For up to RM1 million (about $224,000), a Malaysian lawyer is suing the concert promoters of K-pop group Blackpink for his "missing seat" at their Kuala Lumpur performance in March.
On Friday, May 12, Nas Rahman said on Twitter and Tiktok that he had chosen to pursue legal action after talks with the event's organizers had failed. Blackpink's organizers are Live Nation and Go Live. Rahman said the negotiations between the two sides resulted in no agreement.
"After a series of negotiations, both parties did not reach an agreement... I have filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Go Live in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court," he stated, as per the media's translation.
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Unpleasant Concert Experience
In a report by The Straits Times, when Rahman heard that the Kpop group would be performing in Bukit Jalil National Stadium as part of its Born Pink World Tour, he quickly spent RM488 on two tickets so he could attend the show.
When he and his wife arrived at the concert venue on March 4 to take their seats, they were both surprised to find that one of their seats no longer existed.
Consequently, Rahman said he was forced to either stand or sit on a stairway during the whole two-hour show.
The tweet he sent out after Blackpink's performance read: "Who else went to Blackpink's concert and experienced the same fate as me? It was missing a seat... In the end, I had to either stand or sit on the staircase."
Rahman was not the only one having trouble throughout the show. Even though they paid for them, several concertgoers were unhappy since they could not see the stage because of the barriers and fences.
Rahman, who has his own law business, sent a demand letter to the concert's organizers two days after the performance, requiring a refund and "some" compensation.
Rahman alleges that he and the other party were unable to reach a settlement, so he filed a lawsuit in the court that hears civil claims of up to RM1 million.
"The reason I believe action must be taken is not because of money... If I allow this issue to go on, it may happen to others in the future, and I don't want it to happen to anyone again," he said.
Whether he wins or loses in court is of little consequence, according to Rahman. What he wants is to prove to all concert promoters that they owe it to their audiences to put them first.
To comply with legal processes, Rahman said he would not provide any more details about the issue and instead let the courts decide, Malay Mail reported.
Blackpink is now in Singapore, where they are scheduled to perform on Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14.
