KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Reeling from the spate of recent last-minute concert cancellations, one affected event organiser thinks the solution lies in better co-operation.

The Livescape Group which organised the Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) said abruptly cancelling their events is damaging to all parties. 

“I believe what all event organisers want is better transparency and for the authorities to see the economic benefits of these events we are organising and to work hand-in-hand together with us to ensure not only a successful but also a safe event for our guests.

“With how things are going at the moment, no one wins,” Livescape group chief executive officer Muhammad Iqbal Ameer told Malay Mail Online in an email interview.

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Livescape’s FMFA festival last year was cut short after the authorities linked the death of six individuals at the concert with the presence of drugs at the Bukit Jalil venue. 

Muhammad Iqbal added the authorities should “engage and work together” with organisers to ensure the event is smooth sailing as the country benefits from these events in various ways including economically.

“At the end of the day, the arts and ‘live’ entertainment is a big part of our lives, and is a key contributor to the country’s economy and we know that the government recognises that.

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“We hope that all stakeholders collectively see the benefits of ‘live’ events and we urge them to work with us closely. Greatness comes from working together as one,” he added.

While admitting that the last-minute cancellation had burdened the organisers, Muhammad Iqbal reiterated that they were now more concerned about learning the truth behind the concert cancellation and if it was at all drug-related.

“I think it’s no secret that the FMFA brand has been affected globally. Financial-wise, if you look at last minute concert cancellations in the past two years alone, I wouldn’t be surprised if over RM30 million has been lost collectively by all organisers who have had to go through cancellations.

“But for us at the moment, we’re not even thinking about the money lost. What we want are answers and the truth,” the Livescape chief said.

On Sunday, The Star reported University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) forensic pathology department head Prof Dr K. Nadesan as saying that heat stroke had caused the FMFA deaths and that drugs had played a negligible role.

Of the 16 party-goers who were taken to the hospital that day, two had no traces of any illegal substances, the toxicology report said, according to the newspaper.

But Dr Nadesan claimed the police showed little interest in the findings, although he said he had sent them several detailed reports to correct their statements to the public on the deaths.

The post-mortem reports were not made public, with The Star also reporting on Thursday that the family members of one of those who died were not given access to the autopsy results.

After The Star’s report, Livescape expressed surprise at the findings and complained that despite repeated attempts over the past year to obtain a copy of the toxicology report, the authorities continued to give them the runaround.

On Tuesday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar dismissed Dr Nadesan’s findings, and insisted that drugs had contributed to the deaths, noting that the illegal substances had caused dehydration and ultimately, the heatstroke that the six had died from.

The Star reported on Wednesday city police chief Senior Deputy Commissioner Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa saying that the police will seek a public inquest of the six fatalities.