The Star: Concert organisers want police to release findings on music festival deaths

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian entertainment industry and concert organisers have called on the police to release their findings on the cause of the six deaths during the Future Music Festival Asia 2014 (FMFA).

This comes after The Star’s front-page report quoting the pathologist involved in the autopsies as saying that the victims died of heatstroke and not drug overdose as previously announced.

The association of Arts, Live, International Festivals and Events (ALIFE), in a statement, said it was "shocked" by the report, adding that the entire industry and not just the festival organisers had been kept in the dark.

It said an earlier claim that the victims died of drug overdose had portrayed the electronic dance music (EDM) genre in a bad light in Malaysia.

"Since the incident, FMFA has been made a scapegoat, particularly when it comes to events that promote the EDM genre,” ALIFE stated.

"Shows with EDM elements have been rejected by the authorities for fear of similar drug-related deaths recurring,” it added.

In view of the latest disclosure, ALIFE is urging the police to be transparent and make public its investigation report on FMFA 2014.

Source from The Star.