Music festivals in Malaysia will now be required to have a ‘kill switch’ so government censors can quickly stop any mention of LGBTIQA+ rights and other issues deemed unsuitable for local audiences.
The new rules are reportedly due to comments made by Matty Healy from British band The 1975 during a recent appearance where the singer shared his views on the country’s anti-LGBTIQA+ laws.
In July Healy spoke about the country’s laws against homosexuality before kissing one of his bandmates on stage. Their set was cut short, the remaining two days of the festival were cancelled and The 1975 were banned from performing in the country.
Malaysia’s Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching told parliament this week that future concerts would be required to include a facility to allow censors to immediately cut the power. Channel News Asia reported her comments.
“These are the guidelines from the incident and we hope that with stricter guidelines, we can ensure that performances by foreign artists can adhere to the culture in Malaysia,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said police would also assist her department to conduct more background checks on artists who enter Malaysia.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.
OIP Staff
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