will no longer go ahead as planned,” the group said in a statement posted to We The Fest’s Instagram account. They added that the decision was not taken lightly, “but unfortunately the current circumstances make it impossible to proceed with the current shows.”
It wasn’t the first time that singer Matty Healy took the stage to campaign for lesbian and gay rights. In 2019, he kissed a male fan during a concert in the United Arab Emirates, where homosexual acts are also banned, according to media reports.