Foreign Talent in Sabah Banned

Local Musician Performing at the entrance of a 5 star hotel in Sabah (Shang Ri La Sabah) - September 08 Foreign Artiste in the same 5 star hotel in Sabah (Shang Ri La Sabah) - Susy Thomas will be the last artiste from the UK to perform in Sabah when her contract ends at the end of Jan 09 with the current ban in place. The main reason I set up Jazz and Bits is to nurture talent from Ipoh and send them out for gigs around the country or abroad where possible. I have already two candidates, one of the band is potentially going to China and I was supposed to send one of the musicians to support a foreign artiste in in Sabah. Shockingly two of my clients received a letter ordering them to seize using foreign talent immediately. Basically this meant I lost two clients and had to cancel four singers due from London for the next half a year and the clients have lost out on some great variety. Not to mention I had to pay out cancellation fees to maintain my integrity for future gigs. The sad part is the local musicians have learnt so much from the season professionals from Europe performing in Malaysia. The ministry instead of implementing a 50 50 ruling that is practiced in Peninsula Malaysia failed to see the positive side and implemented a full band in the main lobby area where almost all live bands in 5 star hotels perform. Ironically the two clients actually have live traditional Sabah music at the entrance of the hotels almost all day and the bands only perform in the evening. Really there seems to be some amount of corruption that has led to this decision Below is a copy of the translated letter. TRANSLATION

 

INTAKE OF LOCAL MUSIC GROUPS AND SINGERS / ARTISTES

 

The above matter refers.

 

2)       For your information, this Ministry through the Sabah Cultural Board, is actively promoting and debuting the local talents especially the local music groups and artistes so that they are able to develop and to attain the standard as per foreign music groups or artistes.

 

However, this effort by the Government did not receive the response or support from the private sector especially the star-rated hoteliers.

 

As you are aware, currently most hotels; namely the Sabah star-rated ones are using the services of foreign music groups / artistes including performance at the main lobby.

 

This is not healthy from the local music industry’s perspective and does not support the government’s effort to develop and popularize the local talents towards achieving success in competing with the foreign artistes/ groups.

 

3)       Pursuant to this, to assist the government in this effort, this Ministry

      is appealing to all hotels to use the services of local talents for

      entertainment or singing performance at the main lobby.

 

      This Ministry is confident that this noble effort will not only

       encourage and popularize the local talents, either solo, group or

       music groups but also to give an identity to the hotels and make their

       guests feel that they are in Sabah.

 

4)       For info, hotels may still engage foreign music groups / artistes

      subject to the specified terms and conditions, for performance at the

      other parts of the hotels with the exception of the main lobby which is

      specifically for the local musicians / artistes as mentioned above.

 

5)       Your cooperation in supporting the Ministry’s intent in this matter is

       highly appreciated to develop and popularize local musicians and

       artistes in order for them to attain success and be competitive with

       the international musicians / singers.

 

       The concerted effort from the hotel sector not only assist the

       government in improving the State tourism sector in the cultural

       aspect but also to increase the participation of local people in the

       development of the tourism sector.

 

 

 

 

     

 

       Dato Suzannah Liaw

       Permanent Secretary

  Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment