Malaysia scraps Avril Lavigne concert; show slammed as ‘too sexy’
An Avril Lavigne concert scheduled for later this month in Malaysia has been cancelled amid complaints that the show by the Canadian rock singer is “too sexy.”
The Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry says it had decided not to permit Lavigne’s planned Aug. 29 performance because it is unsuitable for Malaysian culture.
The decision came after complaints by the youth wing of a fundamentalist opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party.
Kamarulzaman Mohamed, a party youth official, told the Associated Press on Monday that Lavigne’s show was “considered too sexy for us” and would promote the wrong values just before independence day on Aug. 31.
Lavigne, who shot to fame with her 2002 debut album Let Go, had planned to launch her month-long Asia tour in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian officials say the show’s promoter, Galaxy Group, can request a new date for the concert.
Galaxy began advertising the Grammy-nominated rock singer’s concert this month even though it had yet to obtain a government permit, which is mandatory for all foreign music shows. It said Monday about half the concert tickets had been sold.
Last year, R&B singer Beyonce moved her show from Malaysia to Indonesia, and Christina Aguilera skipped the country on an Asian tour after a controversy erupted over a dress code for foreign artists.
Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obscene or drug-related images and be covered from the chest to the knees. They must also refrain from jumping, shouting, hugging and kissing on stage.
Still, members of PAS and other conservative Muslims often protest against western and even Malaysian music shows that they deem to be inappropriate.
The local organizer of a Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 was fined $2,857 after the U.S. girl group was accused of flouting decency regulations.
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