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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 16: Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah urges organisations to conduct research prior to hiring an event management company in order to avoid post-event problems, especially budget overruns.
This was in response to a recent social media post alleging that vendors of the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship (SPISC) 2023, which was held in February, have not been paid by the event organiser since March 30 until today, and they are requesting an immediate solution from the responsible party.
“It is not the ministry or the Premier’s Office that is not paying them. That is a wrong assumption. They (the organiser) have been already paid. And they are paid in accordance with the budget which they requested, for which they are very happy with.
“They submitted the budget, and that is the budget that was approved and given to them.
“Before that, they met with the Premier and me, and when I asked if they needed a budget for this event, they said no, because they had already received an allocation from the Premier,” Abdul Karim said during a press conference after officiating at the Sarawak Merdeka 60th Anniversary Convoy for Samarahan Division flagging-off ceremony, which took place at The Summer Shopping Mall in Kota Samarahan today.
He added: “The Premier has already provided them with the funds, and it is now the responsibility of the management to determine how the expenses will be allocated. If the arrangement is not done correctly, the cost will overshoot.
“When you are unable to effectively manage an event, it is important to seek assistance from someone who has expertise in event management.”
Meanwhile, when questioned whether the ministry would step in to solve the issue, Abdul Karim, who is also Youth, Sports, And Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) Sarawak Minister, reiterated that the matter was settled on their side.
“Nobody will agree to have someone come twice or three times to ask for a budget, so once we agree to it, you must stay within the budget.
“Basically, for almost all of our events, whether they are entertainment or sports, they do a briefing, they have a committee that handles the funding, and I am not on that committee,” he noted.
Furthermore, Abdul Karim pointed out that the organiser of the Silat Championship hired a West Malaysian event management company.
He further stressed that when considering partnering with an event company, it is important to thoroughly review their profile.
“It is crucial to establish clear guidelines and expectations, outlining both the dos and don’ts for working together. It is essential to communicate any specific limitations or boundaries that the event company should be aware of,” he said. — DayakDaily
