Adam said the concert was never offered to Malaysia, adding that organising concerts were also not under the purview of his ministry.
“Recent reports on the matter are not accurate. The concert in question was never offered to the Malaysian government under a joint contract with Sportswork Group Sdn Bhd and US-based company ASM Global.
“The contract signed in early 2023 was only to support overall venue management,” he said in parliament on Thursday.
The deputy minister was responding to a supplementary question by Kampar MP Chong Zhemin who asked for the ministry’s response to claims that Malaysia failed to seize the opportunity to host A-list celebrities.
Sportswork said Swift’s show was never part of the contract it signed with ASM Global, adding the entertainment industry would have been aware of forthcoming gigs ahead of official announcements.
Envy over Singapore’s Swift deal set to accelerate neighbours’ tourism plans
Envy over Singapore’s Swift deal set to accelerate neighbours’ tourism plans
Reports also said that Swift was being considered by the government after a deal was struck with a US venue management firm in 2022 to renovate Kuala Lumpur Sports City in the capital and turn it into a centre for sports and live entertainment.
The Bersatu party’s legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff later called for the government to answer for Malaysia’s failure to secure Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour in the country.
Lawmaker Chong Chieng Jen urged Malaysia to take a leaf out of Singapore’s playbook to attract international celebrities to the country and boost its tourism sector.
Citing estimates by Maybank economists, Chong said Singapore gained at least US$370 million in economic benefits from Swift’s fans from around the world who flocked to the city state to attend the six-show music extravaganza that ends on Saturday.
02:14
Singapore Taylor Swift concert draws fans from every corner of Southeast Asia
Singapore Taylor Swift concert draws fans from every corner of Southeast Asia
“In Taylor Swift’s case, if Singapore had failed to obtain exclusive rights to host her, I doubt her management would have considered Malaysia as an alternative venue,” Chong said in parliament.
Last year, PAS called for Coldplay’s concert in Kuala Lumpur to be cancelled because they believed the band’s support for LGBTQ rights would promote “a culture of hedonism and perversion”.
Philippine lawmaker wants probe on Taylor Swift’s Singapore-only concert deal
Philippine lawmaker wants probe on Taylor Swift’s Singapore-only concert deal
“Our agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia,” he said at a press conference in Australia on Tuesday. “I don’t see that as being unfriendly.”
Additional reporting by SCMP’s Asia desk