Malaysia issues ‘kill switch’ order to cut off controversial concerts

A minister has said that concert organisers in Malaysia are now required to have a "kill switch" to stop performances that violate official guidelines.

The new order follows the controversial performance in Kuala Lumpur by the 1975, where the band's frontman Matty Healy criticised Malaysia’s homophobic laws in a profanity-laden speech and kissed a male bandmate on stage in July. The incident led to the cancellation of the weekend festival at which the band was performing.

The deputy minister of communications and digital, Teo Nie Ching, stated that concert organisers must have a 'kill switch' to shut off electricity in case of any unwanted incidents during performances.

In comments made to local media, she said: “We hope that with stricter guidelines, foreign artists can adhere to the local culture.”

The organiser of the Good Vibes festival, Future Sounds Asia, where the 1975 performance took place, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. However, the company informed the Singaporean broadcaster Channel News Asia this week that it had not observed any reduction in interest from foreign artists who wish to perform in Malaysia.

“All foreign artists have been performing in the country with the understanding that they need to adhere to the local performance regulations. After the incident, artists are even more aware of this,” they explained.

The company has admitted to pursuing a claim against the band for the damages incurred as a result of the festival's cancellation. The claim calls on the band to acknowledge liability and compensate for the damages. The company alleges that Healy's actions intentionally violated the agreement the band had with FSA, tarnishing the festival's reputation.

Some argue that the incident risked making matters worse for the LGBTQ+ community, with activists arguing that, had Healy wanted to show solidarity, he should have consulted local LGBTQ+ people first.