Key Points
- The 1975 frontman Matty Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald on stage at a Malaysian music festival.
- The kiss was in protest to the country’s anti-LGBTIQ+ laws.
- The band’s performance was cut short after the kiss and Healy’s criticism of the laws.
Malaysia’s government has halted 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 criticised .
“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, a three-day event set to run until Sunday.
The 1975 has also been banned from performing in Malaysia, a government committee that oversees filming and performances by foreigners said.
Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia.
Rights groups have warned of growing intolerance against the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
In videos posted on social media on Friday night, Healy was seen kissing bassist Ross MacDonald after criticising the Malaysian government’s stance against homosexuality in a profanity-laden speech to the festival audience.
He said the band had considered pulling out of the show but did not want to disappoint fans in Malaysia.
“I made a mistake,” Healy said.
“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.”
The 1975 has been banned from performing in Malaysia. Source: AAP / Neil Hall/EPA
Healy later cut short the set.
“All right, we gotta go,” he told the crowd.
“We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur – I’ll see you later.”
The band could not immediately be reached for comment.
, which also has laws against homosexual acts, according to media reports.
Festival organiser Future Sound Asia apologised for the cancellation of the show following Healy’s “controversial conduct and remarks”.
It said The 1975’s management had promised the band would obey performance guidelines.
“Regrettably, Healy did not honour these assurances,” it said in a statement.
FSA also expressed concern the incident could “erode the confidence of music promoters and various stakeholders … and threaten the stability of our burgeoning live arts scene”.
Fahmi said Malaysia was committed to supporting the development of creative industries and freedom of expression.
“However, never touch on the sensitivities of the community, especially those that are against 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 to Malaysia, citing the need to protect sensitivities, media reported.
Friday’s incident sparked uproar on Malaysian social media, including among some members of the LGBTIQ+ community, who accused Healy of “performative activism” and said his action was likely to expose the community to more stigma and discrimination.
“Matt Healy undoubtedly just made it worse for queer Malaysians who actually live here, and have to face the consequences because we all know our politicians are gonna use this to further their agenda,” Carmen Rose, a Malaysian drag queen and performer, said on Twitter.
The 1975 are on Sunday due to play at a festival in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country.
The festival’s organisers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the band would play.
The uproar comes before crucial regional elections that will pit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s progressive coalition against a mostly conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance, which has accused the government of not doing enough to protect the rights of Muslims in the multiracial country.
Anwar has said his government would uphold the principles of Islam and would not recognise LGBTIQ+ rights.
