PUTRAJAYA, Jan 7 — Operators of the world-famous Hard Rock Cafe will be forbidden to serve alcohol and can only feature “clean” live music at its premises if it should open an outlet in Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor pledged today.
The Federal Territories minister said the outlet must abide by regulations set by local council Perbadanan Putrajaya which, among others, forbids the sale of alcohol and obscene entertainment.
“We have guidelines, and we will obey those guidelines,” Tengku Adnan told reporters at his ministry here.
“Hard Rock can open its doors, but it has to follow our conditions.”
These conditions, he said, forbid the entertainment outlet from showing “offensive, obscene, and sexually exciting” performances, even in its live music show.
The minister did not specify which regulations or laws drafted by Perbadanan Putrajaya he was referring to.
When asked if Hard Rock Cafe will lose its identity without any alcohol and live rock music, Tengku Adnan suggested that in its place, the outlet could feature “nasyid” artists, referring to the genre of Islamic pop music with religious lyrics.
But despite his suggestions, Tengku Adnan confirmed that the franchise has only surveyed the federal administrative capital for a prospective outlet, and there is no concrete plans to open its doors yet.
He also insisted that Hard Rock Cafe was not the only prospective franchise looking into opening an outlet in Putrajaya, mentioning several others, which included an international school, a private hospital and a theme park.
Yesterday, the administrative capital’s developer Putrajaya Corporation denied that the Hard Rock Cafe being protested by Perkasa Youth was confirmed, saying no official application has been received for the outlet to open in the country’s administrative capital.
Its president, Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat, said the plan is still in the early stages and no decision has been made on the possibility of the restaurant and bar opening at Menara Ikhlas in Precinct 3, Putrajaya.
But Aseh also admitted that he had met with prominent businessman Tan Sri Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, who was in Putrajaya on Saturday to look at possible investment opportunities, including opening a Hard Rock Cafe in the federal administrative capital.
On Sunday, Perkasa Youth Chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris said Putrajaya was designed by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad based on the structure of Medina in Saudi Arabia, which is the second holiest city in Islam after Mecca, where the elder statesman had made a mosque the focal point of construction in Putrajaya, surrounded by other buildings.
The current four Hard Rock Cafes in Malaysia are located in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Kota Kinabalu.
