Pasir Gudang toxic pollution: Maher Zain’s Johor concert called off
KUALA LUMPUR: Popular Swedish Lebanese singer Maher Zain’s concert set to take place in Pasir Gudang tomorrow has been called off today by the local district office due to the dangerous level of toxicity levels in Kim Kim River.
Concert organisers, New Catalyst Resources and My Events International have suffered losses due to the concert cancellation. They were denied the permit by Majlis Perbandaran Pasir Gudang due to the pollution which left organisers with no choice apart from plugging it off.
“We suffered a loss of amounting to RM1.2 million. We wish there is a better solution to this problem but the loss is unavoidable given the situation,” said My Events International President/Founder Shahul Hameed Dawood to The Leaders Online.
“We understand the local sentiments that must prioritise the safety of the people. We have called back our crew who are involved in the setup of the concert in Pasir Gudang Stadium,” he added.
The cancellation was confirmed by Johor Baru district officer, Mohammed Ridha Abd Kader to the concert organizer, My Events International in a letter today.
Patrons who have purchased tickets for the concert in Pasir Gudang can obtain a refund by for tickets purchased at counters by submitting a scanned copy of the ticket with bank account details to suhailah@myeventsinternational.com before March 30.
Tickets purchased from Tix Malaysia will be refunded to the credit cards.
Alternately patrons can also exchange their tickets to attend Maher Zain’s concert in Penang or Sabah by emailing maherzain@tixmalaysia.com
Maher Zain kicked off his Malaysia Tour in Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur on March 9, Saturday. The second leg of his concert was supposed to be held in Pasir Gudang tomorrow.
In light of the chemical leak, as of 5pm today, the Dewan Rakyat debated a disaster emergency motion declared in Pasir Gudang.
Although the concert causes severe damages to the organisers, it does not dampen their spirit. Maher Zain would continue to proceed with his concert in Penang on March 16, Saturday and Kota Kinabalu on March 17, Sunday.
Fans of Maher Zain aired out their frustration over the cancellation on Twitter. Some are eager to catch the concert in Penang and Sabah.
By: K. Pragalath
