Concert organisers must now have a “kill switch” to end performances that breach government guidelines, says Teo Nie Ching.
This is after the incident involving British band The 1975 in July whose on-stage antics had led to the abrupt cancellation of the Good Vibes Music Festival in Sepang, Selangor, said the Deputy Communications and Digital Minister.
“The government has requested concert organisers introduce a kill switch during any performance that will cut off electricity if there is any unwanted incident.
“This is a new guideline after the incident (involving The 1975). We hope that with stricter guidelines, foreign artistes can adhere to the local culture,” she told the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
She was responding to Zulkifli Ismail (PN-Jasin) who had asked what action had been taken by the government against the band’s vocalist, Matty Healy, who had ranted about Malaysia’s policies towards the LGBTQ community during the band’s performance.
Teo added that according to guidelines by the central committee for the application for filming and performance by foreign artistes (Puspal), the police were also responsible for background screening of foreign performers.
She said Puspal committee members, which include agencies such as the Immigration Department and local council authorities, would also attend concerts or music festivals to monitor them.The Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department were responsible for blacklisting foreign artistes, she also said.
In the July 21 incident, The 1975’s Healy criticised Malaysia’s policies before kissing male band member and bassist Ross MacDonald, besides openly smoking and drinking alcohol while on stage.
The concert’s organiser had pulled the plug on the performance but the next day, the remainder of the music festival was shut down by the Communications and Digital Ministry.
The organiser had said that The 1975 had signed agreements saying that they would abide by the government’s guidelines.
Two days later, lawyer Mathew Thomas Philip said he and a group of lawyers were working on a class action lawsuit by the festival’s vendors and local artistes against the band for losses suffered as a result of the cancellation.
