The controversial pop star Lady Gaga thumbed her nose at Muslim-majority Malaysia's conservative culture and urged its young people to fight the censorship of her hit song promoting acceptance of gays.
She said youth in Malaysia
– where homosexuality is taboo and sodomy illegal – must peacefully protest
the crackdown against her song "Born This Way" if they wanted to
be free in their own society.
The largest group of non-government radio stations has been rendering song's
line "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian or transgendered life, I'm
on the right track, baby" unintelligible by garbling the lyric.
Pop acts from the West regularly fall foul of the authorities or conservative
Islamic groups in Malaysia. Numerous concerts have been cancelled,
dramatically toned down or the promoters fined afterwards for contravening
laws governing modesty.
But the outspoken Lady Gaga refused to hold her tongue when asked about the
Malaysian censorship when she visited the headquarters of Google, in
Mountain View, California.
"What I would say is for all the young people in Malaysia that want those
words to be played on the radio, it is your job and it is your duty as young
people to have your voices heard," she said in an interview posted on
YouTube.
"You must do everything that you can if you want to be liberated by your
society. You must call, you must not stop, you must protest peaceably."
AMP Networks, the largest private radio operator which boasts the largest
English-language station, said it had to tread carefully for fear of
breaching laws promoting good taste and decency and safeguarding against
offending the public.
"The particular lyrics in 'Born This Way' may be considered as offensive
when viewed against Malaysia's social and religious observances," AMP
said in a statement. "The issue of being gay, lesbian or bisexual is
still considered as a taboo by ordinary Malaysians." The sanctions
against broadcasters that flout the rules include fines of up to £10,000.
Gay rights activist Pang Khee Teik was scathing of the radio stations'
decision, saying the broadcasters' had a duty to provide a voice for the
voiceless.
"Lady Gaga was trying to address this very thing in her song," he
said. "How dare they play that song and cut out its shining heart?"
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