What security concerns, beer fest organisers ask

Organisers MyBeer Malaysia want to present their provisions for safety again, following reports that the Better Beer Festival 2017 was cancelled due to security concerns.

PETALING JAYA: The organisers of the Better Beer Festival 2017 have disputed reports that the event was axed due to security concerns.

In a statement today, MyBeer Malaysia cited the comments made by MCA president Liow Tiong Lai regarding the event after a cabinet meeting yesterday.

Liow said he had raised the matter at the meeting, and that ministers were told the cancellation was due to security concerns.

“This was the report given to us. We must accept the police’s views as we have to take into consideration the people’s safety,” he said.

However, MyBeer Malaysia said they had held the festival on an annual basis for the last five years with no untoward incidents occurring before, during or after the event.

“We will seek a meeting with DBKL to present our provisions for security again, which we believe are adequate.

“As had been adhered to in the past five festivals we organised, we will be conducting strict ID and security checks at all entry points into the enclosed areas, with multiple security personnel and Bulan Sabit Merah together with the support of polis bantuan from Publika to ensure safety and security at the event.”

They expressed hope that DBKL would give them an opportunity to meet and discuss their appeal, and grant permission for the event to proceed.

The Better Beer Festival 2017, which was slated to be held on Oct 6 and 7 at the Publika Shopping Gallery, was supposed to have featured 250 different craft beers from 43 breweries worldwide.

The inaugural festival took place in 2012 at Taps Beer Bar in Changkat Bukit Bintang. Last October, more than 3,500 craft beer lovers attended the event at Publika Shopping Gallery. -FMT