FMFA: Security was tight, yet six died from drug overdose

Music festival organisers said security was tight, yet six died from drug overdose

17 March 2014

Six youths dead from drug overdose. Pharrell Williams and other A-listers’ shows cancelled. Yet organisers of the Future Music Festival Asia said that they worked closely with police and authorities in preparing for the event at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. And Livescape Asia, one of the organisers, gave a list of such preparations in a statement today: two mobile police stations were set up at each of the entrances of the festival; three police beat bases around key areas with 100 policemen patrolling the grounds for crowd control, traffic and perimeter control, and drug detection; 280 people as security staff; and 80 Rela (People's Volunteer Corps) members on site to assist in security matters.

In addition, there were a number of medical facilities from paramedics to ambulances to an onsite emergency trauma centre – all on standby for medical emergencies at an event touted to be one of the country’s largest music festival. When news broke that six youths died on Friday, the organisers said they were deeply saddened and offered to refund the tickets of concert-goers as the last day of the festival was cancelled. The six dead were between 21 and 28 years old. They are Kamal Zekry Kamal Basha, 21; Victor Wong E. Hern, 25; Sabreena Kamarudin, 21; M. Suresh, 27; Syazana Sohaime, 23; and Nor Faizza Mohd Wazir, 26.

One individual died at the venue of the concert while another died on the way to the hospital. Four others died at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM). It was also reported that 14 people, of whom nine are Singaporeans, are recovering in hospital after overdosing on methamphetamine at the event. The police have detained 29 people – 13 Malaysians and 16 foreigners – in relation to drug possession at the concert, and they will be remanded until Tuesday. Cheras district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohan Singh was quoted in the organiser's statement as confirming that there was a high visibility police operation at the venue with over 100 policemen working across crowd control and drug detection activities.

“The police worked closely with event organisers, security, Bukit Jalil Stadium, and a number of other government agencies in the planning process.

“We recognise the efforts of the organisers in putting in place preventative health and safety measures at the event. They have cooperated fully with the police on both days to create a safe environment for the public.

"What happened at the event is unfortunate and we remind all members of the public of the immense dangers associated with the use of illegal substances," he was quoted as saying.

sources