THE best way to deal with the ludicrous call by PAS to cancel top British rock band Coldplay’s concert in Kuala Lumpur this November is this – simply ignore it. Give them the cold shoulder. How on earth could the concert promote hedonism and perverse culture, as claimed by a PAS politician? This is beyond logic.
Hedonism basically means the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence.
My simplistic mind thinks the word carries a sexual connotation. Unfair as it may be, that’s how the folks in green like to presume and, or, assume when it comes to any form of entertainment.
If we choose to accept such a narrow meaning of pleasure, then we may as well ban cinemas, television, and even video streaming platforms.
It’s really no wonder that cinemas are banned in Kelantan.
To give them credit, they practise what they preach as politicians but this also means, if they are given a chance to form the federal government, we can expect horrendous policies to come our way.
What has attracted global attention including that of our Prime Minister, who welcomed Coldplay to KL in a video message, is that the music tour has been touted as environmentally friendly.
The new global tour is to support the band’s most recent album, Music of the Spheres, where the band have made several environmental pledges.
They have also announced several sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible.
I am looking forward to booking my tickets on May 17, as besides listening to their music, I’d like to see their concert set up, which includes kinetic dance floors and stationary bikes to channel energy directly from those in the crowd into batteries to power different elements of the show.
Now, that’s what I call a positive message and carried out in a creative, fun way at the same time. If these efforts aren’t enough, according to a news report, the band has pledged to plant and protect millions of new trees – including one for every ticket sold.
It’s probably the first big name band, as far as I know, to push for the reduction of consumption, cut C02 emission by 50% and reinvent – supporting new green technologies and developing sustainable, super-low carbon touring methods, according to its website.
Yes, the band would still need to fly to make their global tour a reality and it remains to be seen if this is a clever way just to be politically correct or be the first environmentally friendly group of musicians.
Let’s just give them the thumbs up for promoting a cleaner environment in a big way.
When big names like Coldplay make such a commitment, it reaches a bigger audience.
I have been told that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has decided to use social media to openly welcome Coldplay to KL so enthusiastically because of this faultless pledge.
Coldplay is simply a group of middle-aged male musicians who are usually dressed in simple T- shirts and jeans when they appear on stage. Don’t expect any gyrating or even dancing.
I believe that PAS central committee member, hardliner Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, who has previously spoken up against Valentine’s Day celebrations and called for a ban of an Elton John concert in 2012, has no idea who Coldplay is, let alone their music.
During my student days at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in the 1980s, pro-PAS students also pushed to ban an Alleycats concert. The same reason was used – it would only promote hedonism and perverse culture. Seriously!
In Nasrudin’s issue, it appears to be a classic case of calling for a ban for the sake of it. It’s like a rehashed script.
Well, this is just him and he is entitled to his opinion and his wish.
Likewise, the rest of us are entitled to enjoy ourselves at the concert. He can choose to stay at home, thank you very much.
None of us are going to take drugs, get high and indulge in orgies at the concert, if that’s what these highly imaginative guys in green are thinking.
What are they smoking?
Let’s not forget that music tourism is a multi-million ringgit revenue earner. We want Coldplay fans to catch the concert, spend their money on flights, hotels and food in Malaysia.
But of course, it’s a calculated move by the Islamist party.
They don’t really care what the Bangsar crowd think or what the mainstream English media feel about them.
They have a loyal following of supporters, who are prepared to be patient and wait their turn to govern Malaysia. After all, they already have Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Nasrudin claims Coldplay was waving an LBGT flag, meaning this is a good enough reason to stop them.
Going by his half-baked argument, Malaysia would need to cut diplomatic ties with quite a few Western leaders who have embraced the LBGT movement, taken part in Pride parades and waved the rainbow flags, too.
The colour at the Coldplay concert will be one to promote green. A different kind of green, that is.
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Wong Chun Wai
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang and served Star Media Group for nearly four decades in various capacities and roles. He was group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. "On The Beat" debuted on Feb 23, 1997. Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for occasional press holidays when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star. He is now chairman of national news agency Bernama.
