Four who died after countdown concert in KL had consumed Ecstasy: Malaysia police

SHAH ALAM, Selangor – The four people who died after using drugs at the Pinkfish countdown concert in Malaysia fell unconscious shortly before they received treatment, said Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan.

He said the victims were given treatment by the first aid team at the concert before being taken to the hospital. Three other people who reportedly used drugs there survived.

“The incidents where the victims fell unconscious occurred between 10.45pm and 3am,” Datuk Hussein told a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters on Jan 3.

“Investigations showed all of them consumed Ecstasy pills at the concert.”

Mr Hussein said some of the victims might have bought the drugs before going to the concert, while others might have bought them there.

“We also believe there were individuals who sold the drug at the concert,” he said. “The investigation revealed the Ecstasy pills were sold at RM50 (S$15) per pill or three pills for RM100. We are in the midst of identifying the drug pushers.”

Investigations also showed that the concert organisers failed to ensure the safety of concertgoers, said Mr Hussein. “They failed to prevent the sale and use of drugs during the concert.”

Moving forward, the police will impose stricter requirements before any permit for a concert is approved, he said.

“For instance, the organisers must show that they are capable of preventing any drug distribution and use at the concert premises.”

“We cannot simply allow concerts to be held if they are going to lead to a death of a participant or participants. Thus, safety must always be a priority.

“We will look at concert approvals on a case-by-case basis, with security control a main requirement.”

Mr Hussein said the police are also looking into whether the Pinkfish concert, held in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, on New Year’s Eve, was at overcapacity.

“We discovered that 14,000 tickets were sold. With security and first aid teams on the scene, we believe more than 14,000 people were there that night,” he said.

The police will record the statements of the organisers, first aid team, security members and family members and friends of the victims, he said.

“Two people are still being treated at the intensive care unit while another has been discharged,” said Mr Hussein.

“Besides the four deceased victims, there are three others who showed the same symptoms as them. The seven of them did not go to the concert together, but instead they went with the respective friends and families.

“We have received six police reports lodged by Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and Kuala Lumpur Hospital. We have opened four investigation papers to identify any criminal elements or poisoning.”

Mr Hussein added that the police have recorded the statements of six individuals to assist with the investigations.

“We will call up several others to record their statements, including the concert organiser and the victims’ friends,” he said.

He urged those with information on the incident to contact Subang Jaya district police headquarters or the nearest police station. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK