KUALA LUMPUR – The Communications and Digital Ministry has told organisers of concerts involving foreign artistes to create a “kill switch” to avoid incidents such as the one triggered by The 1975 at the Good Vibes Festival 2023.
Deputy minister Teo Nie Ching said the kill switch is to stop the concert or cut the power supply so that the performance could not go on.
“These are the guidelines from the incident (The 1975) and we (the ministry) hope that with stricter guidelines, we can ensure that performances by foreign artistes can adhere to the culture in Malaysia,” she said during the question-and-answer session at Dewan Rakyat today.
She said this when answering a supplementary question by Zulkifli Ismail (Jasin-PN), who wanted to know the government’s measures in improving censorship and blacklisting of the group The 1975, who performed indecent acts against the young generation, and what was the government’s action against the group after it continued to criticise Malaysia when in concerts abroad.
Meanwhile, Teo said that the Royal Malaysia Police always assisted her ministry in checking the background of foreign artistes so as to ensure that they do not promote negative elements in Malaysia.
“Furthermore, in organising concerts, Puspal (Central Agency for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes) will ensure that the Puspal committee is stationed at the location (concert) together with PDRM and PBT (local authorities) to monitor the concert,” she said.
On July 22, the media reported that The 1975’s performance at the Good Vibes Festival 2023 was stopped after its vocalist Matty Healy allegedly behaved disrespectfully in front of fans.
He was accused of holding a bottle of alcohol while on stage besides making speeches insulting Malaysian laws related to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). – Bernama, October 30, 2023
