Taylor Swift fans in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia blame poor infrastructure, conservative laws for concert snubs

Singapore is the only Southeast Asian stop for the US singer, to the disappointment of many fans in the region who cannot afford to fly there to see her
The lack of suitable venues, Muslim conservatives fearful of liberal Western values, and a culture of scalping may be driving big-scale events away, Swifties speculate

As millions of Taylor Swift fans in Southeast Asia lament missing out on the chance to see the star live in concert following her decision to only play in Singapore, some have blamed poor entertainment infrastructure and religious conservatism in their countries for driving her away.
The US country-pop artist is holding six concert dates in the city state next March as part of her global Eras Tour, several weeks after British rock band Coldplay also performs six shows in Singapore – the longest they will spend in any country for their Music of the Spheres world tour.
“It’s really sad that she only gets to play in Singapore. Taylor’s fan base is huge in the Philippines,” said university student Kheena Thrisia Ligas, a “Swiftie” in Cebu City who cannot afford to fly to Singapore to see her idol.

Taylor Swift fans in Malaysia and Indonesia point to red tape and political conservatism as factors that put off international performers. PH๏τo: TNS
As millions of Taylor Swift fans in Southeast Asia lament missing out on the chance to see the star live in concert following her decision to only play in Singapore, some have blamed poor entertainment infrastructure and religious conservatism in their countries for driving her away.
The US country-pop artist is holding six concert dates in the city state next March as part of her global Eras Tour, several weeks after British rock band Coldplay also performs six shows in Singapore – the longest they will spend in any country for their Music of the Spheres world tour.
“It’s really sad that she only gets to play in Singapore. Taylor’s fan base is huge in the Philippines,” said university student Kheena Thrisia Ligas, a “Swiftie” in Cebu City who cannot afford to fly to Singapore to see her idol.

The 24-year-old fan from Sarawak said he had expected Swift would skip his home country because of the “unnecessary bureaucracy in applying for concert permits in Malaysia”.

He noted that artists also had to contend with religious sensitivities from officials. “Having a concert in Kuala Lumpur means organisers or musicians need to bear the risks of last-minute concert cancellations by the government due to political pressure,” Iqhram said.

The Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) last month called for Coldplay’s concert in Kuala Lumpur to be cancelled because they believed the band’s support for LGBTQ rights would promote “a culture of hedonism and perversion”.