Malaysian Group Wants Avril Lavigne Banned

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's Islamic opposition party has urged the government to cancel a concert by Avril Lavigne, saying the Canadian singer's on-stage moves are "too sexy," an official said Monday.

Lavigne, a Grammy-nominated rock singer who burst to fame with her 2002 debut album "Let's Go," plans to start her monthlong Asia tour with a performance in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 29.

The youth wing of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party said Lavigne's concert would promote wrong values ahead of Malaysia's Aug. 31 independence day.

"It is considered too sexy for us. ... It's not good for viewers in Malaysia," said Kamarulzaman Mohamed, a party official. "We don't want our people, our teenagers, influenced by their performance. We want clean artists, artists that are good role models."

Kamarulzaman said he sent a protest letter to the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur mayor last week, calling for the concert to be canceled.

An official from the Culture Ministry's department that vets all foreign artists said the government has not given permission for the concert yet. The department is to meet Tuesday to decide on the organizer's application, which was received last week.

The official declined to be named because she is not authorized to make public statements.

A spokesman for the concert's organizer, Galaxy Group, denied that Lavigne's show had any "negative elements."

The spokesman, who declined to be named citing protocol, said his company was confident of receiving the permit as feedback from authorities so far had been "very positive."

Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obscene or drug-related images and be covered from chest to knees. They must also refrain from jumping, shouting, hugging and kissing on stage.

Still, members of PAS and other conservative Muslims often protest Western and even Malaysian music shows that they deem to be inappropriate.

Last year, pop singer Gwen Stefani made what she called "a major sacrifice" by donning clothes that revealed little skin at a performance here.

Also last year, Christina Aguilera skipped Malaysia during an Asian tour that included neighboring Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, while R&B superstar Beyonce scratched a planned concert here, moving it to Indonesia.

A Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 was fined 10,000 ringgit (US$2,857) after the U.S. girl group was accused of flouting decency regulations.

Comments

[marred]

I want her banned too but for different reasons. She's the hard rock Kylie Minogue!

[Horus]

What's wrong with these people? I love that here in the U.S. the role models for young girls wear skimpy clothing and do drugs. These people must be uptight religious nuts! What freaks they are! Don't they know about how to be free and stuff?!

[Felicty]

Send them that Winehouse junkie. That will shut them right up.

[whizkid]

Send them Marilyn Manson.

[RoseMerry]

I can meet them halfway. I want Avril Lavigne.

[alted1663]

I'd just sooner ban her for the bad music. But that's just me.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness." Pablo Picasso

[BlueZoo]

Malaysia is a Muslim country and, as such, can demand certain behavior in anyone who visits or performs there. I'll leave the merits of Avril's performances to you experts but Avril or anyone else who goes to Malaysia better heed the old adage: When in Rome, do as the Romans!

[GeorgeP922]

I hate to say it, but I agree with the Malaysians, not in context but in action.

Avril Lavine is the most unbearable "act" America every produced.

Ban her from any microphone

[brently]

she's canadian, bro. And hate her or not, she can at least sing. (see her unplugged-type performances on youtube)

[SlappHappy]

Celine Dion, Alanus Morrisette, Avril Lavigne, Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Tom Green: all Canadians.
Need I say more?

[expatwing]

Ooh! Ooh! Can I please add Chad Kroeger of Nickelback to that list?! Can't stand him!

[sussex]

...But it's you silly American twits that make them them rich. While I may agree with you on some of your dislikes, especially Tom Green, we are continually inundated with mediocre American "culture" such as Steve Carell, Will Farrell, et al who have the presumption to call themselves comedians and an endless plethora of warbling cacophonies who dare to call themselves musicians.

[Horus]

You don't like Steve Carell?! I think he's hilarious!

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

But you gotta love Martin Short. And don't forget good cheeses and really good beers and ales.

[SlappHappy]

Another lamentable Canadian "talent" the Canucks have foisted on the rest of the world, along with Mike Myers (ugh), Celine Dion (barf), Alanus Morrisette (puke), Jim Carrey (wretch), Tom Green (wheeze) and all the rest. The rest of the world has become a dumping ground for all Canada's undesirables!

[ZimboChick]

hmmmm *feels sorry for slappy happy*

[AmandaBC]

Actually, we don't have the power to foist anyone on the rest of the world. This is the tyical pattern: you Americans pick the very worst of our country and foist it on hapless people all over the world.

You don't seem too interested in our "good stuff", though the rest of the world does appreciate it. Ever heard of Sarah McLachlan? Allison Crowe? Diana Krall? Leslie Feist?

[Jezdukowski]

New Pornographers and D.O.A. are pretty darn good too!

[SlappHappy]

"Ever heard of Sarah McLachlan? Allison Crowe? Diana Krall? Leslie Feist?"

Yes, and I hate all of them, especially Krall, who makes my skin crawl. MOR garbage masquerading as jazz. I'll give you Lennie Cohen, early Neil Young (he stinks now),
Skinny Puppy and a few others, but most "popular" Canadian music is trash.

[i rate]

Can Barack Obama be banned too because he is a cockey poser; all rhetoric, no substance!

[Elrancho]

You sound like one of those who thinks black people should 'know their place'. Sad, pathetic and hopefully a dying breed.

[Horus]

Way to inject some racism!! I knew thats what we needed in here!

[walk0nwalls]

No but you can!

Ba-dump ching!

[katocat]

No substance would be McCain, never earned anything for himself, born with a silver spoon in his mouth... much like his buddy George Bush Jr.

[RJII]

poor humbled girl. she was so young cockey once, now she's begging for ticket sales. wonder if she realizes she's not a great singer, marginal performer and the pink hair and racoon eyes is meh.

[sarasotajeff]

what a jerk
too bad you're still unhappy about your complete lack of success - she's still young, and she's still successful and you are not qualified to judge anything about her

[RJII]

boo hooo. you're a complete failure. turkey.

Get real. I judge by that crap she puts out on the radio. also, a few recent concerts were canceled due to low ticket sales.

don't hate on me because she stinks. maybe her new cloths line will pump up sales. bwaa haaa.

[LadyFist]

Have to agree w RJII on this one. She's a waste of planetary resources. Just like any saccharine garbage spewing pop star. She has no talent. But, yes she is still young and can hopefully recover from it all at some point. Though I think she'll probably go the way of Vanilla Ice. "You sooo cannot mention Skater Boy in my presence."

[commentguy1234]

Avril, sexy? I, too, want her banned. But only because she's a poser.

[LittleSanityLeft]

Stop with the hate, commentguy. Name me a pop star who isn't a poser.

[commentguy1234]

Kelly Clarkson isn't a poser, and she doesn't steal other people's music like Avril.

[AmandaBC]

Sarah McLachlan, just to stay in Canada... She doesn't need to pose, she's an exceptional singer and one of the most beautiful voices in pop music. Avril's average.