PAS: Minister's word games over K-pop fiasco
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is playing “word games” over the hefty million ringgit price tag for the K-pop groups at its National Youth Day 2012 in Putrajaya, said PAS Youth.
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is playing “word games” over the hefty million ringgit price tag for the K-pop groups at its National Youth Day 2012 in Putrajaya, said PAS Youth.
“The minister is playing word games to avoid scandalising the Sports Ministry,” said Youth chief Riduan Mohd Nor.
He was commenting on the furore over the astronomical amount that the ministry has committed to the controversial Korean pop bands featured at the event.
Riduan said the government needs to clarify how much of the expense for the two K-pop groups would come from public funds and how much from sponsors.
Shabery had tried to defuse the controversy over the bands’ costly appearance at the youth event saying it would be funded by money raised from sponsors.
The RM2.04 million price tag for the bands Dal Shabet and Teen Pop hit the spotlight after a blog published a letter it said was from the organisers of the mega-event to the Youth and Sports Ministry, listing it expenses.
The bands' appearance at the ministry event also raised eyebrows for their provocative acts.
‘Cheap thrills’
Riduan told Malaysiakini when contacted that even if the entire amount were to be borne by sponsored funds, the ministry should have channelled those funds into more meaningful programmes to benefit the rakyat.
“The sponsored money should actually be used for the rakyat. But we can see that it’s been spent on cheap and base entertainment served to our nation’s youth.
“Is this the sort of culture that we want to impress on our youth?” asked Riduan.
Meanwhile in a Bernama report, the Sports Ministry’s secretary Mohid Mohamed said the final cost of bringing in the groups was RM900,000.
He added that it would be paid from the RM28 million in sponsorship in terms of cash, goods and services canvassed for the festival.
“The ministry wishes to clarify that the invoice showing RM2.4 million that was exposed on the blog is the preliminary invoice based on early quotes given by the agent to (the contractor) Stadium First,” he told Bernama.
