KUALA LUMPUR – The Youth and Sports Ministry cannot be held accountable for Malaysia’s failure to secure Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, as organising concerts does not fall under its jurisdiction.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim explained that the ministry is only responsible for providing the venue and facilitating matters involving logistics.
“The request to organise a concert or performance falls under different ministries.
“Organising concerts is not our responsibility. The request to organise any concerts or performances is the responsibility of other ministries.
“The ministry is only responsible for providing the venue or accommodation and facilitating any logistics-related matters. This is the ministry’s stand on the matter,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Adam Adli said this in response to a supplementary question from Chong Zhemin (Kampar-PH) who sought the ministry’s explanation for Malaysia’s non-aggressive measures in securing Swift’s Eras Tour.
Chong said the failure to secure the concert has led to missed opportunities and the loss of potential revenue.
Adam Adli also said that the government was never offered to hold the concert under a joint contract with Sportswork Group Sdn Bhd.
“The concert was never offered to Malaysia under the agreement with Sportswork, Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM), and ASM Global, a US-based company.
“So what has been reported is not accurate. The contract that was signed in early 2023 was only to support overall venue management,” he added.
Yesterday, Bersatu’s legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff urged the unity government to explain why Malaysia failed to secure Swift’s highly anticipated concert in the country.
She also claimed that the economic impact of Swift’s tour cannot be overstated and is dubbed a “gold rush”. – March 7, 2024