Malaysia mulls anti-scalping law after Coldplay concert chaos, ID checks among proposed measures
Fahmi disclosed that his deputy, Teo Nie Ching, recently held discussions with stakeholders, including local event ticketing companies and the Association of Live Event Organisers (ALIFE), on proposed measures targeting scalping explicitly for live events held locally.
'Right now, there are active discussions between the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Communications Ministry,' Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told Malay Mail when asked for updates on the proposed legislation.
The effort was spurred by past frustrations like the rampant ticket scalping during Coldplay's 2023 Malaysian concert.
Ticket scalpers have long exploited fans' desperation for profit, leading to a surge in scalping incidents for popular concerts in recent years, and Malaysia is no exception.
As Malaysian law does not explicitly banning ticket scalping, legal action against scalpers has been limited. Hence, the resale of tickets above face value is still technically legal.
Some of these measures, Fahmi explained, include ID verification, which would require ticket holders to present the same identification document used at the time of purchase to match the name printed on the ticket.
'This was what happened in Indonesia... I would not say it is foolproof, but it has assisted in reducing some of these scalping activities,' he remarked.
'We will await a follow-up discussion with ALIFE, as they need to discuss with their association members and revert to us in the coming weeks,' Fahmi said, when asked if there was a definite timeline for the Bill to tabled in Parliament.
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The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
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The Sun
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Free Malaysia Today
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