‘Half-naked parades’ at Malaysia tattoo show leave officials outraged

The Tattoo Malaysia Expo over the weekend drew participants from 35 countries and was supported by the government

But officials said it violated its standards when pictures of partly naked, heavily inked participants were shared online

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A man takes pictures of a woman with tattoos during the International Malaysia Tattoo Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:55pm, 2 Dec 2019Updated: 12:42am, 3 Dec 2019

Malaysia ordered an investigation on Monday into what the government called a half-naked tattoo show held in the capital Kuala Lumpur, after pictures of heavily inked men and women circulated on social media in the Muslim-majority nation.

The three-day Tattoo Malaysia Expo, which started on Friday and drew participants from 35 countries, was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the show’s organiser said on its website.

But the ministry said this year’s event violated its standards for the first time since it was first held in 2015, and vowed “firm action” against the organisers.

Pictures in Malaysian media blurred the private parts of men and women in the show.

A tattoo artist works on a client during the International Malaysia Tattoo Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

“It’s impossible for the ministry to approve any application for events that have obscene elements such as this, because it is not Malaysian culture, what more when the majority of Malaysians are Muslim,” Mohamaddin Ketapi, the minister of tourism, arts and culture, said in a statement.