The Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Aug 30 fined Next Top bar VND3.5 million (US$165) for hosting a pole dance where singer/actress Angela Phuong Trinh donned a ‘transparent’ jumpsuit and performed erotic moves last week.

Meanwhile, according to Vo Trong Nam, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, his department has yet to receive the request in writing from its Hanoi counterpart to work with Trinh.

Several photos of Trinh’s performance, which took place at the Hanoi bar on Aug 22, instantly spread online, sparking widespread public reactions.

At the performance, Trinh was wearing an extremely tight, short ‘transparent’ jumpsuit which revealed her underwear. Many online comments wrote that Trinh strongly reminds them of Chinese showbiz ‘sex bomb’ Gan Lulu.

That night, Trinh performed some local pop songs accompanied by erotic dances, including ones with a pole, and titillating lying postures.

Soon after the images from Trinh’s performance went viral on the Internet, many expressed strong disapproval. Her show at another bar two days later was also canceled because of that.

Trinh later expressed regret on her personal page, claiming she hadn’t imagined that outfit could have looked so bad under the stage lights.

“I was startled to see the images on the newspapers the following day. There was nothing wrong about the outfit in normal light. I will also cut the inappropriate dance moves in my later performances,” she wrote on her Facebook.

However, many think that this was one of the singer’s ploys to grab attention.

Trinh, who played innocent, playful teen girls in such television dramas as “Linh Lan Trang” (The white orchids) and hit “Ba me nhi” (The little mother) several years ago, has usually performed songs accompanied by sexually arousing dances in revealing costumes at local bars in recent years.

Some local singers and models, particularly female ones, including Thu Minh, Thai Ha and Minh Hang, were each fined some VND3.5 million (US$165), a penalty which many consider perfunctory only, for donning revealing costumes and performing erotic dances onstage. Repeat or serious offenders may not be issued new performing permits.

The Performing Arts Department recently instructed all cities and provinces to temporarily ban 22-year-old Le Thi Huyen Anh, or “Ba Tung” (Mrs. Tung), from performing nationwide, even in bars, due to her breast-flaunting acts and shocking statements on Facebook.