KUALA LUMPUR – International concerts in Malaysia should be taken in a more positive light and not be painted negatively due to the economic spillover the events bring, said Selangor Local Government and Tourism executive councillor Datuk Ng Suee Lim (Sekinchan-PH).
Ng said Malaysia is falling behind in economic opportunities due to unfavourable constraints and perception towards international acts, referring to how Singapore has an exclusive deal with American superstar Taylor Swift for her Eras Tour and shunning other neighbouring countries.
“Negative thinking begins from the heart. We have to look into these things (concerts) positively first,” he told the Selangor assembly today.
“The artistes have not even started performing, and (those who have yet to watch the concert) already branded them as negative. In the end, we lose money.”
He was responding to a question by Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing-PH), who asked the state government about hosting concerts by artistes such as Swift, and how it could impact tourism revenue.
At the same time, Ng called for a paradigm shift among the state representatives against close-mindedness over providing entertainment.
“Why are we restricting some entertainment to the youth? (When we) talk about entertainment and movie theatres, then it’s ‘maksiat’ (immoral).
“This is the mentality which needs a paradigm shift. Movie theatres, if properly supervised, do not equate to immorality…our thinking needs to be rational, not narrow,”
Swift is performing in Singapore exclusively in six sold-out shows, following millions in grants offered by the island republic. The other stop in her Eras Tour in Asia was Tokyo.
However, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the move was not a hostile act towards its regional neighbours.
Previously, veteran Philippine lawmaker Joey Salceda demanded that the Foreign Affairs Department seek an explanation from the Singapore embassy regarding grants used to secure exclusive rights for Swift, as the nation’s move “isn’t what good neighbours do”.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government does not allocate funds to concert organisers to obtain exclusive rights to perform here, but added that the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry could propose this.
Many other artistes in the past have bypassed Malaysia from their list of performances, such as pop icons Beyoncé and Rihanna. – March 5, 2024