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Here’s why losing Taylor Swift concert dates to Singapore is a lost opportunity for Malaysia’s struggling economy:
In a media statement, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed that Singaporean events organisers had struck an exclusive deal with Taylor Swift to play 6 nights in the Lion City, on the condition that Singapore would be her only stop in Southeast Asia.
“The lost opportunity to host Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour represents a significant setback for Malaysia’s economy, particularly amid ongoing challenges,” commented Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff, legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman of Bersatu.
Malaysia Suffers from Too Much Red Tape
The question on every Malaysian Swiftie’s lips is, why couldn’t we get Taylor Swift, even though we were able to get the likes of Ed Sheeran, Muse, and even Coldplay?
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong explained that Malaysia had too much red tape. “We have unclear and inconsistent policies that change from time to time,” he said.
His sentiments are echoed by DAP lawmaker Chong Chieng Jen, who commented that, “If she held a performance in Bukit Jalil, her style of dressing would certainly be another obsession of PAS leaders and would be used as fodder for criticisms and insults.”
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, of which PAS is a member (alongside Bersatu), has long been known for criticising concert events.
Last year, PN party supreme council member Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan criticised Anwar for giving a welcome speech to Coldplay upon their arrival to Malaysia.
After much political pressure, a “kill switch” was then applied during the Coldplay concert, a preventative measure that was used to shut down the 2023 Good Vibes festival, after British headliners The 1975 ran afoul of Malaysia’s laws during their provocative performance.
The Billion-Dollar Impact of ‘Swiftonomics’
Losing the chance to host Taylor Swift serves as an expensive lesson for our Malaysian tourism sector.
Taylor Swift’s ongoing world tour, called “The Eras Tour,” has garnered an estimated $1.04 billion in gross ticket sales. It is now the first tour in history to hit the billion-dollar milestone.
This phenomenon has been dubbed “Swiftonomics”. For countries like Singapore, ‘Swiftonomics’ is projected to boost its economy by US$370 million (RM1.7 billion).
Bersatu member Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff commented, “The economic impact of Swift’s tour cannot be overstated and is dubbed a “gold rush.” Even Indonesia, a Muslim-majority nation, has sought to host her, emphasising her universal appeal.”
A Malaysian Swiftie, Felicia, shared how she missed out on seeing Taylor Swift live in Singapore. “For one, tickets were expensive,” she said. Secondly, hotel spots completely filled up to the brim right after the Singapore tour dates were announced, as fans from across the SEA region flocked to the Lion City to see their Queen.
“If she had come to Bukit Jalil stadium, I would have been able to see her live for the first time,” she said despondently.
Our Madani Gov must prepare ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026
Moving forward, our Malaysian government must take proactive steps to secure similar economic opportunities involving renowned performers. We need to recognise the economic potential of such live events, or we risk the strength of our currency falling even further behind.
Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez weighed in, “With Visit Malaysia Year coming up in 2026, we hope that the Malaysian government will not be left behind and will give its full support and encouragement to efforts to bring in prominent international acts.”
“The Malaysian government should not only encourage international acts to come and perform here, but also provide the necessary funding and incentives which will in turn generate huge numbers in terms of tourist arrivals from the region and beyond.”
The Eras Tour is projected to generate a staggering US dollar 4.1 billion (RM19.4 billion) in revenue and is set to conclude in December.
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Read also: How The 1975 Selfish Behaviour Impacted Malaysia Events Industry
How The 1975’s Selfish Behaviour Impacted Malaysia’s Events Industry
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