Image credit: Recent Slot Releases
KUALA LUMPUR: Players in the event management and entertainment industries have largely welcomed the announcement by the government to allow the sector to hold live events in Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) areas starting today.
Azmyl Yunor, 44, a songwriter, musician and independent music industry adviser for the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) said such an initial step is positive.
However, he pointed out there was much more that needs to be done in the larger scheme of things.
"After Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob made the announcement on Tuesday, many in the community were excited and were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. So much so, there was much talk and banter about it.
"However, it is somewhat tricky as it's a Catch-22 situation of sorts. If these events did not resume now, they would have resumed later.
"There is always a risk of people flouting the standard operating procedures (SOP) out of desperation to earn a living, especially when we think about the buskers and budding, independent musicians who eke out a living on the local pub and club circuit.
"They fall under the B40 and even M40 categories who have been severely impacted over the past year or so because of the Covid-19 pandemic."
Azmyl said the government's move was akin to "baby steps forward in the right direction".
He said people will know soon about what works and what doesn't.
"Dialogue is needed with local authorities such as town councils and the local government as there are bigger things that need to be discussed in time to come," said Azmyl, who has a teaching day job to supplement his income.
Iqbal Ameer, 35, the founder and chief executive officer of Livescape Group, echoed Azmyl's sentiments.
He said while the recent announcement has been very much welcomed, the sector has to prove it is able to contribute positively towards the country's economy.
"I am amongst many other people in the events industry who are thankful for Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's recent announcement. It is a breath of fresh air in a sea of rejections that we have endured.
"We are now given the opportunity to show the creative industry is indeed professional, resilient and more importantly, an essential component of the country's economic sector.
"However, questions still remain as to why the creative community was sidelined in the first place, compared to other more 'commercial' businesses like exhibitions and conferences which are adhering to the same SOP.
"I hope we can have an open and honest dialogue about the future and what role the creative industry plays in developing the culture and identity of Malaysia," he said.
Jonathan Seevaratnam, 42, the founder of Jiggee Malaysia Sdn Bhd, said the pandemic changed the way his agency does business.
The company is a full-service events agency that has been around for more than two decades and serves both local and international clients.
"The announcement does not really impact how we do business right now as with the online and virtual platforms that we have embraced.
"Our agency managed to adapt to the new normal after an initial struggle last year not only to survive but to thrive and broaden our reach and appeal to international clients from all over the world. Business and clients now come to us and we can survive by doing the bulk of our events business virtually.
"However, I have to admit that for live events, there is the inherent need to interact in order to stay sane, and while we do a lot of virtual events now, we do have two live events coming up next month.
"Events, functions, conferences, expos and concerts will never go back to what it used to be as it is somewhat amazing how the world has become smaller as the immersive virtual, online platform now allows for a greater and wider reach from anywhere, anytime at a much lesser costs and with higher profits.
"This is because there is no need for logistics, venue, manpower and travel costs," he said.
On Tuesday, Ismail Sabri said live events including official government programmes, television programmes, music, dance, theatre, musical performances, cultural events and live streaming will be allowed in states and areas that are under CMCO and RMCO from today.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/03/672765/entertainment-industry-players-insiders-laud-governments-latest-move