Beer Fest organiser appeals against canning of event

PETALING JAYA: The organiser of the Better Beer Festival is appealing to Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) to reconsider its rejection of its event, saying that it has put security measures in place.
In a statement earlier today, MyBeer Sdn Bhd said it has held the craft beer festival annually for the past five years with no untoward incidents during or after the event.
MyBeer said it would conduct strict identification and security checks at all entry points into the enclosed areas.
It would also have multiple security personnel, Publika auxiliary police, and Malaysian Red Crescent members to ensure safety and security at the event.
The Better Beer Festival 2017 was scheduled to run from Oct 6-7 at Publika Shopping Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
On Sept 18, DBKL said it had rejected the organiser's application to hold the event, after receiving a permit application on Aug 28.
The DBKL announcement came a week after PAS central committee member Dr Riduan Mohd Nor spoke out against the event, calling it a "pesta maksiat" (vice party) and claiming that it would turn Kuala Lumpur into the "largest vice centre in Asia".
On Wednesday, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that the matter had been brought up at Cabinet, which was told that the event was cancelled because of security concerns expressed by the police.
He told reporters who met him at his ministry after the Cabinet meeting that the views of the police and the authorities had to be accepted.
MyBeer, in its statement, thanked the Government for discussing the cancellation of the event at the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, but said it would appeal the decision and present its security provisions to DBKL.
"It is our hope that DBKL will give us an opportunity to meet and discuss our appeal and grant us permission for the event to proceed.
"We will seek a meeting with DBKL to present our provisions for security again, which we believe are adequate," it added.