Earlier this week, fans were left devastated by the cancellation of the highly anticipated K-pop Big 2 Super Concert, which was set to feature GOT7 member BamBam (뱀뱀) and members of I-DLE (아이들) (formerly (G)I-DLE). The organiser, Live Universe Ent, stated that the event, scheduled to take place at Stadium Merdeka, would no longer proceed due to issues with the permit approval process.
However, fans were sceptical of this explanation, and it seems their doubts were well-founded. The Ministry of Communications and the Committee for Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (JK-PUSPAL) has since issued a statement clarifying that the cancellation was not due to the reason cited by the organiser. Here’s the full story:
On Thursday (5th June), Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications released an official statement via JK-PUSPAL, denying claims that the K-pop Big 2 Super Concert at Stadium Merdeka was cancelled due to the organiser’s failure to secure the necessary concert permit. In fact, the permit was actually approved on 28th April. So what was the reason for the cancellation?
According to the statement, it was said that the organiser themself made the decision to call off the concert. “The decision to cancel the concert was made by the organisers, taking into account various justifications and the interests of all parties involved. Organisers are required to make thorough preparations, including securing early approvals from relevant stakeholders, before organising a concert involving high-profile international artistes, as stipulated in the Puspal guidelines,” the statement reads.
Following the latest developments, fans have criticised the organiser for a lack of transparency regarding the concert’s cancellation. Many condemned the company for shifting the blame onto PUSPAL to deflect attention from its own shortcomings, while others argued that the organiser should have planned more effectively for a large-scale event. Some also suggested that the concert should have been held at a smaller venue, such as Zepp KL, before moving to a larger one if planning to host another event next year.
At the time of writing, Live Universe Ent has yet to respond to the statements issued by the Ministry and PUSPAL. If their claims prove accurate, then deflecting responsibility rather than acknowledging fault may not have been the wisest decision. What do you think about this situation?
Read the full statement below:
