Malaysia to require kill switch at concerts after The 1975’s LGBTQ rant, same-sex kiss

Concert organisers have been told to install a switch to cut off power in case of any ‘unwanted incident’ a deputy minister told parliament on Monday

The move is a direct result of the controversy that led officials to cancel July’s Good Vibes Festival and ban the UK band from performing in Malaysia

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Matt Healy performs with The 1975 at a festival in Spain. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 2:32pm, 30 Oct 2023Updated: 8:36am, 31 Oct 2023

Malaysia has begun demanding that concert organisers install a kill switch to “cut off electricity supply if there is any unwanted incident” after members of British band The 1975 shared a same-sex kiss on stage earlier this year.

The new instruction is a direct result of the controversy – which led to authorities cancelling July’s Good Vibes Festival in Sepang, Selangor and banning the UK band from performing in Malaysia again – Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching told the lower house of the Malaysian parliament on Monday.

“The government has asked concert organisers to … cut off electricity supply if there is any unwanted incident [during a performance],” she said.

We hope with stricter guidelines, foreign artistes [will respect] local culture

Teo Nie Ching, Malaysia’s deputy communications and digital minister

“This is a new guideline after the incident [involving The 1975]. We hope with stricter guidelines, foreign artistes [will respect] local culture.”

Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) politician Zulkifli Ismail had asked about the government’s actions following the incident involving The 1975 vocalist Matt Healy.

Police officers are also carrying out background checks on foreign artists before they are allowed to perform in Malaysia, Teo said, citing guidelines of the central committee for the application for filming and performance by foreign artistes (Puspal).

Representatives of Puspal’s committee, which consists of several agencies, would also monitor concerts and music-festival performances, she said.