PETALING JAYA: Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil (pic) has defended his decision to cancel the Good Vibes Festival, stating that it is impossible to please everyone. He acknowledged that he would face criticism regardless of the outcome.
During a speech at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Fahmi said, “When I choose to cancel the event, I’m criticised. If I don’t choose to cancel the event, I will also be criticised. It’s impossible for me to satisfy everyone.” He expressed his belief that the people would understand the reasoning behind his decision to cancel the festival.
The Good Vibes Festival in Sepang was cancelled by Fahmi after Matt Healy, the frontman for British band The 1975, openly criticized Malaysia’s LGBT laws and kissed his male bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage.
Fahmi also addressed the issue of payments to local artistes participating in the festival. He revealed that while foreign artistes were paid before the event, local artistes have not received their payments. In response to this, government investment arm MyCreative Ventures has been tasked with assisting affected local artistes and store vendors.
Regarding the impact on the vendors, Nazri Adam, the owner of Sausage Sizzle, stated that they had a surplus of unsold food. However, they are actively seeking other events in the coming weeks to clear their stock. Nazri Jameson, owner of Beard Brothers BBQ, shared similar financial difficulties due to the event’s sudden cancellation. They incurred transportation and rental expenses that could not be fully compensated.
Alex Yeo, co-owner of A Pie Thing, mentioned that they now have approximately RM50,000 worth of unsold food as a result of the cancellation. They had prepared in advance and are now attempting to sell the remaining stock through online deliveries.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
