KUALA LUMPUR, September 4 — After almost six months hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, live events are opening their doors in Malaysia.

PR Worldwide and Harith Iskander V-day Production’s Live Support will be bringing two live events in Comedy Night and the Band Nite happening this month.

The initiative aims to aid the local live events industry and serve as a platform to restart the live events ecosystem with a series of live shows.

Para R said they discussed and drafted SOPs to ensure the live event could be held safely. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

PR Worldwide managing director Paramanathan Rajagopal said the live events sector was one of the hardest hit by the restrictions put in place with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"As other business sectors were beginning to open up sometime in April and May, the event sector was still struggling to get direction, how we’re going to move on.

"So me and Alan (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre general manager Alan Pryor) and other people from various associations, started coming up and drafting a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

"We managed to get the SOP done but we had to get it approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Malaysian National Security Council (MKN).”

He said Harith managed to get a minister in a conversation with them and the SOP was approved in June.

Pryor promised they were stringent about following SOPs. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

With KL Convention Centre as the official venue partner, Pryor assured that they are fully committed in upholding the SOP.

"One of the things we’ve done in preparations of reopening and since we’ve reopened, is being stringent about upholding the SOP’s.”

"So the environment in the convention centre is controlled, it’s safe, it’s hygienic, we did everything that is required in the SOP,” he said.

Live shows will offer local performers a little relief, with many out of jobs and dependent only on streaming live.

The initiative will allow performers to do what they love and make a living said Harith. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Harith Iskander V-day production managing director Datuk Harith Iskander said many were not able to make a living, "just doing what they do professionally, doing what they love and that’s why when we come to this moment it has become so important.”

He said the return of live events is a great way to shine the spotlight to support the local creative scene affected by the pandemic.

The Live Support initiative will be presenting Comedy Night on September 19 with the line-up of Datuk Harith Iskander, Douglas Lim, Hindra Bose, Prakash Daniel and Mad Sabah.

On Band Night on September 26, local acts such as the Hillary Ang Project, Heavy Machine, Strollers, The Ez Band and Michelle Nunis and Lord n The Boys will take to stage.

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