Event planner falls prey to organising beauty pageant for ‘free’

KUALA LUMPUR: Winners of the Miss Asia Malaysia Pageant 2017 were not given any payment that was promised to them after its Malaysia organiser went "missing".
Recalling the unfortunate encounter, event planner Eva Khoo said she and another planner had to suffer some RM30,000 in losses after they failed to receive any payment for the beauty pageant held last year.
"I was introduced to the unscrupulous 'client' while attending a business launch in August last year and it was then I was offered to be the event planner for a beauty pageant that is happening in December.
"To ease my work burden and to ensure the event would go smoothly, another planner was also roped in," Khoo said during a press conference at MCA Public Services and Complaints Department today.
Khoo added that after much efforts and hardship put into the event, the beauty pageant managed to proceed without issues except that both she and another planner did not receive any payment for the job done.
"We contacted the 'client' on various occasions after the event for the payment but each time he would give us different excuses.
"Our nightmare finally turned into reality when he removed everyone from the pageant group chat, making everyone unable to get hold of him," Khoo said.
Khoo added that the pageant winners and some of the contestants were also not paid.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong hoped all event companies would take Khoo's unlucky encounter as a lesson so that no one would fall victim to such scams.