‘Go and die’: Malaysian rock band stand by anti-LGBT lyrics despite accusations of homophobia
- Bunkface’s song The End of Times attacks the LGBT community in Malaysia. In a statement, the band defended their rejection of any rights for LGBT Muslims
- They quoted a verse from Islam’s holy book, The Koran, and described the LGBT community as ‘sinful’
Malaysian rock band Bunkface have defended their new song, Akhir Zaman (“The End of Times”), which has caused controversy over lyrics that urge the LGBT community to “go and die”.
Apart from one line that targeted the gay community – “LGBT boleh pergi mampus” (“LGBT can go and die”) – it also contains lyrics highlighting official corruption in Malaysia such as “mana semua duit rakyat?” (“where is the peoples’ money?”).
After an uproar in Malaysia’s LGBT community, the band’s management said the band would address the matter at a live show on April 4. But as criticism of the band intensified, Bunkface released a statement on their Instagram account on March 6 to explain why they wrote the lyrics.
The press release, written in both Bahasa Malaysia and English, defended the anti-LGBT lyric. It said the band were not targeting specific individuals but criticising the growing Muslim LGBT movement in Malaysia. In the statement, they indicated their rejection of any rights for LGBT Muslims.
