LATEST UPDATE!!!!!!! Zuhaila from MATRADE has declared Asia Islamic Fashion Week 2018 is NOT a MATRADE event. She explains, "We only introduced the organiser to the building management company since they wanted to rent the space." There you go. So MATRADE is just caught in the crossfire.
But typical of shadowy and uselessly secretive govt agencies, MATRADE did not mention clearly it has rented out the entire convention hall MECC to a third party, which I presume is a private company which then sub-lets it to the paying public!
As usual, MATRADE does not mention the name of the private company now managing MECC Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre. MATRADE should mention the name of the private company unless it has something to hide. If I am the owner/partner of the company managing MECC I should be proud to let the world know the fact since to be associated with MATRADE is prestigious and honorable---unless of course I am the brother/sexual lover/husband/wife/relative of the bosses of MATRADE.
Why MATRADE cannot handle its own convention centre only Buddha and Jesus and Siva know and they are also not telling. If MATRADE can handle tough logistics about sending trade missions overseas and financing Malaysian companies to gain a toehold overseas, it should be able to assign one of its minions to handle phonecalls about inquiries about renting MECC. How hightech is this job until MATRADE has to rent the hall to a third party which then sub-lets it to others for a profit.
MAny also wish to know how much does MATRADE charge the current operator of MECC? Is the rent at prevailing market rate? Or higher than market rate? Or worse, lower than market rate? In this new Age of Transparency, the rental and identity of the tenant must be revealed. I am sure there is nothing to hide so spill out the rent and owners' names!
Of course the chief renter/tenant of MECC has the right to ban and bar the organiser of Asia Islamic Fashion Week from entering the premises if AIFW did not pay the amount agreed upon. It also speaks badly of AIFW management that it allowed the debacle to drag on until the evening of Gala Launch Night only to cancel it 2 hours before the grand opening! They should have told AIFW at least a week or fortnight earlier to either pay full amount or find another venue.
After all, MECC allowed AIFW staff to enter in the morning to set up the stage, lights, sound, seats and everything else needed to stage a show!
Add this to 1MDB.
Thumbs down to MATRADE and AIFW organisers! I took this photo outside the venue which was locked and guarded with a female security guard in case we tried to hold a fashion show as the lights, sounds, seats and goody bags were all laid out inside!
NOT ONLY WAS THIS CANCELLATION A SHAMEFUL DISASTER FOR ISLAMIC FASHION WEEKS BUT ALSO FOR THE FASHION WEEKS INDUSTRY AND FOR MATRADE WHOSE EXISTENCE IS TO PROMOTE LOCAL MALAYSIAN PRODUCERS TO EXPORT THEIR GOODS AND SERVICES OVERSEAS AS MATRADE STANDS FOR 'MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'.
NOW MATRADE CAN STAND FOR 'MANA ADA TRADE'?
MATRADE CAN ALSO STAND FOR 'MALAYSIA TIADA RASUAH ADA DESIGNERS'
THE DRESS CODE WAS 'BATEK OR SONGKET' SO I WORE A RM 3,000 SUIT WITH HAND SEWN AND HAND PAINTED BATEK FLOWER APPLIQUES. LUCKY I DID NOT PAY AS IT WAS SPONSORED BY A DESIGNER WHO WAS SO FRUSTRATED HE DOES NOT WANT HIS NAME TO BE MENTIONED OR LINKED TO MATRADE/ASIA ISLAMIC FASHION WEEK.
I arrived with grand socialite Dato Joneser Choi and model Tung Mei Chin for the opening gala. As I entered I asked a handsome Malay man if this is the venue. He nodded and said "Yes, but the show is cancelled". I thought it was a joke in very bad taste and I am an expert on jokes in bad taste (some say I am one but they are jealous) so I thought of punching him in his mouth but that might damage my diamond dragon and amber ring so I refrained.
Then I saw the stunned faces of guests, buyers, sellers and models who were huddled together on the floor or standing in conference.
I asked several and all said "Yes, the show is cancelled'.
Why?
None seemed to know which was bizarre as the shock cancellation was so swift and sudden all were taken by surprise and no official explanation was given. But you don't need to be a reborn Albert Einstein to assume either Asia Islamic Fashion Week organisers were to blame or MATRADE was the culprit.
According to shameless, unfounded and unverified rumours which are more thrilling than plain, bald truths since none was forthcoming, either MATRADE or AIFW was the Satanic One.
1; MATRADE was so money faced, greedy and grasping when the organisers could not fork out the remaining outstanding amount (assuming a deposit was made earlier), it locked the venue and thus cancelled the show.
2; AIFW organisers were so inept and inefficient they could not plan their finances properly and so ended with this cock-up and apparently this was not the first time either.
SO WHO IS TO BLAME?
MATRADE should have insisted a week or 10 days or 14 days ago all rental fees and money must be paid full upfront or no show. This would give organisers enough time to postpone or cancel the fashion week and not end up with this debacle of guests arriving dressed to kill only to see Opening Night killed at the very last minute!
If MATRADE agreed to the remaining payment to be paid after the show or in August then it should allow Asia Islamic Fashion Week to continue.
Now the venue is wasted, abandoned and useless as obviously no one is going to rent it today or tomorrow so this is a LOSE LOSE SITUATION! Like empty seats in a plane, the flight must take off regardless. So MATRADE should have allowed the show to go on since it was their fault by allowing this unresolved issue (whatever it was) to drag on until 2 hours before showtime! MATRADE should have put its foot down weeks ago! Is Opening Night show on or off?
Then again it could be due to the OLD versus NEW Government!
MATRADE, unlike Shangri-La or Four Seasons or Ah Kow Budget Hall, is a Government linked entity as it is owned, operated and financed by the Malaysian Government under Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Its mission is to help export Malaysian goods and services to overseas markets. Its slogan is "Made in Malaysia For the World' so by right MATRADE should not be so money faced and insist on every last drop of blood from fellow Malaysians struggling to sell some baju.
Someone told me it was a conspiracy as under the OLD government, a lot of money was paid out and kickbacks were received and now the NEW government had cancelled the show until the mess is cleared. Or maybe money WAS paid to MATRADE which never entered its official bank account! Corruption? Don't we all love this? So without an official explanation from powers that be, we shall be forced to make do with rumours.
According to a SMS statement, Fuza Umar, founder of #AIFW2018 said, "We completed all areas of the event preparation to the best of our ability and were almost towards our final stages. Unfortunately, an incident, beyond our control, took place resulting in us having to make a tough decision to cancel the event. This decision takes into account various needful aspects and has gained the consensus of all relevant authorities involved in organising this event. We sincerely apologise wholeheartedly for the unexpected outcome. We have done everything in our power to ensure that the event can go on as announced."
Well, well, doesn't this ask more questions? What is the 'incident' that was beyond their control? Was Fuza Umar passing the buck to MATRADE? I mean, MATRADE was the one who locked MECC venue doors so none could enter.
As Alice in Wonderland would say, 'curiouser and curiouser'!
Finally someone confirmed the Opening Night gala was indeed cancelled and my new baju must be put back into cold storage. But she was unable to give an explanation but sighed, "We had 431 confirmed guests tonight" and showed me on her hp the photos of the catwalk and seats nicely arranged with lights and sound systems ready to go.
Now who will pay the technicians, models and stagehands who expect remuneration? Let alone the super 'paiseh' loss of maruah or face?
Then again, the world has been laughing at us since the time of the Mongolian model, 1MDB, Kevin Morais, Najib's body guards, ever shrinking ringgit, countless kickbacks, overpaid mega projects we should be used to it. Nothing new right?
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