FMT:
PAS would have protested if Taylor Swift performed here, says PH MP
07 Mar 2024, 08:48 PM
Chong Chieng Jen says the Islamic party has a track record of protesting against any international artists performing in Malaysia.
kt notes: From another post Int'l concerts: Look at overall impact, not just economic - Tuan Ibrahim, Tuan Ibrahim showed his concerns that the mingling of males and females at such concerts would lead to unwanted babies being born and abandoned 😨😲😬
PH’s Stampin MP, Chong Chieng Jen, said he doubts Taylor Swift’s management would have considered Malaysia as an alternative venue if Singapore had not won the bid to host her.
KUALA LUMPUR: A backbencher says PAS would have objected to international pop star Taylor Swift performing in Malaysia.
Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) said the Islamic party would have been “obsessed” over Swift’s outfit and would have criticised her for it.
“In Taylor Swift’s case, if Singapore had failed to obtain exclusive rights to host her, I doubt her management would have considered Malaysia as an alternative venue,” Chong said when debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said PAS has a track record of protesting against international musicians performing in Malaysia such as Coldplay and Blackpink in 2023 other than “controlling” the attire worn by these artists.
He advised Bersatu leaders who had criticised the government following an FMT report that Malaysia could have had Swift perform in the country to train its crosshairs on PAS, its Perikatan Nasional ally, over their past objections to international acts.
Swift is in the midst of her six sold-out shows in Singapore, her only stop in Southeast Asia.
Previously, FMT columnist Frankie D’Cruz reported that Malaysia had the American pop star in its grasp in 2022, but lost her to Singapore a year later.
He said Swift was on the Malaysian government’s radar after it signed a contract with a US venue management company in 2022 to make Kuala Lumpur Sports City in Bukit Jalil a magnet for sports and live entertainment.
However, the deal was not capitalised on when Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister after the 15th general election, and the American company was reduced to a consultant’s role for the optimisation of Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
In response, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu labelled it a missed opportunity, while the party’s legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff, demanded that the government clear the air over the matter.
On a related note, Chong also voiced his disagreement with the “kill switch” initiative taken by the government to cut power to a concert should it break official conduct guidelines.
He said the “kill switch” was unnecessary as Malaysians could access indecent content such as pornography online regardless of their location.
“What celebrities do on stage can only be seen by those in the stadium. Its influence among the Malaysian people is much less compared to the influence of the internet.
“So, what’s the point of going through all the trouble to set up a kill switch mechanism, with all the restrictions and potential cancellation risks at the end? Eventually, A-list celebrities will hesitate to perform in Malaysia,” he said.
KUALA LUMPUR: A backbencher says PAS would have objected to international pop star Taylor Swift performing in Malaysia.
Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) said the Islamic party would have been “obsessed” over Swift’s outfit and would have criticised her for it.
“In Taylor Swift’s case, if Singapore had failed to obtain exclusive rights to host her, I doubt her management would have considered Malaysia as an alternative venue,” Chong said when debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said PAS has a track record of protesting against international musicians performing in Malaysia such as Coldplay and Blackpink in 2023 other than “controlling” the attire worn by these artists.
He advised Bersatu leaders who had criticised the government following an FMT report that Malaysia could have had Swift perform in the country to train its crosshairs on PAS, its Perikatan Nasional ally, over their past objections to international acts.
Swift is in the midst of her six sold-out shows in Singapore, her only stop in Southeast Asia.
Previously, FMT columnist Frankie D’Cruz reported that Malaysia had the American pop star in its grasp in 2022, but lost her to Singapore a year later.
He said Swift was on the Malaysian government’s radar after it signed a contract with a US venue management company in 2022 to make Kuala Lumpur Sports City in Bukit Jalil a magnet for sports and live entertainment.
However, the deal was not capitalised on when Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister after the 15th general election, and the American company was reduced to a consultant’s role for the optimisation of Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
In response, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu labelled it a missed opportunity, while the party’s legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff, demanded that the government clear the air over the matter.
On a related note, Chong also voiced his disagreement with the “kill switch” initiative taken by the government to cut power to a concert should it break official conduct guidelines.
He said the “kill switch” was unnecessary as Malaysians could access indecent content such as pornography online regardless of their location.
“What celebrities do on stage can only be seen by those in the stadium. Its influence among the Malaysian people is much less compared to the influence of the internet.
“So, what’s the point of going through all the trouble to set up a kill switch mechanism, with all the restrictions and potential cancellation risks at the end? Eventually, A-list celebrities will hesitate to perform in Malaysia,” he said.
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