Despite reports in recent days that Avril Lavigne's concert in Malaysia had been out of use because of government fears that the singer's double is "excessively sexy" � and subsequent reports that it had either been canceled or postponed because it could mar the country's independency day celebrations � the singer told MTV News on Thursday (August 21) that it's going ahead.
"Well, I've actually been sanctioned by the government to play a show," she said. "I've already sold 10,000 tickets at that place, so I will be going to put on a concert for the fans.
"They tend to, you know, sometimes not want Western artists in their country," she continued. "I respect that, but at the same time, you know, there's people that listen to music in that respect and want to see their idols and stuff, so it's all full: been approved by the government and [I'm] going to go put on a establish and have fun."
Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, had been trying to cancel or postpone a Lavigne read scheduled for the country's capital on August 29 saying her moves and stage usher were "overly sexy." The party took offense with the bulge out singer pickings the stage and possibly promoting the wrong values just years ahead of the country's independence day on August 31.
The flap over the Lavigne evince wasn't the first time the country's officials had looked negatively at a show by a Western female kill singer. In the past, they forced Gwen Stefani to cover up her world-famous belly, drove Beyonc� and Christina Aguilera to neighboring shores to keep off a hassle and rang up several thousand dollars in fines against a Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 for flouting decency rules.
All along, the impresario of the Lavigne concert, Galaxy Productions, had said that the show would not have any "negative elements." Malaysia requires performers to be covered from chest to knees and avoid clothes that feature of speech obscene or drug-related images, as well as eschewing any jumping, shouting, snuggling and cuddling onstage.
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