Immigration D-G to check Aussie band’s claim of forced free show for guards

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 ― Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim gave an assurance he will look into a claim by Australian metalcore band “I Killed The Prom Queen” that they were forced to play a song for some guards after being freed from a two-day detention stint here.

In an interview with Australian music news site Blunt Mag published yesterday, the band’s frontman and guitarist Jona Weinhofen said the five had been asked to perform for their guards on November 17 after spending two nights in a crowded cell with 35 others, and didn’t dare refuse “because we were essentially still in their care, and we didn’t want to risk anything else bad happening to us”.

Mustafa said he was unaware of the incident as the band had not raised the issue with him during the brief meeting he had with them Monday.

“That one I'm not sure, I only met them for a couple of minutes before my meeting. They did not mention anything like that to me at all, they only said thank you,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday for comment on Weinhofen’s claim.

However, he said he would investigate the allegation.

Mustafa also clarified that he had offered an apology to the band because he felt bad the Australian High Commission was closed for the weekend and could not help its people.

“When I meant [by] my apology, it was not that they were detained. I apologised because there was nothing we could do about their situation as it was the weekend and the Australian Embassy was not able to be reached. We could not process them,” he said.

He stressed that the Australian band’s detention was by the book as they had performed without a valid professional visit pass although the organisers had been informed they must do so prior to the show.

Mustafa said the organisers had refused to pay a RM5,000 fee for the working visa which is to be obtained from the Tourism and Culture Ministry.

“The whole problem happened because the organisers did not want to pay for a permit. We already had warned them and advised them before.

“They refused to pay RM5,000 for the permit when they can pay so much to bring down a foreign artiste. It is not a lot, it is a bit silly of them,” he added.

The organisers would be called in soon by the immigration authorities to have their statement's taken and action would “definitely” be taken on them, Mustafa said.