Government should have rejected The 1975's concert earlier - Hamzah

KUALA SELANGOR - Former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the rude behavior of British rock band, The 1975, should not have happened in the first place if the government had rejected the concert's organisers earlier.

Hamzah, who is also the Opposition leader, said the matter should not be taken lightly and should not happen in Malaysia.

"Such groups clearly promote the culture of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) groups.

"Their arrival can damage harmony because some groups disagree and some agree. The application should have been rejected from the first day," he said when met after the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Machinery Launch Ceremony of the Permatang State Legislative Assembly in Tanjong Karang yesterday.

Hamzah said the government needs to act on the issue.

"Right now we want to see what the government's actions are, if there is none, then the people know what this government is like.

"When I held the position of Home Minister before, I never accepted the entry of such a group in this country," he stressed.

Last Friday, The 1975's performance at the Sepang International Circuit was stopped after its vocalist Matty Healy showed various disrespectful actions in front of the fans.

The singer was accused of holding a bottle of alcohol while on stage and making a speech insulting Malaysia's LGBT-related laws.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil informed that the Central Agency initially rejected the 1975's participation for Filming Films and Foreign Artists' Performances (PUSPAL), but the group's organisers and managers applied for an appeal and undertook to be fully responsible for their concert.

Last Saturday, the police received three police reports related to the issue and will call the organisers of the concert.