KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) has denied that it will be hosting its International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (MyBalloonFiesta) this week.
This comes after fake online advertisements promoted the holding of the festival between June 16 and 19 this year.
In a brief statement this evening, PPj said that all events in Putrajaya are subject to approval by its committee.
“This procedure is to ensure that all events held in Putrajaya adhere to established regulations for the safety of the public and to safeguard the image of the federal administrative capital,” PPj said.
“Putrajaya Corporation will not be held responsible for any information or advertisement pertaining to this event (this weekend).”
The corporation was responding to recent articles by The Vibes that highlighted a potential scam involving the annual event, which has not been held since 2020.
On June 10, the co-organisers of the event, AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, alleged that a party has been impersonating the company on Facebook by offering plot rentals to booth vendors and traders, even though there are no plans to hold the fiesta soon.
AKA Baloon director Nur Izzati Khairudin said her company had lodged a police report on the matter at Jalan Tun Razak police station in Wangsa Maju on June 9.
The fake organiser floated the option for the vendors to rent plots ranging from 10 and 20 sq ft each, for a rate of RM1,500 and RM2,500 respectively, over the period of four days.
The trading plots were being offered on at least one Facebook group, named “Food Truck (Info Tapak Niaga)”, which claims to cater for small event and bazaar traders.
Similarly, Wangsa Maju police chief Ashari Abu Samah urged those who might have fallen victim to the fake advertisements to come forward to lodge reports and assist the authorities with investigations.
MyBalloonFiesta was first held in 2009, and had been organised annually over the next ten years, with the exception of 2018.
The festival was called off in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has been on hold since.
On average, the festival brings in around 20 hot air balloons, mostly from American and European countries, and attracts up to 150,000 visitors. – The Vibes, June 14, 2022
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