Muhammad Iqbal says recent protests against concerts give the country a bad image.
GETTING a foreign artiste to perform in Malaysia is no small feat because of the strict regulations and political pressure from certain quarters.
Live entertainment industry players say these factors may also lower Malaysia’s appeal as a hub for international concerts when compared to neighbouring countries.
Livescape Group chief executive officer Muhammad Iqbal Ameer said recent protests against concerts gave the country a bad image.
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“Many foreign artistes are interested in reaching out to and expanding their fan base in South-East Asian countries.
“However, Malaysia’s social climate of late has not been quite so welcoming,” he said.
He added that while some concerts might not be to everyone’s taste, people should still be given a choice.
Muhammad Iqbal likened the situation to movies at the cinemas, which had a rating to advise audiences on its content.
“No one is forcing you to watch any movie.
“Similarly, no one is forcing you to go to a concert,” he added.Controversy erupted recently over a concert in Sepang, Selangor, during which Matt Healy, vocalist from the band The 1975 kissed a male crew member.
In response, the government introduced a “kill switch”, which allowed the authorities to stop a concert midway in the event of an untoward incident.
The incident, though isolated, had exposed the authorities to political backlash, said Live Nation Entertainment Malaysia managing director and co-owner Para Rajagopal.
The company was behind the Coldplay concert which took place on Nov 22 at National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
Para said live entertainment operators conducted background checks on foreign artistes that they planned on bringing to Malaysia.
This was to ensure that they were not involved in political issues or controversies that were incompatible with Malaysian values, he added.
Foreign artistes must also be vetted by the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal).
Puspal is a committee under the Communications and Digital Ministry and comprises several government agencies tasked with processing applications by foreign artistes.
Companies dealing with alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, tobacco, gambling and sex products are not eligible to file an application to feature foreign artistes.
Para said the vetting process usually took around two weeks.
“If there is no response within that period, it is likely that they have concerns about information they found on the artiste,” he said.
But Para said Puspal could still retract approval after issuing it if the artiste is involved in a controversy afterwards.
“This is when organisers would go into damage control mode. It will be challenging especially if the tickets are already sold,” he added.
Despite the difficulties, Muhammad Iqbal was optimistic that Malaysia would continue to grow as a live entertainment hub.
“Our work revolves around fulfilling fans’ desire to see their favourite artistes perform live.
“We should rejoice that big names like Coldplay want to perform in Malaysia.
“It is testament to the resilience of our entertainment industry,” he said. — By FARID WAHAB
