Beer festival at new venue yet to get approval from authorities

PETALING JAYA: The city council here has received an application to organise a four-days beer festival at a local shopping mall next month.
However, PJ Mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain said the application is incomplete as it was not supported by letters from authorities like the customs and police as the event involves alcohol.
"So far only one company, Creative In Action International Sdn Bhd, has submitted an application. They did so two weeks ago seeking the council approval to have the event at a shopping mall on Oct 5 to Oct 8.
"However, we have yet to process their application. It does not have support letter from the two authorities. Once they have gotten the letter then only we can start processing their application," Mohd Azizi said during a press conference after the council fullboard meeting today.
Mohd Azizi stressed that the company is aware of the need for support letters as they are not first time applicants.
"The council imposed the same guideline every year where the organiser must get the support from Customs and police and any approval from the council is based on these guidelines," he explained.
Asked if it will be harder for the organiser to get the letter from police considering the recent fiasco surrounding the Better Beer Festival, Mohd Azizi said that he is in no position to provide response at the moment as it was dependent on the police.
Last Thursday the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Haru said the Better Beer Festival was not allowed to go on because the police have "security concerns" involving militants who were planning to sabotage the event.
He said the police received information that militants and some unknown group's plan to disturb the event.
"A security concern was raised following the information received by our intelligence, and to avoid any untoward incidents the police has to step up.
"The people's safety safety is our utmost concern," Mohamad Fuzi said in a statement.
Fuzi's statement came after Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said it had rejected the organiser's application to hold the event after receiving an application for a permit 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 vice party.