After The 1975 controversy, Fahmi wants Puspal to review foreign artistes’ approval
SHAH ALAM, July 23 — Fahmi Fadzil has called for a comprehensive review of procedures at the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) after the controversy involving The 1975 band led to him cancelling the Good Vibes Festival (GVF) 2023.
The communications and digital minister said there needed to be more transparency and efficiency to Puspal’s screening and vetting of foreign artistes seeking to perform in the country.
“I have asked Communications and Digital Ministry secretary-general Datuk Muhammad Fauzi Md Isa and the Puspal committee chairman to re-examine all the existing processes regarding Puspal, including the artist screening issue.
“Also requested by the home minister as well as the assurance given by the organisers about the possible behaviour of artists,” he said after attending a handover ceremony at Dewan Annex, Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam here today.
Today, the minister also said local artistes who were meant to perform at the GVF 2023 have not been paid.
He said organiser MyCreative Ventures is finding ways to help both the local artistes and vendors affected after the minister ordered the festival to be cancelled.
“I have been in contact with the Good Vibes Festival vendors and local acts. I understand that the international acts have received their payment mostly but the local acts have not received their payment.
“I leave it to MyCreative Ventures to let me know what help they can provide,” he said.
Yesterday, Puspal, which is an agency under the Communications and Digital Ministry, said it had filed a police report and has blacklisted The 1975 from performing in Malaysia.
The 10th-anniversary edition of the music festival that kicked off yesterday was halted when Matty Healy, the frontman of British band The 1975, launched into an expletive-riddled tirade against Malaysia’s laws relating to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT) and kissed the band’s bassist Ross MacDonald.
The stunt, which was widely shared on social media by concertgoers who captured the moment on their smartphones, has sparked intense debate and public backlash.
