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- A Malaysian festival organiser wants to sue The 1975 for $2.7 million
- Two male members of The 1975 kissed on stage at a Malaysian festival.
- Homosexuality is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia.
The organiser of a Malaysian festival which was cancelled after a kiss between two male members of The 1975 is seeking $2.7 million in damages from the British indie-rock band, its lawyer said Friday.
Homosexuality is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and laws criminalising sodomy are punishable by imprisonment, while LGBTQIA+ people in the country also face regular discrimination by authorities.
READ MORE | The 1975 cancels shows in Indonesia and Taiwan, after same-sex kiss in Malaysia
The Good Vibes music festival in Kuala Lumpur was cancelled after the band's frontman Matt Healy launched a profanity-laden speech and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald during their 21 July performance.
"I can confirm that my firm issued a seven-day letter of claim to the UK band 1975 demanding for 12.3 million Malaysian Ringgit ($2.68 million) in damages on behalf of Future Sound Asia (FSA)," David Dinesh Mathew, lawyer for event organiser FSA said in a statement.
David said the claim filed on Monday against the band was "essentially for breach of contract".
Healy's representative signed a pre-show written assurance that the band would "adhere to all local guidelines and regulations" in their set, he said.
The cancellation of the festival after their show "had repercussions on local artists and small businesses" who had relied on the festival for their livelihoods, David added.
The band have until Monday to respond to the letter.
READ MORE | The 1975's Matty Healy's views on masculinity are refreshing in the world of rock 'n roll
Healy had told Malaysian fans on stage that the band thought of pulling out of the festival on Friday, saying: "I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with."
Malaysian government ministers condemned the singer for breaching local customs and moved to ban the group from the country.
Some in the LGBTQIA+ community in Malaysia criticised Healy on social media, saying his actions had made their situation even more challenging.
The band cancelled shows in Muslim-majority Indonesia and Taiwan after the uproar.
The on-stage protest was not a first for Healy, who kissed a male fan at a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, which also has tough anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.
