Organiser Star Planet speaks up over cancellation of Malaysian rapper Namewee’s New Year’s Eve concert
Thursday, 19 Dec 2019 02:42 PM MYT
MALAY MAIL
BY SYLVIA LOOI
Controversial rapper Namewee is on a warpath with concert organiser Star Planet. — Picture via Facebook/nameweeKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Concert organiser Star Planet has denied it has a role in making controversial rapper Namewee lose the Bukit Jalil Axiata Arena venue for his December 31 concert.
It stressed that it was just following procedure in cancelling the booking since the concert had been called off.
Speaking to Chinese media yesterday, Star Planet Sdn Bhd general manager Elise Kee said after the company announced on December 13 that the concert had been cancelled, it informed the relevant departments, venue and ticketing platform about the cancellation.
The cancellation, Kee said, was to allow other parties to apply to use the venue.
“It has nothing to do with the company allowing others to use the venue instead,” Sin Chew Daily reported Kee as saying.
Meanwhile, the company’s director Carmen Liew denied Namewee’s claims that the company postponed the concert date from December 14 to 31 to accommodate K-pop group Exo.
“It was Namewee’s company which first approached us to discuss the matter saying we have experience in organising concerts. Later both parties agreed to have the concert on New Year’s Eve and use the countdown as a gimmick,” she said, adding that an agreement was signed in September.
As there was an empty slot on December 14, the company collaborated with Exo with the agreement signed in October.
“Regarding Namewee’s Facebook live session and his allegations against the company, it has seriously affected the company’s image which led to us suffering losses,” she said, adding the company reserves the right to sue the rapper.
Star Planet manager director Datuk Alan Foo, who was also present, said cancellation of the concert was due to a video posted by Namewee on November 23 where the content contravened an agreement between both parties.
Foo said the company had been in business for 18 years and did not encourage politics, race, religion, vulgarity or hatred.
“After signing an agreement with Namewee Studio Production, we reminded them not to use methods that contravene the company’s direction and his November 23 video surpassed our bottom line,” he said.
According to Sin Chew, Namewee had, in the video criticised, the rules and regulations that he had to adhere to for his concert.
“In the video, some sensitive content that touched Star Planet’s bottom line were also raised that led to the concert being cancelled,” it added.
