‘We want our money back': One year on, Malaysian fans still waiting for refunds after Onew fanmeet cancelled

Malay Mail

15-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 – Local fans of K-pop star Onew of the group Shinee have yesterday alleged that they have yet to receive their full refunds despite it being almost a year since the cancellation of a fanmeeting event.
In a desperate move, a group of 20 ticket holders sought assistance from MCA's National Public Services and Complaints Bureau, to claim their refunds from the organiser.
'We will give them a bit of time, maybe a week or so in hope that the organiser would settle this. There are about 20 complainants here which have a total collective claims up to RM20,000.
'We hope we can settle this,' the bureau chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong told a press conference here.
The press conference at Wisma MCA was also attended by Chong's deputy, Ivan Tan, who is also a lawyer.
The event, which was supposed to take place on July 27 last year, was cancelled by the organiser MND Sport & Event Sdn Bhd just 10 days before the event.
The company had cited the cancellation was due to 'unforeseen internal circumstances', while assuring fans that the decision was made after 'thorough consideration'.
Prior to the cancellation, MND had also announced a change of venue for the fanmeeting, from Stadium Malawati Shah Alam to Plenary Hall, KLCC.
A representative from the group, who only wished to be known as Sasa, alleged that MND, via their initial cancellation post, had promised that the refund process would begin on August 1, 2024.
Sasa also alleged that MND had vowed that all ticket holders would be fully refunded by December 5, 2024.
However, on January 27, the company released another statement stating that they had been processing refunds since September 2024 and almost 50 per cent of ticket holders had received their refunds.
Sasa said that some of them even went to the Malaysian Consumer Claims Tribunal (MCCT) to fight for their refunds, and despite several of them being granted awards from the tribunal, there has been no response from MND.
'Hopefully we can get the organiser to contact us and we can give full cooperation and help us reach a settlement,' Chong said,
'All they want is their money back. We may not want to sue them. Not interested in legal action. They've been very fair as they have waited for one year already but they have received nothing until today.'