The Malaysian Insight

SOLO singer Zainal Abidin is giving one week to the company in charge of the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games 2017 closing ceremony to pay him the other half of his bill for performing at the event.

The event management company has only paid 50% of his fees and promised to settle the remaining bill one week after the closing ceremony on August 30, said Zainal’s manager Angelina Asmawi.

“They should take responsibility as it is the closing ceremony. All the artists are proud to perform in it but this is their job and many artistes depend on this.

“I am giving one week before we gather the other artistes to complain about this issue,” Angelina told The Malaysian Insight today.

“We have the right to speak up about the non-payment as they are already more than a month late,” she added.

The issue came to light after popular emcee Adibah Noor took her grouses to Twitter on Friday.

Several hours after Prime Minister Najib Razak tabled Budget 2018 in Dewan Rakyat, Adibah tweeted, “I’m sad to hear my friends complain that they have not been paid for performing at the Sea Games Closing. The excuse given was ‘too busy with #Budget2018’”.

Her twitter post, which has since been retweeted more than 2,300 times, attracted more complaints from other performers and service personnel who also claimed that they have not been paid yet.

At 6.38pm, Adibah said that National Sports Council secretary-general Lokman Hakim Ali had gotten in touch with her.

She posted on her Facebook account, “Our voice has been heard by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. For those of you who are yet to be paid for services rendered for #SeaGames2017 please email me…”.

Other artistes, such as Faizal Tahir and Siti Nordiana, who also performed that night, declined to comment on the issue.

No contract

Meanwhile, Angelina said that the artistes did not sign any contract with the event management firm as it was a reputable company.

“We did not sign any contract because we trusted them. Moreover, the artistes were proud to perform as it was the Sea Games.

“We are not complaining about the Sports Ministry, as we only dealt with the event management company,” said Angelina.

Malaysia finished KL Sea Games with a record 145 gold medals, 92 silver and 86 bronze. Thailand took second place with 72 gold, 86 silver and 88 bronze.

The Malaysian Insight has contacted the event management company but has not received a response.

Meanwhile, Sea Games organising committee’s media and communications officer Fahmi Omar told The Malaysian Insight that the company’s appointment was done through a tender process for the management of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.

“We are the organiser but for the opening and closing events, we appointed through tender, a company to handle these events.

“On the issue of payment, the games organising committee has settled more than 50% of the contract price (for the ceremonies). For other payments, such as for the artists, that is the responsibility of the event management company,” Fahmi said.

He said the organising committee would be issuing an official statement on the matter. – October 29, 2017.