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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Aug. 19) - Malaysia on Tuesday canceled aconcert by Canadian rock singer Avril Lavigne, saying it may taintthe Muslim-majority country's independence day celebrations afterthe Islamic opposition slammed her show as being "too sexy."

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Avril Lavigne Snapshots

** FILE ** In this March 30, 2008 file photo, Avril Lavigne performs at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Malaysia's Islamic opposition party has urged the government to cancel a planned concert by Avril Lavigne, saying the Canadian singer's on-stage moves are "too sexy" for this Muslim-majority country, an official said Monday, Aug. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

CALGARY, CANADA - APRIL 06: Avril Lavigne performs during the 2008 Juno Awards on April 6, 2008 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

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CALGARY, CANADA - APRIL 06: Singer Avril Lavigne (C) poses with RCMP on the red carpet at the 2008 Juno Awards on April 6, 2008 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

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Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15250759), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15250758), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15250757), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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* EXCLUSIVE * .Brian Littrell of Backstreet Boys, musician Avril Lavigne, A.J. Mclean, Howie Dorough of Backstreet Boys backstage during Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City..Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Backstage.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com..To license this image (15247161), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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Musician Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15247088), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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Musician Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15247087), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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Musician Avril Lavigne performs at Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2007 in New York City...Z100's Jingle Ball 2007 - Show.Madison Square Garden.New York, NY United States.December 14, 2007.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15247086), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

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The Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry said it had decided notto permit Lavigne's show because it was unsuitable to Malaysianculture and could not be held on Aug. 29, two days ahead ofindependence day.

"It is not timely. It's not in the good spirit of our NationalDay. If we go ahead with the concert, it is contrary to what we arepreparing for," said Shukran Ibrahim, a senior official from theculture ministry's department that vets all foreign artists.

The decision came after the youth wing of a fundamentalistopposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, called for theshow's cancellation.

Kamarulzaman Mohamed, a party youth official, told TheAssociated Press on Monday that Lavigne's show was "considered toosexy for us" and would promote the wrong values just beforeindependence day.

"We don't want our people, our teenagers, influenced by theirperformance. We want clean artists, artists that are good rolemodels," he said.

Lavigne, who became famous with her 2002 debut album "Let'sGo," had planned to launch her monthlong Asia tour in KualaLumpur.

The show's promoter, Galaxy Group, can request a new date forthe concert, which will be considered by the ministry, Shukransaid. Galaxy officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

Galaxy began advertising the Grammy-nominated rock singer'sconcert this month even though it had yet to obtain a governmentpermit, which is mandatory for all foreign music shows. It saidMonday about half the concert tickets had been sold.

Last year, R&B singer Beyonce moved her show from Malaysia toIndonesia, and Christina Aguilera skipped the country on an Asiantour after a controversy erupted over a dress code for foreignartists.

Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obsceneor drug-related images and be covered from the chest to the knees.They must also refrain from jumping, shouting, hugging and kissingon stage.

Still, members of PAS and other conservative Muslims oftenprotest against Western and even Malaysian music shows that theydeem to be inappropriate.

The local organizer of a Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 wasfined 10,000 ringgit (US$2,857) after the U.S. girl group wasaccused of flouting decency regulations.