Heartbroken Malaysian fans of Blackpink have blamed their government’s censorious streak for the K-pop supergroup omitting to stop in Kuala Lumpur on their highly-anticipated world tour.
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On Tuesday, the chart-topping and YouTube record-breaking quartet comprising Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose, announced their first world tour since 2023 with shows scheduled across North America, Europe and Asia from July this year through to January 2026.
The news threw Blinks – a term used to describe the group’s most devoted fans – into a frenzy of ticket-buying for the first reunion of the band since they took time out to pursue solo projects.
Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Bulacan in the Philippines will be part of their Southeast Asia swing, but Malaysia was excluded from the line-up.
“I really think it is because our country is being difficult. Our authorities seem to always make it hard for international acts to come here,” said cosmetics salesperson Bobo, 30, who goes by one name. The Blink has followed the group since they debuted in 2016.
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For Beverly Lim, 25, the omission of Malaysia means she has to put on hold her dream of seeing her idols in the flesh.