Joint Media Release – Karyawan Should Stop Making Statements That Are Detrimental To Rightsholders And Music Users As A Whole – MACP, PPM & RPM


JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
KARYAWAN SHOULD STOP MAKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO RIGHTSHOLDERS AND MUSIC USERS AS A WHOLE – MACP, PPM & RPM
6 July 2021, Kuala Lumpur – We refer to the press statement by Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia, entitled “Plan to Form New Bodies in Sabah and Sarawak Reflective of Failure of Existing Bodies to Adequately Protect Members’ Rights,” in reference to the webinar held by Wisdom Foundation – Malaysia entitled “Sabah Sarawak’s Musical Treasures: Returning Our Treasures Back Home” on 15 June 2021 via Zoom and Facebook Live from Wisdom Foundation (“Webinar”). Ever since the Webinar, the Licensing Bodies (LBs) have taken the initiative to give a more holistic response based on past records with actual facts and figures on the issues raised at the Webinar to the authorities. As sensitive data and information are involved, we are unable to make them public but we trust the data will provide a comprehensive picture to the government with regard to the true state of matters.
For companies that are publicly listed or limited by guarantee (CLBG), which all 3 BLs are, open discussions and sometimes heated debates and differences of opinions are nothing new as members are free to express their views and concerns. Moreover, with more than 4,400 and 1,900 members respectively, it is obvious that there will always be MACP and RPM members who do not agree or are dissatisfied with certain outcomes. It is inherent in all democratic institutions. Seen in this light, we are proud to practice democratic values for the LBs’ best interests, as long as comments are made with utmost decorum, without any unsubstantiated accusations and hidden agenda. As CLBGs, we take all discussion points raised by our members seriously in our continuous efforts to improve the operations and management of our respective LBs.
With regards to the investigations by SPRM, it is premature to make any comments at this juncture, out of respect for the due process of law. Suffice to say that once the matter is concluded, the public has the right to know of the outcome and the party who actually initiated the investigations, and their intent and purpose. We are sure Karyawan are aware of this and not to use this matter to cast doubts against the LBs.
Karyawan’s attempt to throw shade against the LBs using unsubstantiated evidence is unbecoming, to say the least, and the calls to revive another joint-licensing body and ironically, more licensing bodies in East Malaysia, begs the question – for whose benefit? Not only is this call ignorant and devoid of merit, but it is also detrimental to the interests of rightsholders and music users as a whole.
The requests of MRS and MRSB to be declared as licensing bodies is clearly give them the right to collect and distribute royalties themselves. It is obvious to us that Karyawan understands that licensing bodies manage the private rights of its members and are free to determine how collection and distribution are to be made and what system is to be used. Even MyIPO is unable by law to force all licensing bodies to use only one system as suggested by Karyawan, nor is it the responsibility of MyIPO to ensure there is no duplication.
Thus, it is also clear that Karyawan’s narrow-minded call and suggestive agenda is not made for the benefit of the industry as a whole and the collective management of music copyright specifically, in which Karyawan is not even a collective management organization, to begin with. It is incumbent on us to inform your readers that a legal suit for defamation against Karyawan and Freddie Fernandez in relation to some of the earlier statements that he has made has in fact been filed.
The LBs are confident that based on all the facts and figures shared with the Ministry, any doubts created by the allegations and accusations can and will be addressed. We urge Karyawan and other parties not to ride on the unhappy sentiments of a minority of our members, which is to be expected, to turn them into a repeat of the past bigger mistakes like the declaration of PRISM as a licensing body within the same class of rights and the setting up of an MRM. It is foolhardy to do the same thing and expect a different outcome.