Malay Mail
Soo Wern Jun
Malay Mail26 August 2019
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — The Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) has warned concert organisers today against proceeding with ticket sales prior to obtaining approvals from relevant government agencies.
The agency said that events will not be allowed to proceed without such approvals, amid uproar that two concerts were rescheduled in order to accommodate the Muslim new year celebration of Awal Muharram and Maal Hijrah.
“Puspal wishes to emphasise that [concert] organisers should not proceed with sales of tickets and promotion for any event before approval is obtained since these approvals
are not automatically granted, and in the event approvals are not granted, the events will not be allowed to proceed.
“Concert organisers who fail to comply by prescribed rules and proceed with actions without obtaining an official support letter from Puspal, do so at their own risk,” said Puspal in a statement here.
The agency was responding to an earlier statement by Raaghav Production on the change of timing of SP Balasubrahmanyam’s concert or SPB’s Live In Concert Illaya Nilaat the Plenary Hall, KLCC, which will start at 3pm instead of 7pm.
Puspal has since clarified that it never issued any support letter to the organisers to hold the concert from 7pm to 11pm on August 31.
“Based on the information provided by the organiser to Jakim via a letter dated August 13, it noted that sales of tickets for the said concert had commenced in March, before the application was made,” it said, referring to the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia.
“The application by the organiser to hold the event at 7pm on the said date was only received by Puspal on July 31.
“Puspal reiterates that organisers should not have proceeded with sales of tickets for events prior to obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities, which include the support letter from Puspal,” the statement said.
All foreign artists must receive permission from Puspal to perform in Malaysia.
In this respect, Puspal said it is uncalled for, for any parties to manipulate Puspal’s decision against its own to allow the organiser’s appeal in proceeding with the said concert on the same day, albeit at an earlier time.
Puspal added Raaghav Production’s application was rejected based on Jakim’s advice and viewed that the organiser should change the date of the concert to a more appropriate date.
It was advised as such to observe the Maal Hijrah celebration which starts from sunset on August 31 until the sunset on September 1.
Earlier this week, Raaghav Production had on its Facebook page announced that they were notified only recently that there should not be any performances after 7.30pm on August 31 as it clashes with Maal Hijrah celebrations.
The concert organiser also said, Puspal and Jakim raised concerns that conducting the show after 7.30pm might cause uneasiness among the Muslims which could lead to racial controversies.
Meanwhile, it is also reported that Taiwanese singer Bobby Chen’s concert this Saturday at Stadium Malawati, Shah Alam, has also been brought forward to 12pm instead of 7.30pm.
The organiser Soul9s Production reportedly said the decision was made to make way for the state government’s Maal Hijrah event.
The concert organiser also apologised and said for those who wished to obtain a refund can do so before August 29.
