No permit, no fest: Beer fest organisers apologise to public

MyBeer Malaysia says they were informed that the decision to cancel the event was due to licensing issues and political sensitivity.

PETALING JAYA: Organisers of The Better Beer Festival 2017 have confirmed that the event will not proceed as scheduled on Oct 6 and 7.

In a brief statement, MyBeer Malaysia expressed disappointment over having to cancel the event and said, “At our meeting with the officials at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), we were instructed to cancel our event as there were issues with the licensing.

“We were further informed that the decision was made due to the political sensitivity surrounding the event.

“We regret any inconvenience caused to our patrons, partners and sponsors, and thank you for your unwavering support over the last week,” it said.

Earlier today, DBKL corporate communications director Khalid Zakaria said MyBeer Malaysia’s request for a permit to hold the event at Publika Shopping Gallery, received on Aug 28, had been rejected.

“If the organiser proceeds with the event, we have the right to take action to the full extent of the law,” he said.

The announcement came amid opposition from PAS, whose central committee member Riduan Mohd Nor labelled the event as a “vice festival”, that could lead to Kuala Lumpur becoming known as the vice centre of Asia.

Riduan also asked the authorities what guarantee they could give members of the public who did not participate in the annual event “to ensure their safety from crime, free sex, rape and so on”.

This would have been the third time the event was held in Kuala Lumpur. It was held in Bukit Bintang in 2012 and the Publika Shopping Gallery in 2016. - FMT