Allow only foreign artists who do not support LGBT to perform in Malaysia, says group
SINAR REPORTER23 Jul 2023 10:16am
Zed Zaidi
President of the Malaysian Artists Association (Seniman) Rozaidi Jamil also known as Zed Zaidi said the Foreign Artists Filming and Performance Application Center (Puspal) under the ministry should conduct thorough background checks on foreign artists and consider public perceptions before allowing them to perform and appear in the country.
"We need to be resolute in granting permits to foreign artists and only select those who do not support the LGBT community or display overly explicit behavior, such as drinking alcohol on stage," he told Sinar.
This comes after British band, The 1975 lead singer, Matty Healy was seen engaging in a same-sex kiss and consuming alcoholic beverages on stage during their performance at the 2023 Good Vibes Festival held at the Sepang International Circuit on Friday night.
Zed Zaidi said the action of The 1975 were a clear insult to the country, as they did not respect the laws and culture practiced by Malaysians, adding that such distasteful conduct could negatively influence the country's youth, particularly those in the 18 to 29 age group.
"Our youths are easily influenced through social media and I can foresee that this act by The 1975 will spread across all platforms. It is not impossible for our young generation to be influenced by such behavior. Therefore, we need to rigorously control and restrict the entry of foreign artists," he added.
Zed Zaidi also called on the government to prioritise local artists' performances within the country.
He argued that excessive promotion of foreign artists would impact local talents who are struggling to earn a living, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We cannot deny that the current world is challenging with most people supporting foreign artists. However, we need to strengthen our identity and first support our local artists," he added.
