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Avril Lavigne's Show Goes On in Malaysia
08/24/2008 11:00 AM, E! Online
Looks like Avril Lavigne can prove she's "The Best Damn Thing" in Kuala Lumpur after all. The Malaysian government has given the go-ahead for the wannabe punk rocker's gig on Aug. 29 as scheduled, despite scrapping the concert last week for being "too sexy." The decision was reversed after Lavigne's promoters assured the performance wouldn't corrupt the mainly Muslim country's youth or disrupt its independence day celebration on Aug. 31. "In giving the approval, the cabinet also instructed the [arts and cultural] ministry to monitor the concert to ensure that the performances do not clash with the Malaysian culture and values," the Arts and Culture Minister Mohamad Shafie Apdal told Bernama, a Malaysian news agency. Beyoncé Knowles, Gwen Stefani and the Pussycat Dolls are among the other artists who have experienced trouble in the conservative country, which imposes dress rules and conduct codes on performers, including no jumping, shouting, hugging or kissing onstage. But the 23-year-old "Complicated" singer told MTV, "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 there and want to see their idols and stuff, so it's all good: been approved by the government and [I'm] going to go put on a show and have fun."
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