The Rakyat Post: Police must reveal actual cause of deaths at music festival last year

THE Association of Arts, Live, International Festivals and Events (Alife) is shocked at the latest report that have surfaced in The Star today regarding the causes of death at Future Music Festival Asia 2014 (FMFA 2014).

Like the Malaysian public, the arts and live events industry, for over a year, has been led to believe that drugs played a decisive factor in the unfortunate deaths at FMFA 2014.

Since the incident on that day, FMFA has been made as a scapegoat for the decline of the live events industry in Malaysia, particularly when it comes to events that promote the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) genre.

Shows with EDM elements have been rejected by authorities for fear of similar drug-related deaths recurring.

With the latest discovery and in the interest of full transparency, we call on the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) to first and foremost make public the investigation reports on FMFA 2014, information which till this day is only privy to only the PDRM.

Our hearts also go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy as they are once again forced to seek closure over a year on.

ALIFE

Note: ‘The Star’ report, quoting a pathologist, states that the six died of “heatstroke”. He said the combination of choking haze, high humidity and 35°C temperature were the main causes of the tragedy. They were there at the stadium from 10am to 1am, without sufficient fluids and dancing for hours, provided the conditions for heatstroke. He said two of the nine heatstroke victims had no traces of drugs in their system while the rest tested positive for MDMA, ketamine and morphine.

Source from The Rakyat Post.