KUALA LUMPUR (CelebrityAccess) — Concert promoters in Malaysia are being instructed to add a kill-switch to immediately shut off electricity to a stage in the event of an “unwanted incident” during a performance.
The new guideline follows the controversy sparked by British band The 1975’s vocalist Matt Healy, who spoke out against Malaysia’s restrictive LGBT laws and engaged in a same-sex kiss with bandmate Ross MacDonald during the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur in July.
Gay rights are extremely limited in Malaysia and the incident brought both The 1975’s performance and the festival itself to a halt, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of the two-day music festival by the Communications and Digital Ministry.
Following the incident, The 1975 has been banned from performing in Malaysia, according to PUSPAL, the Ministry of Communications division responsible for processing applications for film and live performances from foreign artists.
According to Malaysian news source The Star, the new rules were announced by Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching, who told Malaysian legislators that she hoped the new guidelines would help foreign artists to respect local culture.
Additionally, Teo noted that the blacklisting of bands was not under the purview of the Communications and Digital Ministry but instead was the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department.
