Malaysia: 2.7 million euros claimed from the group The 1975 after a forbidden kiss on stage

The organizer of the Malaysian festival Good Vibes is claiming $ 2.7 million in compensation from the group The 1975. The event was canceled in July by the authorities after a kiss exchanged on stage between the singer and the bassist. In Malaysia, homosexuality is illegal and can lead to prison sentences.

On July 21, the group had to cut short their concert at the Good Vibes music festival in Sepang, near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, after a kiss on stage between singer Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald. The Malaysian Minister of Communications and Digital then described the kiss as “very rude”, before ordering the “immediate cancellation” of the rest of the festival which was to last three days. “I can confirm that my company has sent a letter to UK band The 1975 seeking RM12.3m ($2.68m) in damages on behalf of Future Sound Asia (FSA),” the report said. lawyer for the company organizing the meeting, David Dinesh Mathew, stating that he had given formal notice to the group to respond to him before Monday.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 7, is “essentially based on breach of contract,” he said, assuring that Matty Healy's rep had signed a written assurance before the show that the band would “adhere to all local guidelines and regulations” when providing them.

The cancellation of the festival after their concert "has had an impact on local artists and small businesses" who depended on the festival for their livelihood, added David Dinesh Mathew. "I don't see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with," the singer of The 1975 said on stage.

Some members of Malaysia's LGBTQ community have criticized Matty Healy on social media, saying his actions have made their situation even more difficult. The group canceled concerts in Indonesia and Taiwan, a Muslim-majority country, following the outcry.