Malaysia stands to lose out if it fails to leverage available opportunities to allow international artists to perform in the country, Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said.
He said Malaysia has the means to bring in chart-topping entertainers to perform in the country, but such measures have not been taken.
The former Perak menteri besar urged for more proactive steps to enable celebrities to come and perform in the country.
“It is a missed opportunity. We have A-list artists and content in our grasp via the arrangement with (US event management company) ASM.
“We must be more aggressive to get them in. The huge economic windfall is beyond politics,” he said on social media in response to a report about US singer Taylor Swift’s concert in Singapore.
It was previously reported that the Singapore government had provided a grant to ensure that Singapore is Swift’s only stop in Southeast Asia for her ongoing “The Eras Tour”, which includes six days of performances in the city-state.
The amount of subsidies was speculated to be in the “millions per show”, but Singapore’s Culture Ministry said it was “nowhere as high as speculated”.
The Straits Times quoted economists estimating that the concerts could boost Singapore’s economy by up to S$500 million (RM1.76 billion) in tourism receipts.
The move sparked criticism including from Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, prompting his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong to assure that it is not being unfriendly to other countries in the region.
Instead, Lee stated that Singapore provides specific incentives through tourism development funds, which is proving to be very successful for them.
Crossing political differences
Faizal is not the first to raise the issue of Malaysia’s failure to reap the economic benefits of hosting concerts by international artists.
In June last year, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman expressed his views on the same issue.
He recounted how neighbouring countries have successfully generated substantial income from concerts while Malaysians continued to debate among themselves about the appropriateness of opening doors to foreign artists.
He said Malaysia used to hold many concerts each year before the situation changed and more obstacles emerged.
Using Coldplay’s concert in Singapore as an example, the former youth and sports minister claimed the republic was able to earn millions of ringgit through the event.
PAS - which is part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition with Bersatu - is among the political parties that have vocally criticised the hosting of international concerts in the country and called for its cancellation, including those involving Coldplay and Ed Sheeran.
However, PAS deputy president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar recently clarified that the party is not opposed to concerts but only “problematic” performers such as those who are pro-LGBT or pro-Israel.
It should be noted that Swift is a vocal supporter of pro-LGBT causes.
Yesterday, Free Malaysia Today reported that Malaysia had the opportunity to bring in Swift to perform in Malaysia following a 2022 contract between Malaysia Stadium Corporation and ASM Global to make the Kuala Lumpur Sports City in Bukit Jalil a magnet for sports and live entertainment.
The latter company is an affiliate of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and Swift’s concert promoter, and Faizal as the youth and sports minister at the time was reportedly given the go-ahead by the cabinet to hold discussions with AEG to bring in the big acts in its stable.
However, the deal reportedly fell apart after Anwar Ibrahim took over as prime minister and ASM’s role was reduced to that of consultants for the optimising Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The report also quoted Faizal claiming his successor Hannah Yeoh was not interested in a handover despite his attempts to emphasise that Malaysia should not miss opportunities to bring in big names like Swift.
Meanwhile, Bersatu’s legal and constitutional bureau chief, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif, also urged the government, particularly Anwar and Yeoh, to explain Malaysia’s failure to bring in “The Eras Tour”.
“The Madani government must also now take the initiative to secure economic opportunities of this nature involving suitable and positive big-name performers.
“We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines watching, while a neighbouring country reaps the profits,” she added. - Mkini
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