Adam said the concert was never proposed to Malaysia, adding that organizing concert events was also not throughout the remit of his ministry.
“Recent reports on this matter are not accurate. The concert in question was never offered to the Malaysian government as part of a joint contract with Sportswork Group Sdn Bhd and US company ASM Global.
“The contract signed in early 2023 was only intended to support the general management of the facility,” he said in parliament on Thursday.
The deputy minister was responding to a follow-up query from Kampar MP Chong Zhemin, who asked the ministry to reply to claims that Malaysia had missed the chance to host top figures.
Sportswork said Swift’s performance was never a part of the deal signed with ASM Global, adding that the entertainment industry was aware of the upcoming concert events before the official announcements.
Jealousy over Swift’s cope with Singapore to spice up its neighbors’ tourism plans
Jealousy over Swift’s cope with Singapore to spice up its neighbors’ tourism plans
Reports also suggest that the federal government is considering Swift after striking a deal in 2022 with a US sports venue management company to renovate the Kuala Lumpur Sports City within the capital and switch it right into a live sports and entertainment hub.
Vice-chairman of the Bersatu party’s legal and constitutional office, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff, later called on the federal government to handle Malaysia’s failure to secure Swift’s much-anticipated Eras Tour within the country.
Lawmaker Chong Chieng Jen urged Malaysia to take a leaf out of Singapore’s playbook to draw international stars to the country and boost its tourism sector.
Citing estimates from Maybank economists, Chong said Singapore received at the very least $370 million in economic advantages from Swift fans from all over the world who flocked to town to attend the six-performance musical extravaganza, which ends on Saturday.
“In Taylor Swift’s case, if Singapore had not managed to acquire exclusive rights to host her, I doubt whether her management would have considered Malaysia as a substitute location,” Chong said in parliament.
Last 12 months, PAS called for the cancellation of Coldplay’s Kuala Lumpur concert, saying the band’s support for LGBTQ rights would promote a “culture of hedonism and perversion.”
A Filipino lawmaker wants Taylor Swift’s Singapore-only concert deal investigated
A Filipino lawmaker wants Taylor Swift’s Singapore-only concert deal investigated
“Our agencies have negotiated a deal together with her to return to Singapore and perform and make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia,” he said at a news conference in Australia on Tuesday. “I don’t find it unfriendly.”
Additional reports by the SCMP Asia Office
