The controversial kiss between two male members of a British band at the Good Vibes festival in Sepang last night appears to have courted bad vibes for Communication and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who came under fire from both MCA and Bersatu.
Following the decision to cancel the event, MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker went for the minister’s heart in asking him to have “empathy and sympathy” for the organiser. In contrast, former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan wanted Fahmi’s head to roll.
Ti said instead of pulling the plug, the minister should target Matt Healy, the frontman of the band The 1975, who performed while holding what is believed to be a bottle of alcohol before kissing the male guitarist.
"Indeed the act by the performers must be condemned, our laws must be upheld to protect our young and impressionable, and Healy and The 1975 must be penalised.
"But extending the punishment oto the organisers in an arbitrary or unconscionable manner does not spell well on the minister or the government,” he added in a statement today.
Ti said the minister should not be seen as “trigger happy or shooting at the wrong target”.
"Cancelling the festival and asking the organisers to refund all tickets sold is unjust to the organiser who will be incurring heavy losses in monetary terms and their reputation," he added.
According to Ti, Fahmi and PKR, perceived as "liberals", appear to be appeasing the conservatives ahead of the six state elections.
"Is this drastic action on the organisers correct as they have no control over the spontaneous acts of any of their performers on the stage?
"The minister’s decision may win him some political brownie points for the state elections but will definitely damage our international standing and local entertainment industry that is already under tremendous pressure and challenges," he said.
Furthermore, Ti said Fahmi's move could set a precedent for future concert organisers, bound by the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) restrictions.
‘Minister must resign’
On the other hand, Wan Saiful demanded that Fahmi steps down, saying that the minister should take responsibility for the “wild and lewd” act.
“I urge Fahmi to resign with immediate effect because he is proven to be incompetent…
“The government must also initiate legal action over this ‘public act that goes against the norm’ (aksi luar tabi'e),” he said, adding that cancelling the event is insufficient.
On the same note, Wan Saiful said he expected Fahmi to pin the blame on someone else, claiming this is the modus operandi of the current government.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Nai'm Mokhtar said stern action must be taken against the organiser to serve as a lesson for others.
Aside from Puspal regulations, Na'im said the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has also provided guidelines on international artists, which must be adhered to.
Earlier today, Puspal said The 1975 has been blacklisted from performing in Malaysia.
The agency has filed a police report against the band and the event organiser for “negligence and failure to comply with the set conditions”. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.