KL Fashion Week models receive payment after one-woman protest

 

The Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) organiser has promptly paid models who walked in its runway shows this year, said top model Alicia Amin.

This came after allegations surfaced of models who worked in its runway shows in previous years still being owed payment.

"To my knowledge, four of the models who were owed money previously, whom I know personally, have also been paid on time this year," she told Malaysiakini.

However, Alicia said that while KLFW organiser Andrew Tan has paid modelling agencies, it remained unclear if the models received the money as each agency has its own arrangements.

"The local agency that I can confirm transferred money into the models' bank accounts is Topboi Citizen," she added.

Yesterday, Alicia held a one-person protest at the Pavilion Mall, Kuala Lumpur, to highlight payment delays to models.

Continuing with her action on Instagram after walking the runway on Friday, the 27-year-old actress urged all models who were not paid within 24 hours to contact her.

Tan admitted last week that there had been payment delays.

He also said the organiser might have difficulty paying on time because of "delays from the client's side".

Payments for previous KLFWs

However, Alicia told Malaysiakini that Tan was still not in the clear as many models were still waiting for payment over work done for KLFW from previous years, dating from as far as 2015.

"Despite paying models for this year's show, he still owes payment to models from previous years.

"Some of them contacted me today after my post (on Instagram), so he's not in the clear," she said.

Alicia added that she has personally been forwarding claims of delayed payments to him.

"He acknowledges each notice," she said.

Malaysiakini has attempted to contact Tan for comment.

Photos of Alicia's protest yesterday were shared by others in the modelling and entertainment industry, who claimed they were also owed payment.

This is not the first time Alicia has spoken up against the issue of delayed payment for models.

Earlier this month, Alicia told Sinar Daily that she rallied in 2019 to ensure younger and new models get paid.

While she was usually paid upfront, Alicia said many other models were left hanging "until today, despite my many conversations with (Tan)".

"In 2013, after refusing to pay me for over a year, I threatened to sue as my mother is a lawyer.

"After that, they refused to work with me until 2019, when I became more established," she was reported as saying. - Mkini