Malaysia may soon see the introduction of a national law specifically targeting scalping activities, with discussions between key government ministries already underway. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the proposed legislation is gaining traction following repeated controversies involving ticket resales, most notably during Coldplay’s 2023 concert in Kuala Lumpur. Notably, the government first began considering such a law around the same time.
According to Malay Mail, Fahmi said his deputy, Teo Nie Ching, has been engaging with stakeholders such as local ticketing platforms and the Association of Live Event Organisers (ALIFE) to draft proposals aimed at curbing profiteering from resold tickets. “Right now, there are active discussions between the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Communications Ministry,” he said, adding that input from industry players is vital for shaping an effective framework.
One measure under consideration is the implementation of ID verification during event entry, where the identification used during ticket purchase must match the ticket holder. “This was what happened in Indonesia… I would not say it is foolproof, but it has assisted in reducing some of these scalping activities,” Fahmi said.
Currently, Malaysia lacks legislation that specifically bans ticket scalping, which means that reselling event tickets at marked-up prices remains legal. This has made enforcement difficult despite public outrage and repeated calls for action, especially when tickets for high-profile events are snapped up and resold within minutes of release.
Fahmi noted that a follow-up discussion is expected with ALIFE after the association consults its members. However, there is no set timeline yet for when the draft law will be brought to Parliament. It is also unclear whether the planned legislation would solely target ticketing for live events or if it will be expanded to cover other sectors where scalping is equally prevalent, such as limited-edition merchandise, electronics, and gaming hardware.
(Source: Malay Mail)
