KUALA LUMPUR – Rapper-turned-producer Altimet has revealed that his resignation as a Recording Performers Malaysia Bhd (RPM) board member was due to personal reasons, and not the controversy over the disbursement of funds by the royalty collection body.
Setting the record straight in an interview with The Vibes, the 42-year-old artiste attributed his departure from RPM, which represents recording performers who are music copyright owners, to his own career objectives.
“It isn’t in line with my plans, my current plans. It’s not in line. It’s personal,” said Altimet, whose real name is Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad.
He stepped down from the RPM board on December 13 last year. At the time, it was reported that he was “disappointed” with the issues faced by the organisation.
Berita Harian quoted him as saying his time with the body had ended, as “there is nothing more to be contributed productively in RPM”.
“I don’t want to worsen the situation. It is better that I am replaced by someone who can give more benefit.”
In late November last year, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds from music royalties received by industry players.
The claims were made against royalty collectors, who purportedly failed to pay artistes and song composers.
MACC raided the offices of RPM, Public Performance Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Music Authors’ Copyright Protection Bhd, and Performers’ Rights and Interest Society of Malaysia Bhd, among others, after Malaysian Artistes’ Association president Freddie Fernandez urged the anti-graft agency to intervene in a dispute over some RM30 million in unpaid music royalties.
He also met senior MACC officials to discuss issues pertaining to royalties, in particular, those owed to artistes.
On December 10, Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid said about 1,000 local music industry practitioners would be given RM500 each in January under a government initiative to resolve the issue of royalty arrears.
Bernama that month reported Rosol as saying the initial payment involved RM11.7 million in arrears in 2018.
He also said the following payment would be made based on music use reports obtained from local television and radio stations.
Asked whether he feels that the “misappropriation” of funds had led to delays in the distribution of royalties, Altimet suggested this is not the reason for the disbursement issue.
“I think it’s solvable, but there are some people sensationalising it. I don’t know what their agenda is, but it doesn’t help,” he said, accusing such quarters of inflaming sentiment among industry players.
“You are using it to emotionally leverage people who move off emotion. Creative people move off emotion.”
The issue involves “accounting periods”, he said, referring to artistes’ individual financial calendars.
“I learnt about accounting periods early on in my career. Sometimes, you don’t get royalty this year, because it wasn’t collected (by collection bodies) the year before.”
For example, said Altimet, he was still waiting this year for royalties for songs he published at the end of 2019.
“Logically, (if the music was released) in 2019, you should get it (royalties) in 2020. But, there are accounting periods. Different people have different accounting periods.
“Even if these collection bodies pay you in August of every year, they are not going to collect (the royalties) all the way up to August. They are going to stop maybe three to six months before August.”
Elaborating on the issue of delayed payments, he gave the example of a radio station that pays royalties late, affecting when the payment is made to the artiste, who is the copyright owner.
“That’s one of the main reasons why the amount (royalties) is still being kept.”
Asked whether the matter has been blown out of proportion, he reiterated that it is being leveraged “to achieve some people’s agenda”. – The Vibes, June 25, 2021
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