Malaysia bans UK band The 1975 after singer Matty Healy kisses male bandmate onstage

The British artist criticised Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ rules and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at a music festival in Kuala Lumpur

The government halted the three-day event, saying there would be ‘no compromise against any party that challenges and violates Malaysian laws’

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Members of The 1975 perform at the Brit Awards in London. File photo: Reuters

Published: 12:22pm, 22 Jul 2023Updated: 3:22am, 28 Jul 2023

Malaysia’s government halted a music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, a day after the frontman of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticised the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws.

“There will be no compromise against any party that challenges, disparages and violates Malaysian laws,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a Twitter post after meeting the organisers of the Good Vibes Festival, a three-day event set to run until Sunday.

The 1975 has also been banned from performing in Malaysia, said a government committee that oversees filming and performances by foreigners.

Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Rights groups have warned of growing intolerance against the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

In videos posted on social media on Friday night, Matty Healy was seen kissing bassist Ross MacDonald after criticising the Malaysian government’s stance against homosexuality in a profanity-laden speech to the festival audience.

He said the band had considered pulling out of the show but did not want to disappoint their fans in Malaysia.

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