The newly released Decree 158 stipulates that from Jan 1, 2014 on, artists who wear revealing clothes, lip sync onstage or make other offences will be in for more stringent penalties, including doubled fines plus 1-3 month bans on performing nationwide.

According to the new decree, singers, actors and models will be fined up to VND10 million (US$472) for wearing scanty outfits or culturally inappropriate costumes and makeup onstage compared to the current maximal fine of VND5 million.

Artists who lip sync or play recordings in solo instrumental performances will be fined VND5-10 million. The current fine is VND3-6 million.

As stipulated by the new decree, along with the fines, violators will also be banned from performing in one to three months. Current penalties usually don’t include performing bans. 

Fines on organizers of performances which feature culturally unsuitable, sexual, violent or banned contents will also be raised to VND25-35 million while artists participating in such shows will be banned from performing in three to six months.

Organizers of unlicensed beauty pageants will get a maximal fine of VND50 million ($2,358) compared to the current VND40 million fine. Contestants who take part in beauty, modeling contests abroad without license will also be penalized VND15-30 million compared to the current VND10-20 million.

The harsher fines and penalties are designed to tighten curb on local artists. In recent years, many singers, actors and models, particularly females, have flaunted their breast onstage, online or got involved in sex scandals. Many find their VND3.5 million fines perfunctory and that the fines did nothing but to earn them more public attention.

Most recently, local actress-singer Ngan Khanh was fined VND3.5 million (US$165) for accidentally letting her blouse drop, showing her breast in a popular dance reality show broadcast live on VTV3 on Nov 9.

Khanh, who has taken lead roles in several TV dramas, was donning a modernized Indian iconic gown, which bared one of her shoulders. She was dancing in an electrifying Bollywood style when her blouse accidentally dropped, fully exposing her right breast while both she and her partner failed to notice that.

In August this year, singer-actress Angela Phuong Trinh was also banned from performing nationwide for donning a ‘transparent’ jumpsuit and performing erotic dances at a show in Hanoi.

Such showbiz celebs as Vo Hoang Yen, who represented Vietnam at 2009 Miss Universe, Thu Minh, Thai Ha and Minh Hang were each fined some US$165, for wearing revealing costumes and performing erotic dances onstage.

22-year-old Facebooker Ba Tung (Mrs. Tung) was also banned from performing nationwide, even in bars, due to her breast-flaunting video clips and outrageous statements on the social network.

The HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently submitted a work permit project to be approved. The project aims to put more curbs on local performers by issuing work permits to only those eligible and withdrawing them if they make violations later.