Psy will cost a bomb, but that's 'BN style'

While the BN claims it helps to curb living cost problems with small cash handouts for the populace, it appears that the party has no problem with spending a bomb on political-entertainment events.

On Feb 11, BN will be hosting Korean pop sensation Psy, who is expected to belt his global hit ‘Gangnam Style' and perform his signature equine dance moves at Penang BN's Chinese New Year open house event.

A crowd of 60,000 is expected at the Han Chiang college compound for the event. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (left) is also expected to be in attendance.

Several concert promoters told Malaysiakini that it is unlikely Psy will be slated for a full blown concert and will most likely make a short appearance, 30 minutes at the most.

"I can imagine that it is going to be a short set. People will be bored waiting for just one song," said a veteran promoter, who declined to be named on grounds that those in his industry need the close cooperation of the authorities.

Conservatively, promoters estimated that Psy would charge between US$300,000 and US$400,000 (RM932,100 to RM1,242,800) for a short performance with a small crew, and singing "minus one", which means he would be performing to pre-recorded music, without a band present.

That price, remarked one promoter, would be the equivalent to hiring American chart topper Pitbull to perform two shows.

Entertainment news portal Redcarpet reported that Psy's fee for the BN even was US$1 million (RM3.1 million).

However, this estimate is not believed to be accurate, for it would mean that the brief appearance by Psy would cost more than Jennifer Lopez's recent full fledged concert in Kuala Lumpur.

For further comparison, Justin Beiber's estimated fee for a full concert in Kuala Lumpur last year was US$600,000 (RM1.8 million) while Beyonce (right) was reported to have demanded US$750,000 (RM2.3 million) to perform in 2007.

Psy will overshadow PM
Khoo Kay Peng, an experienced promoter who has brought in K-pop acts such as Super Junior and B1A4 to Malaysia, noted that Psy could command a higher fee during the Chinese New Year period.

"It coincides with the Korean New Year. He's a rich man from a rich family. If the fee is not appealing, he'll stay in Korea where he has other commitments," said Khoo.

He also estimated that the set-up cost would be in the RM150,000 to RM200,000 range, especially since the even was being held during the holiday period.

Khoo, who is better known for his political analysis work, said BN's strategy of bringing in Psy for the open house event was "a bit misplaced", since the performer would overshadow the prime minister.

"Politically, I don't think it is very smart. BN should not give the impression that the prime minister can't attract a crowd and needs Psy to do it for him.

"It doesn't matter if the crowd is 60,000 or 100,000. At the end of the day, it is the quality of the crowd that matters. They should have just asked the premier to come and keep it sober," said Khoo (left).

He said the message BN was trying to send also appeared contradictory. On one hand, it was taking certain austerity measures and rejecting calls for free tertiary education, but then, it was spending big money to bring in a superstar.

Despite his affinity for K-pop, Khoo, a Penang native, said he would not be attending the event.

"Chinese New Year is a time for family and reflection, particularly for those who are not so privileged," he added.