KUALA LUMPUR - An arts association says the recent fiasco by the 1975 British band at Good Vibes Festival (GVF) in Sepang was an isolated incident and does not reflect the essence of the festival or the industry as a whole.
Arts, Live Festival and Events Association (ALIVE) and Future Sound Asia president Rizal Kamal said over the last decade, GVF has maintained an exemplary track record of organising contemporary festivals in Malaysia.
"We recognise that this event caused an unprecedented international debacle.
"However, we firmly believe that this episode is an isolated occurrence," he said during Setting the Record Straight press conference here.
He further said the festival has consistently featured a diverse selection of artists, attracting both local and international attendees, all while ensuring excellent organisation and safety standards.
Rizal further said they would like to acknowledge that the permit application agency, Puspal and Future Sound Asia, the organisers of the festival, diligently screened the artists and considered their past performances in Malaysia before granting approval for their participation.
"We are confident that the Malaysian live events industry will recover from this incident and continue to thrive," he said.
British band The 1975 were banned from performing in Malaysia after its frontman Matt Healy and bandmate Ross MacDonald kissed on-stage during their set at Good Vibes Festival 2023.
Before the apparent "show of protest”, Healy was expressing his disappointment about the country’s stand on the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans) community.
According to concertgoers, he told the crowd that the Malaysian government were "retards” on how they tell people who they can and cannot have sex with.
Meanwhile, Future Sound Asia founder Ben Law said the incident was isolated and unforseen and contrary to the agreement with the band.
"We don't accept or condone such behaviour and Matt Healy's actions deserved to be condemned.
"His display has left a trail of consequences for Malaysians.
Law said they have not faced such an occurrence before as strict policies were followed which includes no smoking, no drinking, no swearing and no indecent acts on stage.
Law also said Future Sound Asia will remain steadfast in their commitment to uphold the regulations and guidelines set by authorities.
"We will learn from this isolated incident and together with Puspal, we are looking forward to possibly devising a framework which would specifically cater to the unique characteristics of multi-day and multi-act music festivals.
"We strive for a safer, more harmonious future for live music in Malaysia," said Law.
He further said that they advocate proportionate solutions to ensure safety and cultural sensitivity without hampering thriving international events scene in the country,
Malaysia has strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws with homosexuality considered a crime, carrying with it a maximum sentence of 20 years.